Wedding Blog
Now that everyone has received their rehearsal dinner invites, I can finally share with the hive the project that occupied more time and patience than I had anticipated.
Do you remember the design I came up with that was inspired by a Banana Republic ad? I really liked the simple design. I was all set to go with that design until I tried to print it. The printer hates me. It wouldn’t print on the cards I bought (they were too small). I tried creating a folded greeting card layout, but the printer wasn’t having that either. The text inside came out slightly off center.
After a few hours wasted trying to negotiate with the printer, I finally gave up on my beloved design and went back to the Illustrator drawing board. After a few failed attempts, I came up with a design I didn’t hate and I knew I could print.
Behold…
I incorporated our logo into the design but changed up the look with the dots. This isn’t the design FMIL Joey signed off on, but I hope she likes it.
While I was at it, I made a few extra copies of the design to use as envelope liners. I didn’t have a pre-made template, so I just took apart one of envelopes I bought, trimmed it, and traced around it. It was a little extra work, but it was worth it in the end.
I made a really simple map with directions in Illustrator and used the rehearsal dinner invite design as a border.
I also used the design on the labels as border. I thought it tied everything together.
All together, I spent $7.55 on the invites. I only bought envelopes. I had a package of 80lb paper from the favors that I cut down to size. I only needed 5 sheets. The rest of the paper (inner envelopes and map) I had laying around. The printing was free. The envelopes came in a pack of 50, and I only used about 22. The rest I can use for thank you cards or other projects. In all, the rehearsal dinner invites cost about $0.37 each. Not bad!
When I was making these invites, I was scolding myself for not buying them pre-made. My battles with the printer were long and hard fought. Now that I calculate the cost and see the end result, I see it was worth the war with the printer.
Did you have a DIY project that didn’t seem worth the work at first, but totally redeemed itself when it was complete?
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Share this post: Rehearsal Invites? CHECK!!
These look really neat. I love how all your paper products really tie together!
Those look fabulous . . . and still remind me of a BR ad!
Oh wow! These look great — and like you put a lot of work into them! I love the little bells making another appearance (twice!).
you are so creative and have an awesome sense of style! I love them!
Your invites turned out fantastic!! I, too, have been waging a war with my printer, so I know just how you feel! To make a long story short, I abandoned my stamping aspirations, but had already bought all my paper supplies. So I hired wonderful Etsy seller lilribbers (from http://www.Letterpunchdesign.com) to create a design for me that I could print. She did an awesome job, but printing has been SUCH a challenge!!
Did you have problems printing to the edges? I can’t seem to figure that out…
@WhimsicalBride: printing to the edge was one of my many printer problems. I ended up trimming these to size so it would look like I printed to the edge.
Ah ha. Unfortunately for me, I had already ordered all the pre-cut pieces for my invites. Fortunately, the design still worked out well when I gave up and let the printer cut off 1/4 inch of printing on all sides. I’m making pocket wedding invitations, so there are five printed pieces per invite (times 150!). I think I would have gone insane cutting them all out! (Kudos to you!!)
What did you use to cut your pieces? I did have one piece that I printed four to a page and then cut. My normal scrapbooking paper trimmer sucked, so I ended up cutting them with a straight-edge and an X-acto knife…
WhimsicalBride: to print to the edges you dont need a photo printer. Just use crop marks and trim your page down.
I’ve DIY’d all paper products, but most of my gripes has to do with cutting things out. Lots of xacto-ing makes for a sore hand and wrist! One of the favors we are giving out is a little tin filled with Jordan almonds (Italian tradition). I cut out circles to slide into the bottom of the tin, as well as circular stickers for the top. I cut them all by hand with an xacto (apparently there’s a craft machine for this sort of thing? not something i was introduced to in art school) so they aren’t PERFECTLY circular, but they are very close, especially to an uncritical eye. Well fiance’s cousin thought they were inadequate because they weren’t circular, and told me as such. After her telling me I need to design them all over again so she can use a die cutter to make them perfect, and after telling her I don’t care if they aren’t perfect, I’d rather not cut off vital information with an imprecise die cutter or waste more time on a small detail, she resigned to trimming them all using a tea light. If I end up finding out the end product has been trimmed too much, I’ll be royally pissed! All that stuff I cut would be for nil.
I wish I were talented with creating stuff- I love that you just “whipped” this up! 
Wow, what a budget friendly project! They look great! I just think yellow is such a fun vibrant color!
OMG those are freakin’ fabulous! I covet them!
They look incredible. I made mine this weekend and I only needed to buy the crystals that I put on (like $2). I guess I should add in the envelope template I bought, but Ill use tat again and again. I used cardstock I had from the save the dates, and scrapbooking paper left over from programs. I guess it shows that it pays to keep leftovers and to stay in the same color palette!
Totally cute! And a great deal! I need to break out my old scrapbooking supplies and see if I can put them to work!
LOVE these! You gave me some great ideas to make mine better!
oooooh me likey, me wanty!
Great job on those invites Miss J, they’re so damn cute! I love the yellow envelopes and bold contrast of the liners. Your printer might be difficult to work with but it really prints NICE! What model/brand do you have? Is there any kind you would recommend? I have to buy a new one and I might as well buy a good one so I can do some wedding printing too.
@xLailax: I used my friend’s huge industial printer. We don’t have one at home. Sorry. I wish I could be of more help.
Where did you get your yellow envelopes from? I’m looking for similar ones for our invites.
those are so stinkin cute! Miss Joey you are so ahead all of these projects!
Those are the cutest things ever! They look awesome. What did you use to design the dots?
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Mrs. Joey, Seattle
Age and Occupation: 28, Project Administrator for Public Health NGO
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 30, High School History Teacher
Engagement Date: June 24, 2008
Wedding Date: August 2009
Venue: Eastside Catholic Chapel and Lake Union Cafe
About Me: I'm a Seattle girl through and through except for the fact that I don't drink coffee. I love my job most of the time because I get to travel and work with brilliant people who are trying to prevent Malaria. I love DIY projects of all sorts, cooking, and watching sports. I'd wear anything at Anthropologie and could spend all day on Etsy. I love to travel but shouldn't because I always get myself into unbelievable situations!
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