Back to the Grind

So,the last few posts have not necessarily been about The Thirty-Something Bride's quest for wedding day bliss. Hopefully, anyone reading this (so far one dedicated follower - thanks Kristina!) will find the extra stuff fun too.

Once I found my fabulous photographer Jonathon Campbell, I turned my attention to invitations. We had already sent out Save the Dates post cards as most of our family and friends live outside the Nashville area. Since I hadn't decided on colors or themes or anything really, I wanted a Save the Date that was generic enough, but one that had a little style too. The Candyman and I decided upon the talents of The Anderson Thomas Design Group's Spirit of Nashville postcards. In 2003 the designers of Anderson Design Group created a calendar that featured 14 posters, designed in the tradition of the “Golden Age of Poster Art”—a style that was popular from the late 1800’s to the mid 1900’s. The group created The Spirit of Nashville web site to make the collection available to the general public. And each year since 2003, the group has created a new series of prints, adding to the collection. There are over 60 designs celebrating Nashville's most beloved landmarks, people and institutions. I was able to order a box of 57 postcards, a perfect number for our small-ish wedding!

Once I received the post cards, I set up a document in Microsoft Word using a 3"x4" Avery template. This allowed for 6 spaces on a 8.5"x11" sheet of paper. I purchased a pack of Avery White Laser Printer Labels Full Sheet. I set up the info I wanted printed on my Save the Date and included on my template using a Castellar font, size 10 and Papyrus, size 8. Once I had the info I wanted in, I rotated the text direction so that the verbiage was reading in the longer direction. I printed the pages in a dark brown text (Red 102, Blue 51, Green 0) to match the feel of the postcards. I didn't feel the need to invest in a paper-cutter just for this one project (although I am totally rethinking this decision), so used my rotary blade and a non-slip quilting ruler to cut them out.

The Candyman and I peeled and stuck the labels on the left sides of the postcards, addressed and mailed! The total cost of the postcards, plus the label paper and postage was $58.76, or $1.13 each. The downside is that I know at least two people did not receive their postcards. They could have gotten lost in the mail or amongst the shuffle of fliers, junk mail etc. I think brides should keep that in mind when thinking about the postcard-style response card. Save the Dates are one thing, but when you're counting on the final count, you don't want to mess around, right?

While I did not include my registry information here, I have included it on our wedding website. Rule of thumb is to let family and friends share this info via word of mouth. While I'm all for propriety and proper etiquette, the reality is that most people don't have time for all that these days. I know I don't. I sincerely doubt my friends and family will hold it against me. While we have included the standard gift registry locations, we have also included a non-profit organization that is meaningful to me and The Candyman. Our guests can choose to bless us with a cast-iron skillet (every good Southern home should have one or more) or to bless a soul in need. Or both. :)