Wedding Wednesday :: Invitations

There was never a question as to who would design and create our invites, it was just a matter of the two of us combining our vision and aesthetic to create an invitation that we would both love. 

I must admit, leading up to this year I never thought that the invite below would be what I would be sending out [I had my eye set on much cleaner  types of styles]. However, I love these invitations with all my heart and now that I have them I could not imagine anything topping them!

We began with a month-long design process where we spent a little time each weekend working on the design. Each of us coming up with various assets and ideas, then discussing what we liked and didn't like, and how we could combine the two to make one invitation. This would have gone on forever but we had to lock it in. Looking at the below, I honestly can't even tell you who came up with which pieces - which I love because it means that this design truly was a combined effort.

Transparency set up on giant lightbox - waiting to burn the screen

Once we had our design, we went off to Kinkos to get it printed on transparency paper. Since our invitation paper was large, the transparencies also had to be huge! Although Jack and I have completed many screen printing projects at home, this particular one was a little more delicate so we jumped at the opportunity when our friends at YORODEO offered to lend us their space and equipment.

1. Jack washing out the screen | 2. Setting up the dry screen in the clamps | 3. Paint in place, paint squeegee
4. Putting the paper in place | 5. Painted screen

The use of their space made the whole process SO much easier it was nutty. If we had done this at home it likely would have taken three times how long it took us in the studio - amazing! Had I known it was going to go this smoothly and quickly I may have been up for adding a second colour, or a pattern on the back. In any case, I love them all the same.

1. Drying racks | 2. Our printed invites drying | 3. More drying photos | 4. Cutting the invitations down to size.

I was a little obsessed with the drying racks... I just loved how organized it all looked and how you didn't have to lay your pieces out on the floor and then hop scotch around them trying not to smear the wet paint. Looking at these photos my feelings haven't changed at all. I definitely feel as though a museum dedicated to cool organizational tools would do very well.

Each sheet printed had nine invitations on them, which meant that we had to pay Kinkos another visit and use their giant paper slicer. Sure we could have paid them to do this but we felt like being stingy... this will not happen again - the slicing process would. not. end. To make matters worse, we accidentally printed invites for every person attending, rather than couples, families, etc. Needless to say, we have a large stack of leftovers. Party favours anyone?

Our envelope seals

Once we had our invites, RSVP cards & envelopes side by side, we realized that we were in need of a little colour. Jack quickly put together these J&S buttons and we glued them to the flap of each envelope. It's just a hunch but I'm guessing a lot of these fell off in transit. 

The finished product. 1. Envelope | 2. RSVP card - back | 3. Envelope seals | 4. RSVP card - front | 5. Our finished invitation

Cost of invites: $88.93

• $6.33 - Paper: $0.52 / sheet, 10 sheets [only actually needed 5]
• $5.87 - RSVP Paper: $0.75 / sheet, 6 sheets
• $3.10 - Seal paper: $0.90 / sheet, 3 sheets
• $5.73 - Seal cutter: $5.00 on sale - thank you, Martha Stewart
• $35.19 - Envelopes: $5.10 / 10 pack, 6 packs [so we could have do-overs]
• $10.35 - Paint: $9.00 [we have LOTS leftover]
• $22.36 - Transparency - probably could have cut this cost down by a third.