As you probably know, I’m getting married in October (woop woop)

It will be a budget friendly, family affair in the backyard of my parent’s home.

I think when most people hear ‘budget friendly’ and ‘wedding’ in the same sentence, they cringe….

but it doesn’t have to be that way!!

remember my “idea board” ?

 

I wanted to make the invitations and save-the-dates fitting for the outdoor event.

I was so lucky to find this ‘giving tree’ save-the-date from Merriment Design.

The template is free to download here

 

I modified it with Adobe Illustrator,

then had two printed per page at Office Max.

They have a great selection of cardstock colors and weights.

I think it came to about $20 total.

 

I trimmed the cards to the appropriate size using my mom’s ancient,

but still awesome, paper cutter

     

my friend Tiffany came over and helped me add water-color detail to the leaves

(love her!)

Chris’ had a special technique for sealing them (instead of licking each envelope)

(the Seinfeld episode where Susan, George’s fiancé, dies from licking low-end wedding invitation envelopes kept coming to mind)

    

The envelopes are called ‘Kraft’ or ‘brown paper bag’ envelopes

Number 10 (standard business), open ended

I bought them from Envelope Mall (100 envelopes for $12)

                  

    

 

             

 

I was so nervous to mail them….

it’s not like I can climb inside the mailbox and get them back if I forgot something…

believe me, I contemplated it, they make those things practically airtight.