DIY Invitations

My favorite part of our wedding projects so far, the invitations, started as a generic idea and evolved into a fun product of our teamwork. We knew from the beginning we would go through Paper Source, because their colors actually helped us determine our wedding colors. We made a total of 115 invitations, all 100% in our own home. So, here goes:

Materials to make one invitation

For the invitation card

• A7 Flat card (moss) - this was our backing
• Half-Moon/Pocket Enclosure flat card (luxe cream) - this was the actual card we printed on

For the information card

• 8 1/2" x 11" text paper (beet) - this was our backing
• A6 Flat card (luxe cream)

For the reply card & reply envelope

• A7 Flat card (luxe cream) - cut in half
• 4 Bar envelope (moss)

For the outer envelope and lining

• A7 envelope (moss)
• 8 1/2" x 11" text paper (beet)
• Envelope liner templates from Paper Source

Other Materials

• printer and ink
• paper cutter (thanks, Heidi and Ed!)
• ink pad from Paper Source (boysenberry)
• grape rubber stamp from Paper Source
• double-sided tape (I preferred Scotch Scrapbooking Tape, but suddenly none of the Targets I went to carried it anymore, so the other stuff worked fine)
• scissors
• a ruler
• Adobe Illustrator or other design software

Process

Terry designed all of the materials on his own using Adobe Illustrator. We used traditional invitation wording and kept the invite card simple. Most pieces of our stationary had our "signature" bunch of grapes, sometimes with a vine attached. Again, Terry designed all that. To keep the colors consistent, we printed out several color samples and compared them to the green and/or purple paper. The printing was a chore at first, but Terry finally got the paper running through the printer smoothly.

All the pieces of our invitations.

For the reply cards, we chose to keep everything super simple with a clean border and the basics. Since we're doing family style, we didn't even need to include meal requests. The reply envelope was stamped with a custom rubber stamp (to save my hand) with my parents' address and a "love" stamp. We also included our grape stamp on the back flap of the envelope.

Reply card envelopes - address stamp and grape stamp.

For assembly, I first had to cut each of our printed pieces down to size. The half-moon/pocket enclosure flat cards needed 1/4" cut off in order to fit evenly on the backing (the A7 cards). For the info cards, I had to cut the A6 cards down to almost a square, and I had to trim the 8 1/2" x 11" text paper down to 1/4" larger than the newly-sized info cards. I only needed to cut the reply cards in half.

The trimming process.

Once trimming was finished, I got a little crazy with measuring each piece of double-sided tape so that it fit almost exactly along the edges of the flat cards that we were mounting. I used a ruler and scissors to cut the tape, but a less crazy person may have just estimated. Once I got the hang of it, though, I think the ruler helped save me time, because then I never had to go back to fix any mistakes. Actually placing the cards on their respective backings proved tricky; it was nearly impossible to ensure that each one would be exactly centered, but I did my best! One friend mentioned that hers was crooked, but then she knew we made them ourselves - so I guess that's something!

The finished invite!

The envelope lining was time-consuming but totally worth it. I can't tell you how many compliments we've gotten on the lining of the envelope - of all things! Paper Source made it super easy - I just used their envelope liner template kit to trace each liner, then cut the paper, stuck it in the envelope, and taped it down using my new favorite tool - double-sided tape. Again, I probably made the process lengthier than necessary by first using a ruler to crease the paper and then taping it down to attach the envelope. We also stamped a grape stamp to the back flap of the envelope to tie in more of our grape theme. The outer envelope also includes our return address labels - custom ordered from Vista Print - and our wedding cake stamps from the good ol' USPS.

The outer envelope and lining.

The envelopes - all ready to go!

Assembly was easy after all that - invitation card in the back, then the info card, then the reply card (tucked in the reply envelope). We made sure to number each reply card - we've heard stories of people forgetting to write their names on the response cards. Then I addressed each envelope by hand - another time-consuming but worth-it process. Finally, we sealed everything up and sent 'em off! The whole process was a blast, in spite of the 50+ hours it took to get it all done.

The complete contents - success!

Bridal Shower and Bachelorette!

Last weekend, my incredible bridesmaids threw me the most phenomenal bridal shower and bachelorette party! The most touching part of the day was that everyone chipped in to help - I felt so honored that all the girls worked together to create such an amazing weekend.

After watching my amazing fiance graduate from his Master's program, Jenn drove me out to the shower. Heidi hosted at her condo in Simi Valley, and ALL of my bridesmaids plus a few very close friends joined for a wonderful afternoon. The girls put out a delicious spread, and Heidi got the most delightful cake from Nothing Bundt Cakes (get it?!?!) - chocolate chocolate chip with cream cheese frosting...delightful, indeed! We ate and caught up a bit before Winnie hosted a few games. I've been lucky not to suffer through any cheesy games, and this shower was no exception. Winnie had contacted Terry ahead of time to ask him some trivia questions, which I then also had to answer. Overall, I answered most questions correctly, but I was pleasantly surprised by some of the sweet answers responses Terry provided. Winnie also set up a game where the girls had to write one thing they hope Terry and I will do, see, or accomplish in our first year of marriage - and one "bedroom" (?) thing they hope we will do in the same amount of time. The answers were hilarious - I loved the game! For this shower, my girls focused on ensuring that Terry really enjoys the honeymoon. They did a great job, and I know he will be quite appreciative! One of my favorite moments of the day? Fay's gift - not a nightie but a turkey roaster. Super sexy indeed!

After the shower, we all headed over to Universal City to check into our hotel and dress up for the evening festivities. Special thanks to Arcadia for providing the soundtrack that got us all pumped up - good ol' Britney does it every time! We waltzed over to City Walk in our unrealistically high heels for a Buca di Beppo dinner, where a few more girls joined us. Then it was off to the main event - Howl at the Moon! I LOVE piano bars, and the girls indulged me with a whole night of singing along, dancing, and laughing way too much. We eventually all got pulled on stage because we were obviously having a blast.

After all the insanity, we hobbled back to the hotel and soaked our poor feet. It was an awesome girls' night out, and I can't thank my bridesmaids enough for organizing everything. From the shower to the night out, I had a perfect bachelorette weekend! Pictures to come...maybe. :-)

Bridal Shower and Dress Fitting

This weekend I flew up north for the final time before the wedding. Terry stayed home to work on his final paper, so I spent some quality time with my parents on Friday night. Saturday we woke up early for a workout, and then Mom and I finally found my earrings for the wedding at Nordstrom! The jewelry line is Nadri - I love them!

Next we headed to Monika's Alterations in Pleasanton, where, I'm convinced, the world's greatest seamstress makes magic happen. I got to try on my newly-altered dress, and it fits great! Monika only had a few changes to make, but they made a huge difference. Plus, she added a bustle, which looks really great with the dress. I even got to try the dress with my shoes, and I can walk and everything! My mom also brought in her dress for alterations, and I am so excited - she looks simply gorgeous in her dress. Now both mothers have their dresses, and the dads have their tuxedos - everyone is going to look incredible!

One fun part of the "small town" feel of Pleasanton/Livermore valley is that we often get a chance to meet other couples getting married at the Palm Event Center. Yesterday, at the fitting, I got to meet the bride getting married the night before us at the Palm! She looked stunning in her dress, and it was so fun to meet and share the excitement of our upcoming weddings.

After the fitting, we headed up to Lafayette for a bridal shower at my Aunt Dawn Lynn's house. Dawn Lynn did such a beautiful job, and the day was just so special. She had awesome snacks, GREAT wine, and a fun game. It was so great to spend a day with all the ladies, including my mom, my "second mom" Diane, my aunt Sue, Terry's mom, Terry's close family friend, my brother's fiancee, my cousins, my maid of honor, and one of my mom's friends. I know everyone had a great time, thanks to my aunt! Check out some pictures from the day:

Amazing little touches everywhere!

We made the "countdown plate"!

My mom and future sister-in-law (my brother's fiancee, Ashley).

My aunt Sue, me, my aunt (and the hostess) Dawn Lynn, and maid of honor Winnie.

My beautiful cousins.

Dad loading the gifts and rehearsal "bow-quet" into the car.

An amazing weekend, and now, as my uncle informed me, we're only five weeks from the wedding! Here we go...

All roads converge

Sometimes I like to think about all the things that had to happen in order for Terry and me to meet, fall in love, and end up where we are now. It may seem easy, but it's amazing how it all came together. Somehow, we both had to end up at UCLA. While a decent student in high school, I wasn't exactly the 4.6 GPA you see applying to today's colleges. Terry was a phenomenal student in high school, earned a full ride elsewhere, and somehow felt that UCLA was the best choice.

Somehow we both had to apply to the Orientation Program in the summer of 2006. I had already been a counselor the year before, which never would have happened if an ex-boyfriend hadn't wanted the position. I went with him to the information meeting, applied, and loved the job, so I applied again the following year. Terry, on the other hand, never would have applied if he had stayed on the UCLA Football team, which he walked onto his freshman year. I am so grateful he opted for Orientation instead!

Of course, there are a million other little things that had to happen to get us here. Every now and then I like to think about that and give thanks for those million things. I know we work hard at our relationship and that we have a lot of say in our future, but I have no doubt that there is another force at work here. We were made for each other!

Just a few updates

Apparently we're in crunch time, as everyone keeps reminding me, so I feel like I should update the ol' blog to provide you with some insight into the alleged insanity. I'm sad to say that this will be a rather anticlimactic post if you're expecting a frenzied bride and annoyed groom, because we haven't had more than a few minutes (literally!) to do wedding stuff lately! We are so excited for Memorial Day, because we are 100% free to run errands and get organized for the last few weeks before the big day.

Not to say it hasn't all been fun. In the last few weeks we've celebrated Terry's 25th birthday, worked (a lot), visited with friends (a little), driven into the Bay Area, bought a car, laughed at our adorable kitten, enjoyed a few great meals, and completed half of our scuba diving certification. We're just ready for a little down time.

As far as wedding stuff goes, the last few weeks have included creating a partial honeymoon itinerary, finalizing our ceremony details, updating RSVPs, and creating the day-of schedule for the bride, groom, parents, and bridal party. Of those, the honeymoon takes the cake as the most fun and easiest to plan! Our tentative London schedule includes:

• Westminster Abbey
• Clarence House
• Hyde Park
• Kensington Palace
• Green Park
• Buckingham Palace
• Waterloo Station/Bridge
• Victoria and Albert Museum
• "Les Miserables" at the Queen's Theatre
• British Museum
• King's Cross
• River Cruise
• London Eye
• St. Paul's Cathedral
• Tate Modern
• Millennium Bridge
• "Much Ado About Nothing" at the Globe Theatre
• National Gallery
• National Portrait Gallery
• Trafalgar Square
• Waterstone's Bookstore
• Tower of London
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (YES - IN LONDON!!!)
• Big Ben & Houses of Parliament

PHEW! I guess if you're going to do London, you have to do London. We're adventurers, and we're not really into relaxing on vacation, apparently, so there you go. Any other suggestions, please e-mail us!!!

In other SUPER exciting wedding news, my amazing aunt is throwing me a bridal shower up north with my relatives from the area. I am so excited and honored. I remember my aunt's wedding and her gorgeous dress and flowers, and I can't believe that now she's throwing my bridal shower! I have always looked up to my aunt because she throws incredible Thanksgiving dinners and is such a gracious hostess. This is also the aunt who generously provided my great-grandmother's diamond with which Terry proposed. Since we are so close with her, my uncle, and their daughters, we have asked Barbara and Chase, my cousins, to serve in our ceremony. These gorgeous young ladies will present the bride - they are responsible for opening and closing the doors during the processional and eventually opening the doors when my dad and I are starting our walk down the aisle. I hope they're excited!

So that's it for now. My school year ends June 10th, and Terry graduates June 11th, so we can get much more focused on the wedding at that point. I promise far more interesting and exciting blog posts!

Meanwhile, 52 days to go!

Two months and one day...

This weekend, Terry, Scout, and I ventured up north for a few important appointments (not to mention wishing my mom a very happy Mother's Day).

First, we had our finalization meeting with our venue, the Palm Event Center. Our coordinator, Monique, knows absolutely everything about weddings at this gorgeous location, and we know she will take care of all the little details leading up to and on the big day. Before the meeting, we had to complete a ridiculously detailed questionnaire - and I'm so grateful we did! The questions illustrate that the venue takes our event seriously and that they truly know what they are doing. My mom was amazed at all the details we need to think about, and Monique put our minds at ease. She was able to provide some insight regarding a few of our decisions, and we'll be much more able to finish the rest of our planning with her guidance.

We also had an appointment to meet the woman who will make all the alterations on my gown. First we stopped at J'aime Bridal, the salon where I purchased my dress, to pick it up. My dad and Terry convinced me that it wouldn't be far to walk to the alterations place, and you should have seen it: I had my giant dress bag in my arms, and I ended up having to walk at least three blocks with a 25-pound (perhaps only a slight exaggeration) dress. Regardless, I made it to the alterations place, Monika's Alterations, with my mom, and the dress still makes my heart race. The seamstress will need to take it in a bit (yay!), and of course she's adding a bustle. My mom was even happy with the price, so everyone wins!

And then, to top off a rather productive day, Terry and I bought a car! We have been planning to purchase a car for awhile, and a family friend happened to have one ready for us this weekend. Obviously, it's the largest purchase we've made together, and it was both scary and exhilarating to sign all those papers and make that down payment. We ended up with an awesome 2011 KIA Sorento. On the way back to my parents' house, we discussed how exciting it is that this car will eventually take us on road trips and carry car seats and move us into the first house we buy. Amidst all the wedding planning, it's even more exciting to plan for our marriage.

Last wedding planning weekend up north

Tomorrow, Terry and I head up north for two major wedding planning moments: my first dress alterations appointment and our finalization meeting with our venue.

We're excited and anxious about the meeting with the Palm Event Center, which is where both our ceremony and reception will take place. We had to complete an extensive questionnaire regarding every detail of our wedding, from guest count to where the escort cards will go to what we want to do with the centerpieces after the wedding to what time our photographer will leave. I'm so grateful to be working with such an experienced venue. I have approximately 850 questions, and they seem prepared to answer all of them. I'm excited for all of the details to start coming together!

65 days...