And Now, I Proudly Present To You ..... MY INVITATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (with pics inside)

Original post by PreshusSmurf

Sep 16, 2007 09:13 PM

So I know I have been keeping all my 07 girls in suspense about MY INVITATIONS, but I really really wanted them to be a surprise ... .... ...

This project truly was the hardest part of wedding planning for me. I grew up with invitations, my parents had a business in Brooklyn all throughout my childhood, so stationery has always meant something to me. Even more so now, since it is my own chosen profession.

I must have looked through 100 different invitation albums, and even went to an industry trade show looking for new manufacturers because I initially didn't want the added stress of making my own invites. Nothing I saw really grabbed my attention. In the end I am glad I did them on my own though.

It took me forever to make all the final decisions, and I did run into some bumps along the way and have to come up with a 'plan b' .... but the end result was that my invites came out better than I ever could have dreamed or imagined.

Even though I sell invitations for a living, these really were a DIY project in a sense because I made them with my own 2 hands. I used one of my most trusted manufacturers to do the thermography printing and create the bottom layer of the invitations which is a chocolate brown beveled edge, and I purchased the chocolate brown boxes .... everything else was created by ME!

They were a labor of love, and what better way to invite all my nearest and dearest to a celebration of the love my FH & I share?!

So ..... here they are!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I knew even before I was engaged that I would want hand calligraphy used to address my invitations. There is something so elegant, traditional and timeless about having them addressed to guests by hand. (Yes, that's $2 in postage !)

And they had to be mailed in a box!

I created a pocket inside the lid of the box to hold the inserts:

All the inserts:

These are the best pics I could take to show the bow with rhinestone and the thickness of the invite itself:

PattyK Posted: Sep 16, 2007 11:30 PM

Re: And Now, I Proudly Present To You ..... MY INVITATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (with pics inside)

They are absolutely gorgeous!!!!!!!!!

milana Posted: Sep 16, 2007 11:31 PM

Re: And Now, I Proudly Present To You ..... MY INVITATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (with pics inside)

omg how elegant and beautiful!

SylvieB Posted: Sep 17, 2007 12:13 AM

Re: And Now, I Proudly Present To You ..... MY INVITATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (with pics inside)

Wow, they are FABULOUS!! And that calligraphy on the envelope is gorgeous!!

PreshusSmurf Posted: Sep 17, 2007 12:15 AM

Re: And Now, I Proudly Present To You ..... MY INVITATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (with pics inside)

Wow, I am sooooooo to see all these amazing compliments from everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by HamptonsBride

so freakin gorgeous!!!! looove them...especially the hammered paper you used to wrap around them in the box!!!

And that means so much to hear you love that element of the invites. This was a huge on-going debate between my mom & I about what to use.

MeNBobs Posted: Sep 17, 2007 12:26 AM

Re: And Now, I Proudly Present To You ..... MY INVITATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (with pics inside)

They are gorgeous. What a beautiful design
You better start designing your thank yous now

enjft Posted: Sep 17, 2007 07:31 AM

Re: And Now, I Proudly Present To You ..... MY INVITATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (with pics inside)

I am trully blown away! This is by far the BEST invitations I have ever seen in my life. A pocket inside the box AMAZING. U should think of starting ur own line!

catsgirl Posted: Sep 17, 2007 08:25 AM

Re: And Now, I Proudly Present To You ..... MY INVITATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (with pics inside)

those are incredible, totally stunning. the best i've seen.

ChristineAaron08 Posted: Sep 17, 2007 08:45 AM

Re: And Now, I Proudly Present To You ..... MY INVITATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (with pics inside)

Gorgeous! WOW, that must have been a lot of work, but so worth it. You are definitely going to be getting compliments on them for years to come.

LittlePup34 Posted: Sep 17, 2007 08:51 AM

Re: And Now, I Proudly Present To You ..... MY INVITATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (with pics inside)

they are gorgeous !!!! you did an amazing job

DeannaNDave07 Posted: Sep 17, 2007 08:51 AM

Re: And Now, I Proudly Present To You ..... MY INVITATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (with pics inside)

wow!! they are amazing!! i think you win for best invites!

mariaobride Posted: Sep 17, 2007 08:54 AM

Re: And Now, I Proudly Present To You ..... MY INVITATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (with pics inside)

wow- those are really nice!

melissankurt07 Posted: Sep 17, 2007 09:00 AM

Re: And Now, I Proudly Present To You ..... MY INVITATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (with pics inside)

They are absolutely gorgeous!!!!

dancerandchef Posted: Sep 17, 2007 09:11 AM

Re: And Now, I Proudly Present To You ..... MY INVITATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (with pics inside)

A Very Beautiful Invitation!!! You are so excellent and so talented in your art!!!

~dancer and chef~
charlotte and michael

dianadrw Posted: Sep 17, 2007 09:13 AM

Re: And Now, I Proudly Present To You ..... MY INVITATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (with pics inside)

OMG..........those are absolutely the most amazing invitations ever!!!!!! What a fantastic job you did! Your guests are in for a real treat!

Tobewed07 Posted: Sep 17, 2007 09:14 AM

Re: And Now, I Proudly Present To You ..... MY INVITATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (with pics inside)

WOW, those are the most gorgeous invites I've ever seen!! I'm simply blown away! GORGEOUS!

AS Posted: Sep 17, 2007 09:20 AM

Re: And Now, I Proudly Present To You ..... MY INVITATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (with pics inside)

WOWWWWWWWWWW those are some amazing invites!!!

sweetdreamz1181 Posted: Sep 17, 2007 09:22 AM

Re: And Now, I Proudly Present To You ..... MY INVITATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (with pics inside)

very nice!!!!!!

PreshusSmurf Posted: Sep 17, 2007 12:13 PM

Re: And Now, I Proudly Present To You ..... MY INVITATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (with pics inside)

Posted by ChristineAaron08

Gorgeous! WOW, that must have been a lot of work, but so worth it. You are definitely going to be getting compliments on them for years to come.

I can't even count the amount of hours I spent on them, lets just say it was ... ummm ..... LOTS!