Invitation Photo Shoot

The invitations are complete!  They were a lot of work, and I'm not sure if they really came out that much cheaper than if I were to purchase them.  I do feel quite accomplished, though, and I am eager to show them off!

 I bought most of my paper from Paper and More.  I am extremely happy with the quality of their paper, the speed of delivery, and their excellent customer service.  I had received a set of pockets that got damaged in the mail.  When I wrote to them to explain what happened, they immediately (seriously, within 10 minutes after I sent the email) apologized and had another set of pockets being sent to me free-of-charge.  I highly recommend them.

Except where noted, everything was handcut using a paper cutter (I had about 10 different cutters on hand and experimented to see which worked best).  Everything was matted down using 5mm acid-free double-stick tape from Heiko.  I used about 5 rolls to create 200 invitations.

 

The Outer Envelope

The outer envelopes were a last-minute purchase I made when I was deciding how to address my invitations.  Originally, I had planned to just use one envelope and include a belly band with the guests names printed on them.  In my current design, however, this didn't work.  In order to clarify who was invited, I decided to use both an inner and outer envelope.  I also wanted to protect my beautiful metallic inner envelope from damage in the mail.  It was a little difficult to find envelopes the right size - 7.5" x 5.5".  It is sometimes called A7.5 envelopes, as it is designed to fit 7.25" x 5.25" A7 envelopes.  I found these white linen envelopes on Paper Presentation for a great price.  I printed them on a home laser printer, and they turned out great.  The font I used is called Feel Script.  I used my new Hand Embosser to emboss the return address on the back flap.

The Inner Envelope

I really liked the sample White Metallic Linen envelopes I had ordered from Paper & More ($0.28 each), but Cards & Pockets has recently started selling metallic euro-flap envelopes, and they were a great price ($0.17 each).  I decided to save some money and go with the envelopes from Cards & Pockets.  I printed them on a home laser printer, and they turned out great.  The font I used is called Feel Script.

Envelope Liner and Pocketfold

The envelope liners were designed using a digital stamp I created in Photoshop.  I literally laid out each individual flourish to cover a letter-sized paper.  I used a laser printer to print the design onto Metallic Linen Text paper.  The difficult part was that I had to print each sheet individually.  If I tried printing multiple copies at one time, the printer was not able to properly feed the paper because it was a little slippery.  I bought an envelope liner set from Paper-Source, but it did not work with the envelopes I bought.  I created my own template from a manila folder, then traced the shape on the back of each sheet of printed paper.  I hand-cut each liner using a scissors.  These babies were perhaps the most labor-intensive, but adds so much to the invitation.  They were definitely worth it!

Close-up of the Monogram

I knew the small squares would be difficult to cut precisely, so I ordered pre-cut cardstock squares from Cards and Pockets.  The price was reasonable, it saved me a lot of time, and the cuts were precise.  I cut the white squares myself after printing the monograms on letter paper (I fit the monograms onto the same sheets with the invitations and maps -- see below).  This was a bit difficult, and I ended up with some crooked cuts.  Luckily, I had a bunch of extra, so I was able to just pick the best and toss the rest.

The Invitation

Here is what I used to make the invitation you see above (all paper is from Paper and More):

- 5"x7" Bronze Pocketfold

I actually preferred the Bronze color at Cards and Pockets, but the pockets from Paper and More were cheaper and had a wider pocket.  The color difference was slight.

- 4.75" x 6.75" Purple Punch Text Paper

I was initially going to cut this myself from a letter-sized paper, but for a small price, Paper and More was able to do it more quickly and greater precision.  Also, if they happened to make a mistake, they would have to replace the paper.  The $5 I paid to have them do it was well worth it.

- 4.5" x 6.5" Metallic Linen Text Paper

I did cut this myself because it was easier to print as whole sheets, and I was able to squeeze 2 invitations and 9 monograms onto one sheet of paper to utilize as much of it as I could.  I was lucky enough to have access to a commercial Xerox printer to print my invitations.  I had gone a week earlier to do a test-run and verify that 1) the printer could handle my paper, and 2) that the ink would stick on my metallic linen paper.  Once the invitation was printed and cut, I used a Fresh Impressions paper punch to create the flower and stuck a 3mm clear rhinestone sticker in the center.

- 4" x 6.75" Metallic Linen Cardstock

I cut this myself also, as I printed 2 maps and 4 monograms on a page.  I also laid out the paper so that I would have a 1.25" x 11" blank strip that I would use for the belly bands.

- 5.25" x 4" Metallic Linen Cardstock

I was able to fit 4 RSVP postcards on one sheet of paper.  The USPS requirements for a postcard are that they be 5" x 3.5" x 0.007" at a minimum and 6" x 4.25" x .016" at a maximum.  In addition, the length to width aspect ratio must be between 1.3 and 2.5.  This was one of the most difficult items to cut because my printer was not capable of bleed printing (or I did not know how to do it), so it left a white border around the page.  Also, the RSVP cards needed to be printed front and back.  I did all the fronts then all the backs because the duplexer kept jamming with the slippery metallic cardstock.

The Map

Since many of my guests are local and familiar with the island, I didn't think it was necessary to include a map of how to get to the hotel.  Instead, I created a hotel map to help guests find the ceremony and reception locations once they get to the hotel.  I hand-drew the map in Power Point and laid out the card in Photoshop.

The Front of the RSVP Card

The front of the RSVP card is visible in the pocket when you open up the invitation.  Unfortunately, the only post card stamp the US Postal Service currently has is a blue polar bear.  It doesn't really match my tropical theme, but it will have to do.  I didn't want to design my own stamp because of the cost.  I had chosen to go with the RSVP postcard specifically for budget reasons.

The Back of the RSVP Card

Although it may not be proper etiquette, we decided to include a line that indicates how many seats are reserved for each party.  While we used the inner envelopes to spell out exactly who was invited, we wanted to be clear, especially because our number of invited guests already exceeded the venue's capacity.

UV Pen Numbering of RSVPs

Because guests sometimes forget to write their names on the RSVP card, it is a good idea to number your cards so that when you get a response with no name, you are able to track down the guest it belongs to.  We took it a step further by ordering a UV Light Pen to write the numbers in invisible ink.

Whew!  A lot of work, but I'm quite proud of them.  I was also very lucky to have the help of Mama Pug, Uncle Pug, my maid of honor, her boyfriend, and of course, Mr. Pug.  I couldn't have done it without them!