| By :
Mark Etinger
You're getting married. You've chosen a date, found the perfect dress, you've got ideas about wearing flowers in your hair. You're happy and want people to come share your happiness, witness your vows, eat some cake, and leave a gift. But how will you let them know? Because you're also kind of broke. Weddings are expensive! Professionally printed invitations would cut into your budget so much there would be no cake to serve. Mass text message is very of-the-times, but a little less romantic than the vibe you're going for. The evite--it's convenient, true. But still, same issue. The truth is, you want something your friends will hang on the fridge next to the photos of all your other friends' babies. That fridge space is prime real estate in their daily lives. You want these people to celebrate your pending union every time they reach for the Rocky Road. You'd like to try to DIY, but all you've got is a regular printer and a stack of fresh Brother Toner cartridges. Ready for the good news? That's all you need. Really, you don't need a fancy new machine (that would end up costing you so much more). Here's how you can make truly sweet wedding invitations with the tools you've already got. Okay, and paper. Secret: paper shopping is super fun. Get into it. 1. BUY AWESOME INVITATION PAPER Paper is tactile and luxurious to browse through. Take your time, open yourself up to a rainbow of possibilities. You'll know the right one when you happen upon it (sound familiar?). Where to go? You can find terrific paper, card stock and matching envelopes in bulk at office supply stores like Staples or OfficeMax, already sized for invitations. If your guest list is on the smaller side, I like the loose paper sold at craft stores like Michael's and JoAnn's, for a more interesting selection. Kate's Paperie is like dying and going to heaven, but costs a whole lot more. 2. CHOOSE YOUR WORDS WISELY I vote for keeping it simple. This just isn't something to sweat over. Vows, okay, but the invitation has simple work to do: Be inviting. Be clear. Bride and Groom Invite you to join them for their wedding (yay!) Date & Time Place Reception Immediately Following Place (if different) RSVP* *I highly recommend using an email address for RSVP. Create one just for this purpose: meandhim@gmail.com, say. It streamlines your keeping track of who's coming, plus saves on paper, stamps, confusion, and bulk. 3. DESIGN Now is the time to think about software. There are some terrific graphic design programs out there (Adobe Creative Suite is a great one), and although they can be costly, a lot of them have 30-day free trial periods. But if the prospect of learning new software is just as overwhelming as the prospect of paying a professional, then a desktop publishing software program works just fine for more text-based invitations. You've got one of these. It's got a wide selection of fonts. Enter your text, center it on the page, and scroll through the fonts. You'll know the right one when you happen upon it (wink). 4. MANUAL LABOR OF LOVE Put the paper in your printer. Check the Brother toner cartridge. Full? Got another one handy, just in case? Now print. A few bonus notes: Address your envelopes by hand! Do it while you watch television. It's a personal touch that sweetens the opening-real-mail moment deliciously. On the other hand, wet a sponge to "lick" the envelopes. Save your tongue for kisses, and cake.
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