Thursday, August 24, 2006

Invitations

Finally, all the invitations are in the mail and I can brag about them online. I'm really proud of them -- they've been the highlight of planning so far (from designing, to creating, to assembling, to getting feedback) but ever since then, everything has been downhill and nothing else has gone right. So don't expect much after this....

invite inside fully addressed vellum envelope (we chose vellum b/c it was on sale from myGatsby.com)

full invite (in poor light) with stamp (I was dissatisfied with the Post Office's selection of wedding stamps, but this was the best choice among their 63 cent selection)

pocket-fold invite wrapped with sheer Asiana ribbon (in ivory but looks silverish), closed with a seal of an embossed double happiness symbol on ivory cardstock, with vellum backing (again, poor lighting, but it really is ivory cardstock, not yellow!)

inside of invite; Chinese in red text above the English in black (there is a minor typo in Chinese, which we rectified by punchiing out various heart shapes but I'm too embarrassed to show a picture, plus we gave all those out before I had a chance to take a pic)

the various enclosures: map and directions card, RSVP, and card with web info (actually printed on the blank perforated business cards from Staples, which fit perfectly on the side pocket b/c it is 3.5"x2" & the enclosures are supposed to be 3.5" tall; best part is no cutting, just ripping apart)

close-up of the direction card; I really enjoyed creating the map (I used Google Earth to get a 3-D view of everything, traced the important parts, like landmarks, by hand, scanned the image, and traced it all over in Illustrator so as to have perfectly straight lines)

the RSVP card with a maple leaf punched out in the corner (to give just a hint of a fall wedding); all the English wording is screwed up (mix of formal and informal b/c of the huge problems FFIL had with it, even though I barely understand his English sometimes)

I ordered the postage stamps online and they come very neatly packaged in plastic with a cardboard to support it. It's very convenient -- no waiting on line, dealing with incompetent ppl, or tracking down about 300 of the exact same type of stamps. It just costs $1 extra for shipping, which I think is well worth it. And it was delivered fairly quickly.

WHAT IT TAKES:
  • Hammermill ivory 60lb. and 80 lb. cardstock from Staples: about $40 (we also bought extra to make other stuff too_
  • 300 "firecracker red" (love the color!) pocket-fold invites from Paper Presentation: about $355
  • 400 vellum outer envelopes: about $39 (on clearance, for 75% off)
  • Heavyweight tracing paper from high school drafting class: basically free
  • Glue & other adhesive: about $33 (we originally used the cheapass Avery glue pens from Staples for gluing the cardstock to the invite but they wouldn't really hold, then we went with the Scotch tape roller which is actually permanent; also used Glue Dots to stick ribbon and seal on)
  • Ribbon: about $7.50
  • 250 4-Bar RSVP envelopes from Paper Presentation: $37.50
  • Custom-made stamps (double happiness and two other ones that we ended up not using) from Simon's Stamps: $21
  • Embossing powder: $3
  • Stamp pads: $8
  • Maple leaf punch: $3.51
  • Ivory blank business cards from Staples: $0.25
GRAND TOTAL: $547.76, or $1.83 per invite (really less, if you count all the stuff that can be reused)

I think I made out pretty well, considering nice invites cost upwards of $2 nowadays. I think for a similar style it would have cost at least $5/invite.

And postage stamps cost about $70 (but not part of "making the invitation" so I didn't include it above).

Lastly, there was a lot of blood, sweat, and tears when discussing the layout and wording, and hardly anyone has noticed that (insert befuddled, hardly amused, mostly aggravated face here).

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Your invitations are beautiful!!!!

I really like your map for your guests!

Anonymous said...

WOW! Your invitations look awesome!

Anonymous said...

Love your invites. You did a great job. I've been trying to find the perfect double happiness image to make a stamp out of and have been unsuccessful. Would you mind sharing your double happiness image with me?
If so, you can email me at: bearzpairz@gmail.com
Thanks!

Anonymous said...

I love your wedding invites! They're beautiful! I'm quite interested in the way you designed the map. If you have time, can you please show me step by step on how you did it on Google Earth and how the general directions were derived? I am currently finding a way to create a map like yours. It will help a lot! Thank you! Please e-mail be @ serenabeana7@yahoo.com .

Anonymous said...

Hi hi~

My name's Jen. I came across your site while searching for wedding invitation ideas and I have to say your invitations are awesome! I, too, have a bit of a problem finding a double happiness image to customize a stamp for the invitations I'm working on for a friend. If you could please email me the double happiness template I would greatly appreciate it and plus it would be a life safer as well. =D My email address is aznx55@yahoo.com. Thank you so much in advance!!
Jen

Anonymous said...

Hi wow so much creativity and still keepig with the budget . I am also lookig for the double happiness template, havig been stressig a bit cause weddig is comig up and finding it difficult to get things together. would appreciate if you could send me the template . thank you so much jacquiyang1@gmail.com

Unknown said...

Hi,

I'm getting a lot of help from you blog. Thank you for documenting about your experience so diligently.

I was wondering in your research if you came across any of that traditional Chinese scented wedding invitation paper. I've been trying to find some, or at least the scent, and have had little luck over here in the West Coast.

just r said...

Hi Holly,
Sorry, I haven't come across any of the traditional Chinese scented paper. You may want to research something in relation to "rose scent" because I think I once read that that's what that scent is called. Hope that helps!

Anonymous said...

Hi, I LOVE your invitations. I have a Chinese wedding that I am working on right now (wedding planner), and my bride wanted to know the wording you used for the invitation, and what size your pocket fold envelope was. Would you mind emailing me at michele@infuseevents.com? Thank you!

Unknown said...

Hi, your invitation is very beautiful and creative. I'm trying to create my own invitation also, was wondering if you can help me with the Chinese wording. Did you use a translator for the Chinese wording of the invitation?

just r said...

lientim80, my parents translated the invitation using past invitations that we've received. I can barely read/write Chinese, so unfortunately I'm not of much help. Sorry! I can send you the wording that I used and maybe you can copy most of it? Just post your email here and I can send it to you or email me at rm47of450 at yahoo.

Unknown said...

my email address is lientim80@comcast.net

~Mel said...

Hi! can you email me your chinese invite wording in word format? Thanks!!

~Mel said...

oops.. my email is melan731@gmail.com Thanks!!

just r said...

Unfortunately I can't find ANY of my invitation documentation. Sorry! :(

Julie said...

Your invitation are so beautiful.=)
Could you please send me the double happiness template as well as the Chinese invite wording. Thanks!

My e-mail is jchang808@gmail.com

Daisia's Garden said...

Wow! I love your invite design and also the cost was great! I found your site when searching for my perfect double happiness stamp. Of course I didn't find it but I found your site which is even better. I was wondering 2 things, 1: Would you send me the stamp template or 2: Could you sell me your stamp that you had made if you are no longer using it or if you want it for memory, would you consider renting it to me or allowing me to borrow it for a short period of time. I am on a short budget and am going nuts looking for the perfect stamp....yours is the one I am invisioning. I am stuck on just the stamp, I need it so that I can get started on the embossing process....I'll be starting a sweat shop in my dining room once the stamp is in my hands....I need to do the top of each invite (150), the back of each envelope (150), the top of each menu card (20), the thank you card (150)....I have my work cut out for me, so I was wondering if you could help me out. I know this is weird asking a stranger but really I am in total frustration finding this stamp, I bought one from the paper source but it just isn't the right one that I want to use.....it just doesn't make me feel happy with it...and when I saw yours...man I was happy, in fact doubly happy to see my dream stamp....so please, pretty please let me do one of the 2? If you let me borrow it, I'll pay for shipping to and from your house and send you an invite plus a thank you gift....or I can pick it up from you and thank you in person and give you a great big hug plus send you an invite, and upon returning the precious stamp enclose a thank you/appreciation gift. After all the saying is, something new (the embossing powder and heating tool), something blue (the pulsing vein popping out of the side of my temples as I finish this invitation project, some borrowed (your stamp) will make a happy bride's dream come true. Please help me make my dream come true by being a part of it. I live in the bay area....wonder where you are at? My email is sumwe2@yahoo.com. Thanks for reading and hopefully considering my offer! Wendy

Anonymous said...

Hi there,
I think your work is brilliant.
I am organising my wedding for end of the year in New Zealand (love your work in all reaches of the globe)and came across your blog from a google search. I too like everyone else was hoping to ask if you would be so kind as to send a copy of your double happiness template. My address is rluey@yahoo.com

Much appreciated
Richard

Anonymous said...

Postage stamps: One other idea is to Not use a regular postage stamp but to go to a stamp dealer and buy older not used postage stamps. You could end up with a couple of stamps... maybe even something with an asian theme. This is one way around the idea that you don't like what stamps are available today.