Since I recently got hitched, and have all the photos from
the big day, I launched a weekly series
sharing my favorite images and memories, and a few tips and resources along the
way. If you're planning a wedding, make sure to check out "The
Credits" at the end. Enjoy!
For better or for worse, I am a highly detail-oriented person. It serves me well in my profession but not always in my personal life. Some may call me “anal.” Not an endearing descriptor, no doubt, but completely accurate if I’m being honest. And that overachieving, Type-A personality side of me definitely made an appearance (reared its ugly head?) during the wedding planning process.
For my big day I was all about the little details. Sometimes
to my detriment (and my beloved’s). (Case in point: I carefully picked out the exact color stain
for my father to use on our ceremony arch so that the wood would match our
rented chairs. Yep. I’m that girl.)
Looking back I realize that most of our guests probably didn’t
notice many of the details I spent hours planning, organizing and, often,
over-analyzing. And those details they did notice are likely long forgotten by
now. So, do I regret it, executing all those little details?
No. Not one bit.
Forgoing them may have alleviated some stress but, when it
was all over, those thoughtfully-considered, deliberately-decided details made
me happy. And they made my and GT’s wedding day feel one-of-a-kind—made just
for us, by us.
One detail I spent countless hours laboring over was our
stationery. As my bestie says, I’m a “paper person.” Unfortunately for my
husband, that meant looking at samples and mockups until we went cross-eyed,
debating this design versus that, this phrasing versus that… you get the idea. There were several times he
unwittingly shot down the design I loved because I innocently asked, “Which do
you like?” and his favorites didn’t include my favorite. Oh, the joys of
wedding planning.
But in the end I was thrilled with how our stationery pieces
turned out, and we received many compliments as well, so I thought I’d share
them with you today.
While we ordered our save the dates from Wedding Paper Divas, we used Minted to create our wedding invitations suite (and reaped the
benefits of free recipient addressing—such a time saver!).
When looking for the perfect invitation, I wanted a design
that not only included some if not all of our wedding colors (lavender, sage, peach and blush) but also reflected the casual, organic, slightly boho feel of our wedding. A romantic
floral that seemed fresh and fun. Nothing traditional, but I didn’t want to
veer too modern either. And our
names had to be prominent. These square-shaped Wildflower Crest invitations fit
the bill and were a unanimous choice for GT and I. Of our top picks, this
design was even my parents’ favorite, which helped seal the deal.
[ I modified the "directions" card to be more of a "details" card, and I changed the RSVP card language to be more youthful and playful. The back of the main invitation card featured a scattered floral print. ]
Since we had a longer ceremony that included readings, handfasting and wine blending ceremonies, and a community vow of support, I
decided we needed a program. And since I had a steep discount code (40% off), I
ordered paper programs from Wedding Paper Divas.
After the wedding, we again used WPD to purchase our thank you cards.
[ Our programs were simple, with a soft, sage green watercolor design that didn't look out of place at our outdoor afternoon ceremony. Our thank you cards echoed the colors and floral elements that were part of our big day. ]
Where I cut costs was the menus. With a family-style
service, I felt it important that people know what they were eating when the
dishes were brought to the table, but I didn’t want to spend money on something
that would likely get splattered with food and wine. So I painstakingly stamped
and wrote each one by hand. Just days before the wedding. Ha! Trust me, when my
hand was cramping I kind of wished I had ordered menus from WPD or Minted. But,
in the end, I think my “rustic” handwritten menus were the perfectly imperfect personal
touch on our day. Another detail that was worth the effort.
In the coming weeks I’ll share some more wedding day
details: décor, signage, florals, favors, desserts… even some awesome Etsy
finds! In the meantime, if you missed any previous Wedding Wednesday posts,
catch up here:
THE CREDITS
Idyllic Inscription Save the Dates (in Coral)
Wildflower Crest Wedding Invitations (in Orchid) | Directions Cards | RSVP Cards
Exquisite Artistry Programs (in Sea Glass)
Delicate Etching Thank You Cards (in Light Gray)
Kraft Paper Cardstock for Menus from Paper Source
PHOTOGRAPHY: heidi-o-photo
I love your invitations! I just think they're so adorable, and even just kind of feel like you! As for menus, I actually included two pages of the program to them. I remember seeing the idea online and thought it was such a clever way to do it, and keep things somewhat simple. But I do love the look of your handwritten menus.
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