Weddingbee Blog

Although I don’t want to reveal our actual invitations until we send them out to our guests, that doesn’t mean I can’t show you some of the little details going into them!

Something I discovered on Weddingbee thanks (again) to Mrs. Lemon is Wilshire Graphic Press embossers. I loved the way the embossing looked on her envelopes and knew that was how I wanted to do the return addresses on our invitations. I don’t foresee the post office needing to use our return address as we have verified the addresses for all our guests, but just in case, I did some research and have heard that for the most part people don’t have a problem when they mail something with an embossed return address. Onward it is!

(Wilshire embosser models)

I chose the desktop model with an orientation for embossing envelopes and set up our names and address in their online form. When you order the embosser it comes with one plate, and then you can order new plates for only $29.95 later to exchange out! They sent me a proof of our type style and setting, recommended a circular plate (for a more even impression of the long address line), and a few days later it was in my mailbox!

Of course, I couldn’t resist starting right away.

(Embossing our return address on the invitation envelope flaps)

I put the address as far up the envelope flap as I possibly could - because the back flaps are so pointy, it actually couldn’t go very far up without bending the envelope (if that bothers you, make sure to get the Extra-Long Reach Model). This turned out to be fine for me though, because the address is pretty small so it looked better in the narrow part of the flap! I have to admit I was a little disappointed with the size and after the first one, considered not continuing.

(our address embossed on the flap - some info ’removed’)

I sent this photo to Mr. Guinea Pig and asked him what he thought - he said to continue, as he thought it looked ’understated and elegant’. Nice! After staring at it for a little while I decided I like it enough to keep going, and embossed the rest of that pack of 30 envelopes. I love the crisp edges of the embossing!

(see the raised letters of our address?)

It’s kind of fun to run my fingers over the return address I’m still a little concerned with all the space above it, so maybe I’ll use one of my stamps and emboss something up there - that way I’ve got both types of embossing covered - ha!

The blind embosser was really easy to use, and fast - I stopped after 30 though because my hand was starting to hurt due to the pressure I was putting on the handle. Luckily, I have found a solution to that:

(Putting my body weight to good use)

I seriously doubt it needs that much force for a good impression, but this helps save my hand from hurting, and it’s so much faster to just stand up a little from the couch while watching TV (anyone else obsessed with HGTV?)! I’m careful not to put on too much pressure though - I certainly don’t want to break it! I plan on using this guy for all our thank you notes, and anything else we ever mail from this address (Christmas cards, birthday cards, etc). In fact, I specifically didn’t put our last names on the plate so we could use it now and after the wedding (I still don’t know what I’m doing with my name but that’s a whole different post).

Do you like blind embossing? What do you think of the size of the return address? Should I stamp a flower or image above it? Or should I just leave it alone in all its understated elegant glory (or do you have a different opinion)?