DIY invites and wedding thread (picture heavy!)

[cellososweet]

Hi Everyone. It''s high time I did this. Short background info for those who aren''t familiar with our story. We got engaged and decided to have a wedding. DH''s family is not involved, so we were splitting the cost between us and my parents. My dad was laid off from his job the day he came back from battling cancer (he was gone for a while too. someone could have warned him. geez). So, we picked a cheaper place because my dad insisted on still having a wedding (and my mum said to as well). So, we picked the new place and planned again. Come to find out my parents are doing as well financially as they could be doing without the cost of this wedding (Dad wasn''t exactly honest. bless his heart). So, we cancelled again. We could''ve waited a few years and paid for the wedding ourselves, but the wedding wasn''t important, the marriage was. We just wanted to be married. So, we got the blessing from the folks and went to the courthouse to get married. At that point, the novelty of a wedding had worn off and the difficulties were getting ridiculous.

So even though my parents said they were fine with the courthouse wedding, i''m the only girl and we really have a tight bond. I took care of both of them when they both had cancer at the same time (dad was going in for chemo when mum was under the knife). rough times. DH took care of me throughout all of this and was supportive. They love him to pieces. So, they wanted to help us throw a "wedding celebration," if you will. And that''s where we are. It''s on MAy 31st, 2008. The wedding we never had. And we''re going all out and are having a ball. We wanted to pay for the whole thing, but my parents are generous and offered to help. They have this thing thinking that they owe me something for being good to them

they are my parents for crying out loud. i''m not a heathen. of course i took care of them. but, if it makes them happy, i''ll humour them. I never ask for anything and they were super adamant, so that''s that. so here''s a smorgasboard of stuff. thanks for being helpful throughout the process everyone.

 

[cellososweet]

Here is the front of the invite. of course with a fake address

 

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here is the back

 

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close up of (fake) return address

 

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what the inside of the inner envelope holds

 

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as the picture title says, i''m so freaking proud of myself. i lined 80 envelopes using wrapping paper and a glue stick

 

[cellososweet]

when you flip over the brown half-moon enclosure, the RSVP and information card are attached to the back.

 

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info card. of course all of the pertinent info has been whited out since we do have some not-so-wanted guests that might show up. rolls eyes. geez.

 

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hand stamped rsvps. they were blank. RSVP stamp and colonial stamp (flowery one) from paper source. All invitation-related items are from paper source except the outer envelopes, the ribbon and the wrapping paper that lined the inner envelopes.

 

[cellososweet]

since i never got a shower and my MOH thinks I deserve a girly day, a bridal celebration (instead of a shower. good wording on MOH''s part!) calls for a new Calvin Klein dress. I don''t know if any of you know this, but I lost 45 pounds within the last year, so this little red dress is extra special for me

 

[cellososweet]

originally $145. Got is for $60 at Marshalls. Oh i love a bargain!

 

[cellososweet]

Here''s my veil it''s super poufy. love it! el cheap again. about $50. veilshop.com extra fullness two layers. elbow and shoulder.

 

[cellososweet]

another veil pic. sorry, i can never do more than one picture in a post. i need to read the freaking rules. lazy bum bum!

 

[cellososweet]

Here are the earrings for the big day. $90 originally. Got them for $45 during a sale at Nordstrom.

 

[cellososweet]

This, and the next few pictures, are my best find yet. Originally $680 these beautiful Vera''s were found by my mother. I think come tomorrow they might deserve their own thread just so I can share with you my foreign mother''s cute idiosyncracies. She was like, "veeeeerrrrra woooo no waaaang. v-er-a wang. that''s good right?!" haha. she found them on a clearance rack at DSW (the freaking discount show warehouse). I was there looking for nude shoes for my bridal shower/celebration thingamabob. And there they were. My something "blue"(-ish gray. haha). I got them for $120. The joy of the hunt. They are de-liscous!

 

[cellososweet]

i dont know where my little toe went. it does exist! i promise. haha.

 

[cellososweet]

yum

 

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i love calligraphy. here are some of my placecards hanging up to dry.

 

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here''s a close up. hopefully our friend Ed doesn''t mind showing off his name.

 

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here''s an engagement pic we took a while ago, just so you can see us being lovely

 

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another one. my favorite i think

 

[cellososweet]

the last of us. i promise. on to other things haha.

 

[cellososweet]

this is our venue. the muckenthaler mansion and cultural center. it''s awesome. the food is great. the people are even better and we get the whole place to ourselves. There is a garden to do the ceremony a patio for cocktails, a dining room, a buffet room, and a dancing room. all dark hardwood floors, arched walkways, beautiful!

 

[cellososweet]

here''s the ceremony site. we are going to do organza between the chairs, ivory petals along the aisle and two tall arrangements at the top of the aisle. on the edge of the chairs that line the aisle will be ivory pomanders of roses, peonies, hydrangea, sweet pea and lisianthis with chocolate ribbons.

 

[sera]

Congrats on everything... what sweet parents you have... the invites look lovely... enjoy your celebration!

 

[cellososweet]

here is a collage i did of our venue.

 

[cellososweet]

Well. that was tiny. let me know if anyone knows how to resize it please. sorry about that! here are the pieces that will be at the top of the aisle. in all ivory though.

 

[cellososweet]

the dress. gosh i hope DH doesnt look at this. he promised he wouldn''t. i won''t be so hipp-y in it. i have NO hips to speak of. the red dress above is an allusion that i like

 

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the back

 

[cellososweet]

for some reason i can''t attach a pic of the BM''s dresses. It is Bill Levkoff style 806 though in sable (dark chocolate brown)

http://billlevkoff.com/collections/index.asp?color_1=15