invitation love

I have a confession to make:

our wedding invitations were probably my favorite thing about our wedding (leading up to it). Our love story is such an intricate part of who we are, and I knew that our invitations needed to, in some way, display that.

 

Trying to find the right invitation for us was tricky. We were on a budget and wanted something simple, yet hard to forget. We didn't want something fancy. We wanted something that was us. I did further research and found an incredible wedding invitation by designer Matt Dorfman for his 2008 wedding, in which he used different type to outline he and his fiancee's story. Instantly I thought: this is for Heath and me! What a great way to display our story!

 

So, I sat down with Heath and wrote down our story. That was by far the easiest part. Then, I tried to figure out how I was going to create it. I hadn't a clue, so I consulted some friends, and they pointed me in the direction I needed with InDesign CS6. I did the 30 day trial, tried to fiddle with it...and was at a dead end. Feeling at a loss, I grasped at the last straw I knew, which was a woman I had worked with in our journalism program here at school. She works for the local paper, so I asked her granddaughter, who was a former student of mine, if she knew if she could help me. Ms. Pat contacted me immediately and said she would be happy to do it for me, if I would just bring me a copy of the story, she would have the proof in a couple days. What a huge blessing!

 

So, a couple days later, I went to the local paper to see my proof, and my heart nearly left my chest. It was absolutely perfect. Ms. Pat told me of a local paper store in town to get my paper. We needed 11X17 paper, 2 invitations were to be printed on each piece of paper, then cut in half vertically. I showed up to the paper store and had to stifle a giggle. A little old man ran it. On three of the four walls, there were deer heads, fish, and other animals mounted. On two of the four walls, there was John Wayne photos and posters.Was this REALLY where I was going to buy the paper to make my wedding invitations. Here?!  I asked him if he had any 11X17 thick linen paper in cream. He went back to get me the 31 pieces he had left. I noticed a sign that said, "no debit or credit cards," so I whipped out my checkbook, and he laughed, "Girl, it ain't but $2.00. Take the paper. How about you run $2.00 by the store tomorrow?" (and that's just what I did).

 

After I left the paper store with my paper, I took my design and paper to the Office Depot in town and asked them to print and cut them in half for me. Ms. Pat showed me how to fold them to where the actual invitation would act as its own envelope. After I got my stamps (almost $18), I got a sharpie pen and addressed them by hand.

 

So for under $30 I got the most meaningful invitations I could have hoped for.

 

 

This is us.

love,
lady