Tuesday 22 April 2008

But It's Gonna Take You To Invite Her Cuz You Seem So Determined To Spite Her

When S and I got engaged, we decided we wanted to elope. We wanted to be married by an Elvis impersonator in Vegas. We wanted to make our wedding a vacation, stress-free and fun. Our plan to elope was canned after receiving a devastating lecture from my mother about "family responsibility" and selfishness. S and I had been focused on "our day" being about what we want (and it should be to a certain extent) but it's also about family and coming together to celebrate with the people who mean the most to us. Vegas was scrapped and we started to plan a wedding.

We decided early on that there were some things worth spending money on (bitchin' venue! cupcakes!) and others that weren't so important (um, flowers? decorations?) We decided to try to save money on the not-so-important things by doing them ourselves. Fast forward to last night where S and I are hunched over the coffee table, trying to assemble our invitations using sticky dots that are the approximate size of an atom. We bought a wedding invitation kit, thinking that homemade invitations are twee. Unfortunately, homemade invitations that are made in our home? Look like crap. And are frustrating and time-consuming to make. Fortunately, we figured out early on that the problem was the infernal sticky dots and the situation improved greatly when we got rid of them.

Wedding Crafting Lesson #1: double-sided tape is your friend

So we picked up some double-sided tape and our invitation output increased. Things were moving along at an impressive rate until S dropped a french fry on a finished invitation. At which point I channeled Monica Geller and lost my shit. It wasn't pretty. I'm not proud.

Wedding Crafting Lesson #2: no food in or around the crafting area

In the middle of my lecture on Responsible Fast Food Consumption, I realized how crazy I sounded and we had a good laugh. And quit making wedding invitations.

Wedding Crafting Lesson #3: wedding crafting sucks

Hopefully tonight we have more luck. We didn't do save the date cards (because we are bad wedding planners. And, um, lazy) so we really need to get the invitations out soon. I keep having a dream where I forget to send the invitations out and no-one shows up at the wedding. I'm hoping that when we actually mail the invitations I will stop being a crazy. Or at least stop having crazy dreams.

9 comments:

  1. I'm not a very good crafter. I'm pretty sure if I tried to make wedding invitations, they would look like a five-year-old had been having craft-time. Oops!
    Good for you for being able to laugh at yourself instead of spazzing more!

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  2. My roommate is getting married, so i've been going through the planning with her. I vote everyone should get eloped--planning a wedding is HARD! I love the DIY invitation, idea! And the Monica Gellar freak out. I've had my fair share of them and they're always so entertaining in retrospect.

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  3. I love this post because I think every bride channels at least some of what you've learned! My wedding is 3 months (to the day, I think)after yours. And, I'm considering doing my own invitations, so your advice will certainly come in handy. Please continue to dish it out!

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  4. I totally feel you on not wasting money on extras and focusing on the venue and reception. I ordered my cupcake cake today - so excited! I'm ok at crafts, but I'm sure it would look like a blind man did them if I tried to make invitations. Good luck this time around! Say no to sticky dots!

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  5. I really wish I was crafty. I think it is awesome that you two are trying to do it! I'm sure they will come out great.

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  6. If you need any advice... I work in the wedding industry.

    Just so you know...

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  7. Man, I am all about having a Vegas wedding.

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  8. Lauren: Everyone SHOULD get eloped. I fully support elopement.

    Nilsa: My advice? Don't do your own invitations. Honestly, after buying the invitation kit, extra cardstock for the reception cards and the cartridge for the printer, we're not saving THAT much money. And it's taking so much time to do!

    Bridge: you may regret offering advice because now? you = my new best friend.

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  9. I think the fast-food grease will add a special "home-made with love and cholesterol" effect to the invites. Who's going to get that invitation? Maybe you should send it to your aunt who had the hysterectomy. Then you two would have something new to talk about. On your 57 minute phone conversations.

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