My babies.

No, not REAL "babies" - my invitations!!

I started working on them about 2 months after we got engaged. I slowly started accumulating pieces of the invitation puzzle. First, I fell in love with this paper I found at Michaels - it's actually the inspiration for the entire wedding - and now it's the liner in all of the envelopes. Then I found invitation and RSVP textured card stock (on clearance for $14!!), and then I ordered all the envelopes and everything else just kind of fell into place! Here you can see all the different pieces:

These are HORRIBLE phone-photos, but the large envelope is a pink pearlescent color, and the RSVP envelopes are an ivory pearlescent. You can also see my inspiration paper lining the main envelope! The invitation and RSVP design I created in InDesign and Photoshop (I love the cursive font I found called Dear John), and it took forever (and about five mock invitations) to get it centered. But it turned out eventually.

I decided that that wasn't enough - so I created a "belly band" to hold everything together in the envelope. I found a shimmery red paper with tiny white polka-dots (to tie it in with the envelopes!) and used scalloped scissors to cut them about an inch and a half wide, and then I used a monogram I created on the Wedding Chicks website for free (you put your information in and pick the colors, and they send it to your email!) to hold the belly-band together.

 

 There is also a new addition to the invitations since I took these photos - I used my inspiration paper and the paper I printed the monogram on and made little cards that said "For more information, please visit our website!" and then put our website address so they could find out about hotels in the area and other information about the wedding. So, with everything put together this is what it looks like!

I also ordered a custom stamp from Etsy to use for our return address on both the main envelope and the RSVP envelope. I found a beautiful shimmery dark pink ink to use!

 

So, what do you think??