Invitation Deliberation.

From my previous post, you know that I am a bit stressed about the invitations, amongst other things. Okay, not STRESSED, stressed. Just like, a baby stress.

I had no idea just how many options there were to choose from. I knew that there was paper and wording involved in the decision, like what colour and type of paper, and was it the bride's parents along with the groom's inviting everyone, or were WE - the couple - inviting people along with our families....

But no. It is not as simple as that.

My dear friend Kat has offered up her services, to work with me in creating the invitations for our wedding. Which for those of you who have had a hand in planning a wedding know that this is a HUGE gift. To offer up your time and creative energy while already working full-time and raising an infant who is on the verge of being a toddler....I wonder where she has the time! Super Woman, is what she is.

She asked me to provide her with some samples of what I liked, so I took to the internet to check out what was out there. And this is when the stress set in.

There are NUMEROUS ways we can go about this. I know that Nat wants to keep it simple, so that's what I've done. I've chosen a few of the simpler varieties....and thrown a few not-so-simple ones in there for me ;)

I knew from the get-go that I didn't want the typical, flowery, fancy-bordered invitation, with the scripted, italicized font, all pretty and flowy and perfect, with maybe a ribbon or sparkles on it. I've always wanted something a little bit unique and different, because that's just "me"!

I mean come on...how many of you would be a bit weirded out if I sent you an invitation like this:

Or this:

Or THIS:
(I do love the calla lily, for extra elegance of course)

No, no, no. To all three of those. Would that make me a more "Modern" Bride? Because when I think "simple" for invitations, I imagine them looking more along these lines:

This one is simple and straight to the point, yet I feel like the font makes it...cute.
Kind of Mod...which I think Nat would like.
But does it look too much like, a baby shower/birthday party invitation?

Now this one might be too simple. Almost cold.
Like, "THIS IS WHEN WE MARRY HERE IS THE PLACE THEN WE EAT AFTER".
Not too keen on it.

This one feels like the first one, but a bit more wedding appropriate.
I like how the initials are monogrammed at the top, followed by the info for the day.
But again, is it a bit too cold? Maybe there isn't enough "stuff" on the page...

...like this one! I think this one is very fun and light-hearted (mind the pun).
I like the texture, and the initials in the heart - although totally cheesy - are cute.
(I get to have a bit of "cheese" if need be, right??)

What I like about this is the way everything is separated with a border.
The white paper is a bit plain, but the different sized fonts give it some character.
Maybe if the writing was in a colour? Or done with coloured paper?

This is my favourite in the "simple" category.
It's cheeky, it's fun...I would change the colour and maybe the wording slightly, but for the most part, I would be quite happy with this.

Now...on to the more "adventurous" choices. Not sure if any of them would be possible, but it doesn't hurt to put it out there!

Here's a cute idea I found online.
Sending out postcard invitations! I think it's very personal, and almost whimsical.
Not sure if I would go so far as to put a picture of me and Nat on the front...

Imagine getting this in the mail, but with a sketch of the Toronto skyline instead?
For you Torontonians, you're probably rolling your eyes right now.
But for our guests coming from out of town and overseas, I think it would be a nice way of inviting them to travel to our wedding!
We could include a map of different hotels to stay in, attractions, etc...
I like it!

I love the vintage-feel of this. It's classic, without all the cheese of the first three.
And what I really appreciate, is that it seems hand-made, kind of like the next one...

...which feels almost hand-typed.
I love the little cozy this one is in! Obviously without it, it would just be a plain invitation.
But the cozy could be re-used by thrifty recipients for....whatever they want!

Okay. Now. I mentioned this to people before, that I liked this idea a lot.
They thought I was nuts.
I found this online, a vintage handkerchief designer, who creates wedding invitations...on HANKIES!!
It's laser-printed, or stamped, onto the hankies. Nothing is hand-sewn, as to save time.
What do you normally do with a wedding invitation after you've put all of the information into your Blackberry or iPhone?
You throw it out.
This way you would be less tempted to chuck it...in fact, you can keep it - and use it - forever!
I think it's a great idea!!
Nat...will hate it.

Another neat, crafty idea.
You pop the invite off the top, and the directions and any other info is hidden behind it.
It's interactive and I think pretty memorable.
I have a feeling Nat would like this one, because it's almost a "thinking man's" invitation!

Okay, I'm not sure we're enthusiastic enough to give this a go.
It is incredibly detailed...maybe too detailed?
But at the same time it's quirky and fun.
At the end of the day, I just don't know if I feel it.

I realize I've said "I" more than "we" in all of the descriptions above, only giving Nat a couple of shout-outs. But that's only because we have yet to sit down and talk about this together, as a team. It is "our" wedding, after all. And I am not - nor will I become - one of "those" brides who forgets that.

Now that he's back from his 2 week business jaunt, we are getting to do that this weekend. Once he's able to provide his 2-cents and tell me what he likes and doesn't like, it may be back to the drawing board...

...Invitation Deliberation: Part 2 (by Nat), perhaps?? Stay tuned to find out.

(I'm still gunning for the hankies)