The subtle art of wedding invites

Hello ladies,

Spring has finally (almost) sprung in Chicago - I saw a few daffodil stems pushing their way through the wintry muck in my neighborhood yesterday afternoon. And what does spring mean (besides warmer temperatures, more sunshine, and Chicagoans' renewed passion for life)? WEDDING SEASON!



Many of you may be getting married in late summer or fall of 2011, and are ready to select your wedding invitations. This can be one of the more stressful parts of wedding planning (finalizing that invite list, selecting the wording of your invite, figuring out postage issues, etc). However, your invitations are also a great way to set the tone for your wedding and let your guests know just what to expect from your special day. Having a garden wedding? Copy my creative friend Molly, and include a map or directions printed on a DIY hand-held fan. (You'd be surprised at how sweet some fancy card stock and a popsicle stick can look when dolled up). Is your wedding more formal? Express your inner Belle with a heavy cream card stock, a queenly font and a gold-lined envelope.



Some of the prettiest and most creative wedding invitations I've seen have been DIY. You can dream up all sorts of lovely ideas at stores like The Paper Source (http://www.paper-source.com/), or stop by one of their Chicago locations for assistance in selecting everything you'll need, from envelopes to card stock to specialty papers to a return address stamp (save yourself the energy or writing or typing/sticking!) In fact, if you are free this Saturday, consider signing up for Paper Source's Wedding Suites event to learn about your invitation options.



If DIY isn't your thing and you'd prefer to outsource (who can blame you, it's not as if the months leading up to your wedding are light on to-do lists!), here are some local invitation designers we like:


Paper Moon and Company: www.papermoonandcompany.com/index.html

Spilled Ink Press: http://www.spilledinkpress.com/

with Grace: http://www.withgraceshop.com/

Above all, your invitations are a great way to reflect your (and your fiance's) personal style, as well as give hints about your big day. Have fun and let your imagination run wild!

Happy spring to all!