Will You Be My Bridesmaid?

Though I'm completely aware that a simple phone call likely would have sufficed for this occasion, I really wanted to come up with a special way to ask my nearest and dearest to take part in my wedding. Being a bridesmaid is a big commitment, and my goal was to create something unique and sincere, a preemptive "Thank you for your time and effort!" with some time and effort of my own. And so, after hours toiling away, making change after change to ensure perfection, here is the final product: a lovely tri-fold card incorporating what will be my primary wedding color (Teal) and a handmade envelope to match.

Admittedly, the embossing and belly band were unnecessary additions to the envelope, but I wanted to see how they turned out as this technique could make a reappearance on my invitations.
Though only one is shown, I included a different poem for each card, and also did change the wording to "Maid of Honor" for one. I scoured the internet searching for poem ideas and found a number of great forums and suggestions. After finding a few I liked, I made a few changes to fit my purposes, in some places combining elements of 2-3 separate poems, and these were the three I ended up with (click to enlarge):

In the end, I'm quite happy with the way they turned out, and can't wait to head home so I can deliver them in person!

The Joys of PowerPoint

After receiving my Save the Dates, many of my friends and family members have asked me how I was able to create the images, and my response that it was done using Microsoft PowerPoint has generated a number of dumbfounded looks. It seems that many individuals have a hefty diversion to any program in the Microsoft Office suite that isn't Word and have missed out on the creative potential of its other programs. Contrary to popular belief, Office can be used for far more than essays, spreadsheets, and slideshows, and it doesn't take a computer software genius to take full advantage of its options. So, in answer to some requests, I've decided to post some basic instructions for how I created my Save the Dates.

Before I get started, I do want to clarify that I in no way believe that Office is the 'end-all, be-all' of creative design software. There is, in fact, much better software available on the market, but it comes at a cost. In contrast, Office is generally more affordable and accessible for the average computer user. If nothing else, it's free to use at your local library. That disclaimer out of the way, on to the tutorial.

Using PowerPoint 2007

1. After opening PowerPoint, ensure that you start with a blank slide. This may be done by manually selecting all existing items and deleting them, or by selecting Home tab on the top of your screen, mousing over the Layout drop-down menu, and selecting the Blank layout.

2. If not already activated, turn on gridlines to help monitor how all pictures and items line up within your page. Do this by selecting the View tab and then checking the Gridlines box.

3. Change the page dimensions so that your slide is the size that you want your final image to be. (Note: you can always resize your final image after it is saved, but to keep your page proportions in tact, it's best to start with this step.) Select the Design tab on the top of your screen, and then select Page Setup on the far right. A dialogue box will appear, giving you the option to edit your page height, width, and landscape. Change these to your desired dimensions. For mine, I created 2 files, one with 4x6 and the other with 5x7 dimensions.

4. Begin inserting the items of your choice and arranging them on the page in your preferred layout. Select the Insert tab, and you may choose to add several types of items, including pictures, clip art, word art, shapes, and text boxes. For my slide, I used a combination of pictures from our engagement session, text boxes, and shapes (the lines used to create the white borders between objects).

5. To alter individual items, double click the item you wish to change and select the Format tab. From here, you may alter the item's size, color, and outline, and select various item effects if desired.

6. Once you are happy with the overall layout and design of your slide, you will need to select all individual items within it. Beginning at one corner of your slide, hold your left mouse button and 'draw' a rectangle which ends at the opposite corner. (Note: this is best done if you zoom out on your screen so that the entire slide is visible.) If done properly, outlines should appear for all items on your slide. If an item's outline does not appear, it was not completely included in your rectangle and you will need to try again.

7. With all slide items selected, right click on your slide (anywhere should work) and select Group from the drop-down menu that appears. This will group all individual items together to create one linked object.

8. After your items have been grouped together, right click your image again and select Save As Picture. This will open a Save dialogue box and give you the option to save your slide in the picture format of your choice, typically JPEG or PNG.

9. Now your slide can be treated as any type of picture format, meaning you can edit it using photo software, upload to online websites, and (as in my case) send it to the retailer of your choice for mass reproduction.

At a later time, I hope to revise this post to include directions for other versions of PowerPoint and pictures detailing each step for the non-tech-savvy, but that is definitely a project best saved for another day. In the meantime, I hope this helps. If you have any specific questions or concerns, feel free to post a comment or send me an email!

Save the Date! (And Your Wallet)

Well, after a month (or more) of agonizing over my Save the Dates, I'm pleased to announce that they are finally complete and in the mail. Ultimately, I found many amazing characteristics that I wanted to incorporate, and I did manage to produce several creative trial designs before selecting my final option. In the end, however, I finally decided to be honest with myself and admit that manufacturing these on a large scale was an unrealistic goal. My decision finally came down to two 'end-all' factors: Time, and Money.

For starters, I was determined to have them in the mail before Christmas, and this deadline would likely have killed me had I chosen one of my more complex designs. Working retail during the holidays can be exhausting enough - adding hours of slaving over paper crafts to my hectic work schedule would have been a recipe for mental breakdown. Ultimately, I knew it was better to save my detailed projects for January.

Next, there was the issue of cost. While creating my STD's on my own would still have been more cost efficient than ordering them custom made from someone else, the necessary supplies would have put a significant dent in my wedding project budget. Add to that the increased cost of postage for the larger, heavier envelopes, and it became a no-brainer that I needed to look for a less expensive option. Enter the Target Photo Lab.

In preparation for the rush of custom Christmas card orders coming in December, Target began running several specials for print orders near the end of November. I chose to take advantage of 2: 4x6 prints at $0.08, and 5x7s for $0.85. My fiancée, not fully grasping my desire for personal expression, suggested that we simply print one of our engagement photos, glue them to cardstock, and add stickers detailing our wedding information. I wanted something slightly more defined, so I started up PowerPoint and created the collage below.

After saving my slide as a .jpg image, I was able to upload the file to Target's website and my order was ready for pick-up in just over an hour. I ordered 100 4x6 prints to mail out, as well as a handful of larger 5x7s to give to parents and keep for scrapbooking purposes. All together, after promotions, coupons, and employee discounts, my printing costs totaled to $8.93! Not bad at all for 100+ Save the Dates.

Introduction

Perhaps this is a direct correlation to the fact the CD Battle Studies has been on repeat in my car for at least 2 weeks, but I've recently become very focused on the question "Who says I can't?" Continuing to reference the wisdom of one of my favorite musicians, the correct answer to this question is no one. And though this stunning realization may have far reaching implications for many other aspects of my life, I've first decided that it will become the foundation on which my dream wedding is built.

Who says I can't have gorgeous pocket-fold invitations without spending a fortune?
Who says I can't replace costly florals with more creative, personal centerpieces?
Who says I can't walk down the aisle in my favorite flip-flops instead of uncomfortable high heels?

In my search for wedding inspiration, I've found a number of items I would love to incorporate into my own wedding.  My goal now is to find a way to adapt and replicate these to suit my own purpose. And so begins my DIY wedding journey...