Nothing sets the tone for a wedding quite like the suite of stationary that guests receive prior to the wedding and throughout the event. When we approached the design of our save-the-date cards, invitations, programs, and menus, we decided to have some fun. It was to be an elegant Bruce Wayne affair, but everyone would also be in on the secret that the bride and groom are in actuality superheroes–best to just put that right out there, especially when you have an artist for a groom!
Lloyd designed the save-the-date card as a postcard to mimic the great comic book covers. Yes, we are flying in to save Toto in front of “Meek Manor” AKA Asa Waters Mansion. I may have been a bit of a difficult client while he created this piece. Eventually, he told me I could see it when it was done. I loved it and stopped my yacking.
We mailed them, and I braced myself a bit for either total enchantment by my guests, or total confusion. I hoped that the postcard would be stuck to refrigerators across the country, and I wasn’t disappointed. We received so many emails of glee and excitement with the arrival of the postcards that it couldn’t possibly make us more excited.
It was also a bit of a tricky time for us, though. Lloyd’s father was admitted to the hospital for the third time with a stubborn blood infection, right around the time the save-the-date cards were mailed. We printed a letter-sized version of the postcard to tape to his wall–hoping to keep him hopeful. Every doctor and nurse who came through his room commented on the pictures on the wall, and usually asked specifically about that one.
Next on the docket was creating the invitation. While we had a lot of fun with the save-the-date postcard, and incorporated many of the superhero elements, we wanted the invitations to show that this wasn’t a show-up-in-costume sort of superhero wedding. We used the invitations to convey the Bruce Wayne Cocktail Party air of the event.
Lloyd began by designing our monogram, which appeared in many different elements of the wedding, including the invitation.
The invitation went through a number of formats (and fonts!). Next challenge was figuring out what printing method we wanted. I would have loved letterpress, but it just was not in the budget. Ashley referred us to her go-to invitation gal, Alli Statler of Announce This! Bless her for her expertise and help (if you are in search of truly customized invitations, her work is absolutely stunning. Check her out!)! She put together a quote from her printer and made a recommendation based on Lloyd’s design. We ordered our paper, pockets, and envelopes from Cards and Pockets (also Allie’s recommendation), and couldn’t have been happier.
The invitations were printed on Cream Puff paper, with two print passes. The first was a flat print for the chandelier, while the second was a thermographic print of the rest of the invitation. We also had a small insert with information directing guests to our website to RSVP and find further information about the venue, hotel, etc. We chose to go with an online RSVP after much thought and consideration. It was actually a difficult decision to make, as I was really concerned it was not “proper.” For us, though, it was a significant help. Our guests RSVPed quickly, as most of them are very connected to the online world, and I had a system that I could access from anywhere if I needed to make changes or check on numbers, etc.
When the printing was completed, Allie sent the invites and inserts to us, and we mounted them on the pockets and stuffed the envelopes. Poor Lloyd made the mistake of telling me that calligraphy was in his artistic repertoire, so he also got to address all of the envelopes and pockets. Bless him!
It may not have always been fun!
In fact, he may not remember that part of the process fondly.
But, eventually, they were done. We stuffed all of those envelopes, and off to the post office they went for hand canceling and mailing.
I am quite biased, but they were the most beautiful wedding invitations I’ve ever seen. When a little (and, well, not so little) girl dreams about her wedding, I don’t think she can possibly understand the extra meaning put into something like the invitation, or really any aspect of the wedding, when it is created personally for you by the one who loves you enough to marry you. It really, truly is amazing.
A few more photographs of the completed invitations: first, right out of the envelope….
Opened…
And lastly, in stunning frames from my friend Cindy, given to me at my bridal shower. The frames fit so perfectly with out decor that they had to make an appearance at the wedding. (This last photo is courtesy Margaret Belanger Photography.)
