The Pen or the Printer

Etiquette, I'd like to kick you in the (__I__) right now! There is absolutely no way I will hand address all our wedding invitations after the Save the Date debacle (I found out that a good number of our Save the Dates did not travel to their intended destination). So yes, I had to resend a few more Save the Dates because I foolishly failed to put a return address on the postcard magnets.

Our Save the Dates were relatively inexpensive and easy to put together. But our wedding invites are a true labor of love. We rather not run the risk of ruining them with my not too shabby hand writing and Pepe's chicken scratch penmanship. Hiring a calligrapher was not in the budget but I didn't want tacky wrap around labels put on our elegant invitations. In the end we conceded to computer printed calligraphy. The results look better than I expected.


I found a faux calligraphy font on abstractfonts.com called Beautiful ES that was simple to read. The tricky task was setting up the envelope and labels in MS Word 03" because it did not allow for configuration of vertical spacing so everything typed looked double spaced. We tried to single space with little success until I stumbled upon a envelope template for our A7 (5.25 X 7.25) envelopes. Through a little trial and error and proper centering of feeding the envelopes, our old ink jet printer was able to print out the envelopes with no problems.

Notes
- Martha Stewart & The Knot has given their blessing in terms of computer printer calligraphy
- Tape the flaps to prevent the envelopes from jamming the printer..
- Addressing guests can be a tough task especially if cultural customs and practices play a part in the etiquette process. For instance, it is customary to include "& Family" in Cambodian culture because you usually invite the entire family (including older children, elders in the family or single parents with children). It is also very common for women in Cambodian culture to retain their maiden name. So it is important to note that when addressing invites to the couple.
- For general etiquette guidelines in Western culture, click the link below.
Wedding Invitation Envelope Etiquette

Cambodian Wedding Invitation

Aisle Style

My inspiration for our beach aisle! It will add a pop of color and the simple DIY project is also very inexpensive. I plan on reusing them on the wraparound deck of the venue too. I will also provide guests with bright parasols to protect them from rain or drizzle. It's going to be simply beautiful!

Invite Sample

Our first English sample invite is completed! We still need to tweak one or two things but otherwise they turned out better than we expected. Yay to DIY! BTW this was printed on our ink jet printer with no problem - using metallic text paper and backed with metallic gold card stock from Paper and More. Custom designed by Kemba Celebrations on etsy.

~Fun Favors~

Pinwheels, parasols, and ribbon wands will add a little bit of color and zing to our outdoor nuptials on the beach. These fresh decorative accents are not only budget friendly but they will be a fan favorite for the little people at our wedding. The best part is that the pinwheels and ribbon wands are relatively easy DIY projects that my sister and I can put together in an afternoon. The parasols, which have a practical purpose (to shield Mr. Sunshine) are relatively inexpensive. I can't wait to get started on these projects!


Ribbon Wand Tutorial w/ customized banner

Pin Wheels Tutorial

DIY Invites

Materials

1. PDF File Custom Designed Invite Suite $125
(created by Kemba Celebrations on Etsy)
Note - $50 for the PDF file & $75 for custom design monogram, which is feat. throughout our invite suite. The splurged was on the one-of-a-kind design of a Apsara motif with our initials.

2. Guest List w/ Contact Info
-We use Google Docs spread sheet to keep tabs on our guests list

3. Paper Cutter: Tonic Studios 12-inch Guillotine Paper Cutter $30.00
- This paper cutter is considered a favorite among scrap book enthusiasts and crafters
(Overstock.com)

4. Adhesive Tool: Glue Glider Pro $15
- Easy to use and cost effective adhesive with no mess!
(Cards and Pockets)

5. Laser Printer - We have a family member who has offered to print our invites.

6. Calligraphy pens: Pilot Varsity Fine Tip Disposable Fountain Pens $2
- My new favorite writing pens! They have a real nib that makes for smooth writing.

7. Paper Supply:

Text Paper - 8.5 X 11 Pearlescent White Metallic Text Paper 100/$20
( Paper and More)

5 X 7 Panel Card Stock - Pearlescent Metallic Gold 100/$14
(Paper and More)

3 5/8 x 5 1/8 RSVP Envelope - European Flap style 0.12 per piece
(Cards and Pockets)

5.25 X 7.25 or A7 Invite Envelope - European Flap style 0.17 per piece
(Cards and Pockets)

Notes:
The 8.5 X 11 size text paper produces TWO 4.5 X 6.5 invite which will be layered onto the 5 X 7 panel. It gives a 1/4 inch border frame. This fits a A7 envelope purrfectly.
RSVP Card & Event info card is 3.5 X 5 ( printed on left over text paper). We ordered extra envelopes for mistakes and the left overs will be used for T.Y notes. We have not included postage costs since most of the invites will be delivered in person.

Estimated Quantity: 60 English Invitation Suites, 30-35 Khmer Invitations w/ some that will include RSVP and Event card.

First Set: English invites include a full invitation suite (Invite, RSVP Card & Event Card)
We hope to have them completed before Christmas vacation because we intend to hand deliver some of them to our close friends and family on our trip to California. The rest of the English invites will be sent out in early March. We have set the RSVP due date 3 weeks before our wedding date.

Note: Etiquette dictates wedding invitations should be sent out 8 weeks before the wedding. RSVP due date is usually 2-3 weeks before the wedding date.

Second Set: Cambodian Invites will not include an entire invite suite since it is not Cambodian custom to RSVP. However a few will include RSVP and Event cards for some of our guests who also follow Western customs. This does worry us a bit as our space has a capacity of 200 people. The Khmer invites will also be printed at a later time as we do not know the formality regarding the proper wording. A friend or family member will be assisting us when the time comes as I don't read or write in Khmer *hangs head in shame* We will hand deliver most of the invites and send out the rest to OOT guests.

Escort Cards

My love for origami is simple. You can take an ordinary piece of paper and turn it into your vision of extraordinary. As one of my favorite past times, I knew I had to incorporate origami into my wedding. Well ta da! Origami crane escort cards! Unlike the above inspiration pictures, I will string mine with clear thread and attach a crystal at the bottom. They will be hung on a manzanita tree. The new issue of Brides has a better picture of my version of origami crane escorts. I will DIY the manzanita tree at a later time and post the results up for interested brides.