The Story Behind Our Invitations

Originally, I thought we were looking at the month of October or November for our wedding, so I was thinking "fall." Of course, beautiful leaves and pumpkins came to mind but after checking the calendar and letting Jon weigh in on his preference, we chose to go with Labor Day Weekend. Because Jon's mail carrier family works on Saturdays, we knew that we'd have to go with a long weekend where they would have Monday off.

I'd designed a gorgeous fall themed invitation, but when Jon said he wanted to go with Labor Day, I was thinking, "Well, these could still work because the leaves are just getting ready to turn in September." When we found our venue and I went to reserve the date, the assistant said, "So, this will be on Sunday, Aug. 31st?" I was in shock for a few moments! Normally, we think of Labor Day as being in September but it's early this year!

That said, it was back to the drawing board for invitation ideas! Jon wanted me to design something that was reflective of "us," sharing who we are, what matters to us and of course, something unique and different from the traditional wedding invitation. I started thinking, "just who are we?" Our hobbies include everything from traveling (with Alaska being our favorite place) to hunting with our labradors, playing with our cat Shadow, fishing, camping and pretty much anything that has to do with the great outdoors! We hold our God and our family/friends as the most important people to us.

I began to think about it, and eventually, I came up with the following invitation.

The front has a saying that is SO "us." We had our first date at Chili's in Fayetteville, AR and from there, we just kept spending as much time together as we could! We both were afraid to admit how we felt for a long time (I knew when I met him he was going to be the "one," even though I was afraid to admit that to myself, much less anyone else). We did fall in love - it was a slow but sure process for us as we both didn't want to make a mistake! Did I get butterflies and feel all happy before that realization? Of course! Every time he smiled at me! Was I afraid? Unbelievably afraid.  Our family and friends began making remarks about making sure they were invited to the wedding...before we even thought about making it official. Everyone kept saying, "What is this boy waiting on???" Jon and I decided we wanted to wait until I got out of college (I'm seeking a bachelor's for nursing - proof that it is never too late to go back to college). Yet, the Lord was dealing with us both and before long, Jon sat down and admitted he'd been thinking that God wouldn't want him to wait to get married! The next weekend, he asked my parents if he could have permission to marry me - I guess that was actually our proposal! Well, okay, he proposed to my parents!

From the beginning, we saw how compatible we are. We both like the same things. We both have the same values. We both want a solid Christian home that is peaceful, one where the outside cares of the world just cease to exist. Life's an adventure and we are both enjoying the ride (although sometimes the dips can catch us offguard, we recover!). We started dating in August 2012. In October, I gave Jon a gift that has been perhaps the best present ever. My oldest son, Justin, and I picked out the cutest, most adorable little black lab puppy. Literally, within days of this gift, Jon's coworker and long-time friend died unexpectedly. Jon and three friends had gone to see the Dallas Cowboys play. They never made it to the game. On the way, Jon's friend had a heart attack and they were unable to revive him. This friend was precious, and was a great witness to his coworkers. One of the things Jon remembered most was Eric's faith. After having the puppy for a week without a name, Jon suddenly looked and me and said, "Her name is Faith."  She's been a blessing to us!

After losing Kade (another black lab that someone on his mail route had given us a few months after we got Faith), Jon and I found Jake, a silly, obnoxious but lovable yellow lab. He was about a year old and his family lived in a city and couldn't keep him. They were looking for a home for him and we were looking for a friend for Faith. It was a great fit! So the two of us became petparents to two great dogs!

Jon knew that I loved cats and one day as he was driving home from work, a little kitten ran out in the road. He was able to get it, and it was scruffy and weak due to hunger. We had her for about a month, called her Juneau Gypsy. Unfortunately, she was called to go to the Rainbow Bridge (I know she is there waiting for me when God calls me home because the Bible tells us that in Heaven, the lion will lay down beside the lamb so I know there is a special place for her, too). We'd had a very bad flood the weeks before Jon found her and she was sick. We did all we could, and the veterinarian couldn't save her. My heart was broken. So Jon told me it would be okay to get another cat. I didn't want another cat - I wanted Gypsy. But one day, while in PetsMart with my son (he works there), I walked by the cat adoption center and there was a gorgeous Siamese cat. I decided it was time. So Nick (my son) and I went into the room where you can visit with the cats. I asked the store associate to let me see the Siamese cat and we put her on the floor beside me. The cat just didn't seem that interested in me! Next, she brought in a black kitten (about 7 months old). He drooled on me, climbed up on my lap and purred the entire time - he chose ME! So "Shadow" came to our home. He is a great mouser and tons of fun!

Our three pets are on the front of the invitation on the bottom left. We love to duck hunt, and so the ducks were a great addition to our scene (as are the geese flying overhead). The little boat was added because we love the water and fishing. The mountains in the back are symbolic of the Alaskan mountains. Inside the invitation, I used another lake and forest scene because it just flowed with the front design. 

Next, I knew I'd want RSVP cards because we need to know for planning purposes how many will be coming. Our wedding is out of town for most all of the family so it was hard to guess who might or might now be able to come. I chose a design that was more feminine for the RSVP, choosing to use a beautiful tree with birds. I love birds and have made a lot of bird feeders for our yard. We have bird houses, a bird bath and about 18 different feeders from oriole feeders, hummingbird feeders, thistle feeders (and socks) to Mason jar feeders. Here's the RSVP design.

Another neat thing about our invitations is that Jon was able to get matching stamps for the RSVP cards! He actually found postcard stamps that feature a gorgeous bluebird in the same color as the ones on the card. For the invitation envelope, he chose heart stamps.

We printed them ourselves. I got packages of 25 invitations at Office Depot for just under $14 per package, including envelopes. I am on my third package now (so we've spent about $42 for invitations, plus ink). I also bought postcard paper from Office Depot and was able to print RSVP and map cards from one package (about $16). That brings the total cost for invitations and enclosures to $58, with a bulk purchase of replacement ink for the printer ($49.99), we estimate the invitations cost about $108. This said, we could have gotten invitations printed for about $80 (plain and usually one color only). The RSVP and map cards would have been an additional $80 or more. So all in all, we saved quite a bit of money while we created a one-of-a-kind invitation. I think we did pretty good and our family members have been commenting on how the invitations were a great reflection of the two of us. They are uniquely ours. No one else has the same design.

Homemade Favor Idea

We want our big day to be very special, and that means doing a lot of things ourselves including the decorations and the wedding favors. While perusing Pinterest, I came across some beautiful ideas but many of them would be costly (involving purchasing little bottles for holding treats or soaps). I wanted something that would be truly "handmade," and I hope they appreciate the work that went into the gifts as every step that was taken was with our family and friends in mind! THAT is the type of project that I wanted - something that involves a lot of handiwork.

Finally, I came across a winner - salt dough ornaments! While it is not Christmas, I knew that I could easily craft salt dough ornaments that would hold meaning for many years to come. I didn't want to make a "Jon and Kristin" ornament as this would be something we'd hang on our own tree but not something that Myrlinda would want to hang on hers! However, each time she looks at the ornament, she'll remember where the ornament came from and that it was something that was crafted with love for my dear friend!

To make salt dough, all you need is some all purpose flour, salt and water! This would be a good time to share instructions on how to make these great ornaments. Here's the recipe that I used:

Salt Dough 
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup salt
1 cup water

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. You can mix the dough in a mixer with a dough hook until well mixed. You can add food coloring to tint the dough if you'd like. Next, lightly flour a surface and rolling pin. Divide dough into parts (I divide it into four parts, covering the dough not being worked to prevent drying out or throw it into a Ziploc). Roll out the door to about 1/4 inch thick. You can make your cutouts thinner but I am making mine this thick because I want them to be durable. Dip your cutter (cookie or even a jar lid or other shape) into flour as needed to prevent the dough from sticking. Cut your shapes. Next, you can stamp your ornaments with a rubber stamp and ink (you can coat the stamp with a light coat of vegetable oil to keep it from sticking to the dough). Take a straw or bamboo skewer (if small, you can work it around a little to make the hole larger) and make a hole where you want to tie the ribbon or string. Put ornaments onto cookie sheet and bake for about six hours. Remove from oven and cool. Using fine sandpaper, sand down the edges. Spray lightly with a clear coating (veneer spray or you can paint it on with a brush). Let dry and then insert colorful ribbon or raffia to complete your ornament and it's ready to give!

I found some great stamps on sale at Hobby Lobby during a 50% off sale. I paid about $2.50 for each stamp and the ink was also on sale so it came to $1 for each stamp pad in various colors. The dough cost less than $1 and makes a decent batch of ornaments (depending on the size of the cutter). This said, once the supplies were purchased for the stamp and ink, these ornaments cost pennies to make but are absolutely precious and a good way to express your heartfelt appreciation to your guests for helping to make your day special.

I'm still working on these - the photos below are my first "test" batch and the finished ornament is still not finished as I have not sanded it down or coated it with veneer to keep moisture out and preserve the ornament. I'm looking forward to making several batches of these in the coming months in preparation for our wedding. I'll be sharing updated photos in the future!

Almost finished. I need to sand it and add the veneer coating to prevent moisture. I used some extra raffia that I had from Christmas projects, but I am going to also use some colorful ribbon. This one was originally done with a yellow stamp but it didn't show up so I went back over it with a black paint pen.

These are done with orange ink. It shows up pretty good (just not in this photo).

The Wedding Gift of a Lifetime!

As I'm going to college at the age of 44, and Jon is a mail carrier with a great income but has had to have some major surgery this year, we're trying to be careful with our wedding costs. We also value making memories and traveling, so we have a trip to Alaska planned for this summer and don't want to take away from our trip. I'm trying to do as much of our wedding on my own with the help of friends instead of hiring someone else to handle things. That does not mean that I have to do "without" or make our special day any less beautiful. In fact, because so many items are handmade or borrowed from special family or friends, everything is extra special!

I had planned to borrow a gorgeous dress from one of my closest friends. It is vintage and features heirloom lace and pearls. We weren't sure if the dress would fit (it's in Texas with Suni), and the only way to know was to go to the bridal shop and try on dresses. Of course, I didn't want to tell the saleperson that I'd not be buying a dress so I tried on many dresses that day and enjoyed learning which ones would fit my body type best. At the end of my session, I had learned the size I needed and actually loved one of the gowns. If I were going to get a gown, THIS would be the gown for me.

That afternoon, I shared my experience with my oldest son, Justin. He quickly remarked that it was my special day and that I deserved to have my own gown. I smiled, told him I could only dream of that and said I would be happy with my friend's dress because it was hers and it was gorgeous. I told him I was okay with borrowing a dress and saving the money. Little did I know I'd planted a seed.

My oldest son talked to my youngest son, Nicholas, and they formulated a plan. For Mother's Day, my two sons went together and saved the money to pay for the dress. When they told me, I cried and cried. I think everyone in the newsroom (I have just completed my year as editor-in-chief for the campus newspaper) thought something was wrong but when they learned what the boys had done, they hugged Justin as much as I did! They would have hugged Nick, but of course he was at work at PetsMart!

So I now have the dress of my dreams for my wedding, one that makes me feel like a princess again (an old one, but when I put on the dress, I feel young!). I worried that it would be "too much," and that some people would think it inappropriate at my age. My sister and future-sister-in-law said they love it and that it is perfect. The biggest nod, however, was from my son when he saw me in the dress.

I would love to post a photo but I don't want my future groom to see it until the day of the wedding, so you'll have to wait for our photos! I am the luckiest Mom in the world, and I know that wearing this dress on our special day will be even more sentimental to me because I am going to wear the dress that my sons purchased for me!

No Florist Needed!

After thinking about the decorations and floral needs for our wedding, we decided that we would make use of flowers that are right under our noses (literally!). Every year, my mother and father plant two wide, long rows of mixed zinnias. They're gorgeous and they bloom until frost. Bright yellows, reds, oranges and even some green shades, these flowers will be perfect on our tables and in our bouquets. From roses to hydrangeas, my parents have the prettiest yard in my hometown with brightly colored flowers that are just perfect, and the fact that they are the result of my parents efforts make them even more precious to me!

Mom and Dad have two of these wide rows of zinnias each summer. What a great flower to bring a cheery touch to our tables and bouquets!

Our plans include hand-tied bouquets, and hand-tinted Mason jars (which I have perfected because I sell mason jar bird feeders in custom colors) filled with zinnias and other accent flowers. Jon and I are also planting sunflowers so we will have a good selection of brightly colored sunflowers (different varieties). We plan to mix in a few sunflowers for the table arrangements. Sunflowers were one of my brother's favorite flowers, so they have a very special meaning to me. My brother was 17 months older than me, and he passed away at the age of 25. It will mean a lot to me to have sunflowers in our arrangements on my wedding day!

While thinking about other flowers that have special meaning to me, it dawned on me that we should add Forget-Me-Knots for three reasons: (1) It is the state flower for Alaska, our favorite place;  (2) We have some very special people who have gone on to Heaven that can't be with us on this special day but we know they're looking down on us from above and would be very pleased; and (3) We want them to always remember our wedding day! I am going to grow some of these in a planter, but I'm also planning a special favor as a gift for our guests. I have ordered special seed packets (I got them for an amazing price - 50 packets for $20 with free shipping). The seed packets have room for us to add labels on the bottom of the front of the packet and on the back, we can add a remembrance notation for our loved ones that were in attendance in spirit from above. It is our hope that our guests will plant these seeds next season and that they'll always remember our loved ones, our special day, and of course, see a little bit of Alaska right here at home!

I plan to fix these up in a little package to give our guests!

By using fresh cut flowers, we're saving over $1,000 for floral expenses. The "extra" flowers that we'll be mixing in are perennials so nothing had to be planted. The zinnias and sunflower seeds cost around 50 cents a packet but my parents actually save their zinnia seeds from year-to-year so there was no cost for seed mix for the zinnias. I look at these flowers as "free" because they're something we'd plant anyway around our home to brighten the yard. It's a win-win situation!

The Venue

My dream venue...we found it!

Decisions, decisions! We worried about finding a location that would be convenient to the majority of our family, but had difficulty in finding a good place for our wedding. We knew we didn't want a large wedding, but wanted to surround ourselves with our family and closest friends that weren't coming to the wedding for any reason other than to be supportive of our union as man and wife, and those who wouldn't judge us for our budget! We put ourselves on a budget because we have a trip planned to Alaska and of course, I'm still in college studying nursing. We decided we didn't need to have the most expensive wedding, and with a little imagination, we knew would could have the wedding we want without spending a lot of money. Thankfully, we both have awesome sisters who are just as creative (and crafty) as we are!

That said, many venues were automatically thrown out when I obtained pricing. That left little option to get married in our first choice, Heber Springs. Sometimes, though, God knows best when He closes doors because as frustrating as it was for me, He had a better place in mind! A couple of weeks into my search, we visited Jon's sister, Audra, and Jon spent much of the weekend turkey hunting. We'd been to Calico Rock to see what the gardens there were like. Of course, it was a gorgeous location but at a price of $2,000 for the venue we knew that wouldn't work! Some other venues were either booked or just not a good fit for our wedding day.

Audra and Douglas (my soon-to-be-nephew) took me to visit one last location. Before we even got to the Bull Shoals Dam, I could see the James A. Gaston Visitor Center from a distance. Audra told me that we were heading there to check it out! It was gorgeous, and we were thrilled to discover there was a wedding going on when we pulled up. That meant we could see how this venue would fit, and within a few moments of walking around the Center, I knew it would be perfect! Thank you, Audra, for finding the perfect place for us!

Jon and I are both adventurers. We love the outdoors and scenery. The view is amazing, as you can look out over Bull Shoals Lake, the Dam and the White River from the decks. There is so much to do at the Visitor Center, from the butterfly garden, to a hiking trail, observation deck, a historical movie in which visitors sit in rowboat chairs (adorable!), exhibits and even binoculars for bird watching! The Bull Shoals-White River State Park is just down from the center and there's kayaking, camping and fishing. When I entered the building, I knew it was perfect but at one point, I teared up as I told Audra it was "the" place - just like you know when you try on the "the" dress!

The wedding that was taking place was small and intimate, and decorations were simple. That is the look we're going for as well. The view and the building are so beautiful that a lot of decorations aren't needed! There are two conference rooms, a kitchen, restrooms and several places that you can use for the wedding. You can even use the covered deck with ceiling fans for part of the reception!

Part of the deck (it continues on to the right with patio chairs and access to the conference rooms). The two-story tower is beautiful!

Now came the difficult question: how much does it cost to rent this gorgeous facility and was it available for Aug. 31, 2014? I was surprised that we could rent the deck for only $70 for two hours. Renting two blocks of time actually gives you five hours, so I reserved the deck from 5 to 10 p.m., and the coordinator said we can start decorating at noon on the day of the wedding! There is no limit to the number of guests that you can have, and there are other areas that you can rent including the Pavilion (which has tiered stadium row seating or the Tower (limited to 20 people due to size). Any of these can be rented for the same price, but we chose to rent the deck because the Pavilion is adjacent to it and any place that we didn't rent is actually available to our guests (there may be some other visitors in these areas but most people tend to be respectful and stay away from weddings, so we aren't concerned about visitors that may be at the Center). The deck area, however, will be limited to our guests only. It features some round table seating which will be ours to use on our day, too. These tables and chairs are situated under a beautiful covering with ceiling fans.

A view looking toward the White River. This is going to be the view we have chosen for our ceremony.

We also chose to rent both the conference rooms (they hold 40 people each), and the kitchen. There are tables that come with the rental and chairs for 40 people, so we're saving on table and chair rentals. We can also choose to rent outdoor chairs if we'd like (they're only $1 per chair if we set them up ourselves). As a bonus, we have access to a podium with microphone, DVD player and screen, internet access, projector, counter space, controlled lights, automatic shades, ice maker and coffee maker, as well as very large, well-appointed restrooms that are for our event only. Rental for one classroom is $125 for a half day or $200 for a full day; or both classrooms can be rented for $200 for a half day or $350 for a full day. There is a security deposit of $100 that has to be paid at the time of reservation.

That said, we opted to rent the deck and both conference rooms, with the conference rooms being available for us all day to give us time to set up without being rushed. We didn't need to rent additional time on the deck as we are able to start decorating outdoors at noon. Our outdoor decorations will be kept simple, so we're certain we'll have more than enough time to get ready for our guests!