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.
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