Rehearsal Dinner Invitations

The Evolution of an Invitation

I love making invitations for special events especially when it involves weddings! Last week I put together the invitations for my cousin's wedding rehearsal and rehearsal dinner.
STEP 1: The Sketch
I started the sketch after going to the craft store and picking up some paper and stamps. I wanted to use cardstock for the background, print the text, add a couple of embossed stamps in the middle and decorate with patterned paper.
STEP 2: Trial and Error
I put the text together and did a few practice prints to make sure the spacing was correct. I ended up using less stamps than originally planned because I was afraid it would be tough to wrap the text around the stamps. Looking back, I think I would've been more daring and stuck to my original idea.

STEP 3: The Final Touches

After printing the text, I embossed the '&' with green powder, added the torn patterned paper to the top and bottom of the card. STEP 4: Pass 'Em On

Send these invites to guests about 3-4 weeks before big event to ensure that all the wedding party will be available to participate at the rehearsal.

Thank You Notes

The wedding is two months past, the bridal party has moved on with their lives, activity at my parent's home has settled and while I'm not busy planning the big event, now I'm busy getting all the thank you notes sent out. It has felt like an overwhelming project to me (guess that's a given when you invite 300+ people to your wedding!) so instead of looking at it as the total number notes I need to write, I've been trying to do a few at a time but I still have a ways to go. Which brings me to a very important question... Is there a deadline for sending wedding thank you cards?
I started worrying that I've missed the proper time slot to thank our guests so I looked on a few websites to see what the etiquette is for sending thank yous following the wedding. According to the websites, it looks like I have about two more weeks to get them out. While we all would agree that the notes should be sent out as quickly as possible, About.com advises that the "notes should be sent within three months of receipt of gifts on formal stationary." As for The Pink Book, it states that thank you notes should be handwritten and sent within two months of the date that the gift is received. Lastly, Thank You Note Samples explains that wedding gifts "should be acknowledged within two months of your return from your honeymoon."
I actually like writing the thank you notes because it gives me a chance to reflect on the memories I have of each guest at our wedding and how they have shown their support and love. Now that I have answered this question of etiquette, I better find some pens and get writing!

Ultimately, my final advice on sending wedding thank you notes is:
1. Use the list you created when opening your gifts and remember to keep track of who you've sent cards to so that you don't forget any guests
2. Hand write your notes and keep them personal
3. Mail them within 3 months of the wedding date
4. Send Thank You Notes to all guests that attended (whether you received a gift or not)
5. Try to keep the stationary formal... but I really like the picture cards too!

A few more words on the Thank You cards we chose... I ordered the thank you cards before the wedding from Sealed with a Kiss, the same company we ordered our invitations from. We chose a simple, monogrammed white card that will be great stationary once we're done using them as wedding thank yous. I also ordered return address labels to use on the envelopes... the first thing I bought with our new name :)

A little more scrapbook therapy

--getting MY WISDOM TEETH pulled--

For the most part, my scrapbooking is usually done in chronological order. I'm finally out of the high school days and almost into college stuff... which will be a fun change since h.s. collages mostly consisted of newspaper clippings while college days provided me with lots of interesting pics and crazy stories. Featured today is a two page layout of when I got my wisdom teeth extracted during the summer of 2003. It was actually an ok experience for me... I'm sure the drugs had something to do with it. I also have an amazingly hilarious video of me after I woke up from the surgery.

As for the layout, I wanted to make it amusing but still use a clean way to display the pics. I found inspiration for this layout in my September 2008 issue of Creating Keepsakes magazine (p. 40). The orange banner in the middle with white lettering keeps the page fun while the small embellishments around the border give it a touch of sophistication. Best of all, I saved my teeth and attached them to the layout.

See you next week for some more layout therapy...

Janell's Bridal Shower Invitations

My fav cuz is getting married in September and next month her bridesmaids are throwing her a very royal bridal shower. She loves pink and zebra so it's only fitting that's what I put on the 75 invitations I made for this very special party.

How It's Made: The backing is a pre-cut 5x7" black cardstock which fits nicely in an A7 envelope. I printed two columns of text on an 8 1/2 x 11 piece of pink of cardstock which I cut to fit the black background. I then added some star embellishments which I cut from pink and zebra print paper using my sizzix (yes, I'm old school and still have a sizzix). The final touches are the pink brads on the star cut-outs. As for the registry card, I also printed this on pink cardstock and attached to the invitation with a pink paper clip which I had tied a black polka dot ribbon (I had wanted to use zebra ribbon but couldn't find the right size).

Interested in ordering handmade invitations? Just email me with the type of event, quantity needed and any special requests. Email: somethingpurpleplanning@gmail.com

Wedding Gifts

Chase's Favorite: Nexgrill from Mom & Dad Renois (got it at Home Depot) and we bbq on it all the time now... great excuse to have friends over!

My Favorite: My new Dyson vacuum from Mom & Dad Renois... greatest vacuum ever! But a close 2nd is the new juicer from Alice and Luis

Our Favorites---
Most Thoughtful: Gift card to the Ritz-Carlton from Britt and Nishan... we know where we're going to celebrate our 1 year anniversary :)
Sexiest: Stripper pole from my cousin Laura... seriously, she gave us a stripper pole!
Yummiest: Snickers, Lindt chocolates and peanut butter M&Ms from the Corzine family
Handmade: A precious green and purple quilt from Monica
Personalized: 'R' wine glasses from Val & Aaron... the first batch we received had a broken glass so instead of exchanging them, Pottery Barn sent us a whole new set so now we have 11 personalized white wine glasses... the more the merrier, right?

Other Greats: The wine cooler from Albie and Marli (now if only we could find a bar to put it on), coffee maker we bought at Macys with our gift cards, the wok from my cousin Craig - it makes amazing stif fry, all the great bar gear - Rabbit wine kit and cocktail shaker from Dick and Dana and the ice bucket from the DeRoses, and the new washer and dryer from Mom and Dad Walker!

Biggest Upgrades: *Absolutely the towels from the Tassey family, Eric & Tammy and KJ & Clint - we were still using the towels Chase got for his birthday from his mom when we were in college *The Oneida silverware from the Donohoe family - we were using an old set that I had inherited when I moved into a new place after my sophmore year of college *Last but not least is the drain stopper - we don't have a garbage disposal and we were in desperate need of a new sink stopper... guess it's a good thing we got about five of these goodies (from Target).

Two of my favorite things about getting wedding gifts are 1. Everytime I see something in my home that someone gave us for our wedding, I think of that person - such a great reminder of the people in our lives and 2. I was thoroughly impressed at how thoughtful the gifts and cards were from our single, male friends - I always thought only guys w/gfs and wives knew how to shop and write sweet sentiments but the boys proved me wrong with their exceptional gift giving skills.

THANK YOU to everyone for the awesome gifts and most importantly for the love, support and ridiculously fun wedding!

Gift Giving Advice for Guests-- Buy stuff off the couple's registry lists and if you can't do that then give gift cards. Also, put the card on the inside of the gift wrap or tape the card to the gift like it's going to be dropped out of an airplane - otherwise, the bride and groom might be giving someone else the credit for your gift... which reminds me, who gave us the steam mop? I love it so thanks!

Gift Advice for the Bride and Groom-- As you open your gifts, make a list of everything you receive and who it's from so you know what to write in your thank you cards.

Wedding 'Bible'

This binder was my lifeline for the months leading up to our wedding and now it needs some serious TLC. I will slowly sort through it and as I do, there will be much to blog about. So much good stuff - Flowers, DJ, Budget, Gift Ideas, Videographer, Rentals, Pictures and more!

A little scrapbook therapy

I talked to my good friend Lindsey the other night and she turned me on to another blog that does a themed entry once a week. Since I have prescribed myself some scrapbook therapy, I think a weekly layout would be productive & healthy for me and hopefully fun for you.

ROAD TRIP 2003

On my scrapbook table right now - Getting my wisdom teeth pulled! Look for the layout later this week.