Okay, I am still one-hundred-percent all about the birthday party favors. But a wedding is a completely different affair. As in, we would be having 150-200 adult guests instead of  5-10 children. I wasn’t too keen on spending a lot of money on a favor that, from what I’ve heard, more often than not goes untouched and unappreciated. Yet as our day grew closer, I found myself genuinely wanting to offer our guests a token of love and our gratitude.

It wasn’t until I was searching the ‘Bee for inspiration and came across Mrs. Sloth’s own favor post that I was convinced. (Thanks, Mrs. Sloth!)

And thus, with minimal money and minimal work, these were born:

photo by Bryan and Mae Photography

Wildflower seed packets! Too cute! Eco-friendly, easy, cheap, and requiring no assembly. I didn’t leave much time for tedious favor assembly, so that was key. After first stumbling upon the idea, I shared it with Mr. Bunting, Daddy Bunting, and Mother Bunting. They all thought it was great, especially since all our guests will have to do to enjoy is sprinkle the seeds on the ground. No digging, no planting, no hassles. We’re all lazy, it’s true.

Now wait a minute, Mrs. Bunting, that photo you posted clearly has more than just a seed packet. What’s the dealio? Well, Grandmother Bunting was a bit sad to hear we wouldn’t be having any of the traditional Jordan’s almonds, so I decided why not do both? Haha, so much for no assembly required! Mother Bunting and MOH Bunting helped me package all the favors in a single evening. We stuffed four almonds in a cello bag, sealed it with a sticker, used a glue dot to attach the almond bag to the seed packet, finished it with twine, and voila! (Tradition calls for five almonds, but our little baggies looked much more comfortable with only four.)

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The stickers were made by printing on 8.5×11 sticker stock. You know how you can buy mailing labels of varying size? You can also buy sheets of stock that are essentially a giant 8.5×11 sticker. I made mine by printing on those, then used my nifty 1-inch scalloped craft punch to punch those babies out. Easy-peasy, and no cutting machine required!

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I haven’t heard too much through the grapevine yet about how well-received the favors were, but I can tell you that the majority were gone at the end of the night. There were a handful or so that had the almonds missing with the seed packets left behind, but you really can’t please everyone so I wasn’t too hurt by these rejected pieces. Especially since I saved those leftovers and can now plant them wherever I please. More flowers for me, I say!

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For those who are interested in the idea, here was our cost breakdown-

200 seed packets: $70.00

Baker’s twine: left-over from invites

Stickers: Printed on 8.5×11 glossy sticker stock I already had, punched out with my Martha Stewart 1-inch Scalloped Circle Punch

200 (2.3 x 3.5″) cello bags: $11.14

Glue dots runner (from Hobby Lobby): $3.00 after 40% off coupon

Jordan’s almonds (from Gordan Food Service): $11.99 for 390 almonds (we bought two containers)

Total: $108.12 – 200 favors at $0.54 each. Not too bad!

Did you find a cost-effective way to have favors for your guests? What were they?

When Mr. Bunting got his passport, a few readers noticed something suspiciously shiney and silver in the photograph of Mr. Bunting. First, I commend those of you who noticed! You are all like wedding piranhas, sniffing out all the little wedding-related details. If Waldo wore a veil, you would find him without fail every time.

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While it so clearly resembles a wedding band, I assure you that I did not cave and let Mr. Bunting wear his wedding ring before we were officially wed.

So this is the story about a friendly jaunt that I took to the next level.

It started before we were even engaged, really. When we first went to not-so-innocently, ahem, “admire” the current designs of engagement rings, Mr. Bunting commented how it was unfair that the woman would receive such an expensive token while the man received nothing. I laughed, made some snarky reply about how the man got to marry the woman and that should be prize enough, and then was immediately distracted by all the shineys. Mr. Bunting purchased an e-ring and brought it home while we both tried to non-nonchalantly act like I didn’t know. (I totally did.)

After that day, time passed without a further word on the subject.  I now realize that Mr. Bunting was avoiding all wedding and engagement talk like the plague because he was secretly hoping I would forget he had an engagement ring hidden away. Ha, as if! Yet several months flew by and then Mr. Bunting was on one knee while my jaw was gaping in complete surprise. I hadn’t forgotten about that lovely, sparkly little ring mind you, I just didn’t know it would come out of hiding so soon! 1,000 points for Mr. Bunting!

For the next few days I floated around, showing off my new bling to everyone and anyone that had functioning eyeballs. And then Mr. Bunting brought it up again. Why didn’t the man get an engagement present? I thought about it some. Hum, he did have a valid point. I was proud to be engaged to Mr. Bunting and my engagement ring was a reflecting statement of that. It did seem rather unfair that the man rarely got a token to show off to the world, too. Except that I saw through Mr. Bunting’s jaunt for what it was: a thinly veiled disguise to get new “engagement” computer parts. Silly, clever Mr. Bunting! Well, there was no way I was going to buy him computer upgrades as an engagement present because I knew they’d be upgraded and replaced again in a few years. If I was going to get him a gift, it would be something that was meaningful and long-lived. Kittens*, anyone?

So I decided to get him a ring, since that’s what I had. Eye for eye, ring for ring. (Okay, that’s creepy considering what the first implies.) I wasn’t going to buy him any old ring, though. Hell, I wasn’t even going to buy it. I was going to make it, no, forge it.

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My father had made their wedding bands in his college jewelry class, so the idea was not new to me. (Now that I think about it, I made Mr. Bunting’s ring in the same building my father made his wedding bands in.) I had never taken our art department’s basic metals and jewelry class, so I had no idea where to begin. Enter my good friend, C, who was currently in the class and knew the ropes. I bought a length of sterling silver, and with his help, began constructing a ring.

To those who have never made a sterling silver ring without the use of a mold – it is hard, hard work. I had a large anvil and I had a hammer. So I hammered. I shaped. I hammered and shaped, all the while cracking jokes about forging The One Ring and feeling pretty epic about the whole thing. (Mr. Bunting was oblivious and still dropping none-too-subtle hints about the newest computer thingamabob.)

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When I had the rod flattened out, it was time to get Mr. Bunting’s ring size. I had no idea what it was, but C and I came up with some lame excuse to get Mr. Bunting to try on the sizing rings in the shop. I don’t remember what we told him, but it worked and we had his size without revealing anything. C helped solder the two ends with a blowtorch, and it was back to the hammer and anvil for me! I hammered more. I shaped more. I hammered until I was sick of hammering and all out of Lord of the Ring jokes. And then I hammered some more. Finally, I put the hammer down and picked up the sandpaper. Now re-read the last handful of sentences and replace the word ‘hammered’ with ‘sanded’ and you get the general idea of that laborious task.

The perfectionist in me wasn’t satisfied until I had that ring as polished and smooth as an amateur human hand could possibly get it. And I looked upon that ring with great pride. Yet, it still wasn’t finished. I had to go and drop it in acid.

I had a one-chance shot with the acid etching I was planning, and there was no way I was going to finish it only to discover it didn’t fit Mr. Bunting’s finger properly. Up until this point the ring had remained a secret to Mr. Bunting, but I reluctantly admitted it was time to confess. So Mr. Bunting, shocked and delighted with my secret scheming, tried it on. It was a little too big. Good thing I checked! I cut out a piece, soldered it back together again, more hammering and sanding, and then finally we had a good fit.

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Time to play with acid! Sorta. I covered the entire ring in a black substance that acts as a barrier against acid and then I used a needle-point to draw out a design on the surface. The needle scratches away the resist so any exposed silver will be eaten by the acid. An hour or so in the acid bath followed with a cleansing wash, and ta-da – an etched engagement ring for Mr. Bunting! To really make the etching stand out, I added a quick petina that filled all the little grooves with a thin layer of black and…. It. Was. Finished. Hurrah!

The design was inspired by fingerprints and wood grain. And what geek’s ring would be complete without a <3?

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The ring isn’t perfect. It never was, it never will be. And after being subjected to a year and half worth’s of wear and tear, it’s even less perfect than when it started. These handmade imperfections, coupled with the scratches and dings from its engagement adventure, are qualities that make it exceptionally unique and personal to us. We wouldn’t have it any other way.

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Making this ring was hard work that took the majority of a good week and a half, but it was so incredibly fun and I absolutely love telling everyone that I made Mr. Bunting’s engagement ring. And the best part was that for the rest of our engagement, we could both float around showing off our bling.

Did you get an engagement present for your partner, or are you planning to?

*Just kidding! I don’t endorse the use of kittens as gifts, unless the giftee: a.) loves kittens, b.) is financially responsible, and c.) emotionally available for a surprise kitten. In which case Mr. Bunting fails the last one. My two cats press his sanity enough as it is.

image via Nazarene Blogs

Our centerpieces are comprised of mismatched vases and jars with an assortment of flowers, so each table will be a variation on a theme. I’ve spent the past year collecting milk glass and blue mason jars and our florist was generous enough to offer storage space in her studio basement. So we dug through the various bins and pulled out some select pieces to create 3-4 mock-ups with the fresh flowers she had ordered earlier that week. Some of the flowers and colors we’re using weren’t available at the time so we had to use some substitutes. We also didn’t spend a lot of time refining each piece since these were just quick mock-ups, hence some bare spots and other flaws, but I definitely got the general idea.

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They looked much better in person than in my photos, but it was so rewarding to see just how well our flower selections coordinate with each other, the vases and jars, and our quirky table runners. We could literally pick up one jar from one mock-up and move it to another, and the arrangement looked just as coordinated. That was just the assurance I needed since I won’t have any control over the centerpiece arrangements the day-of. (Our florist will be setting up the vases, jars, books, and birds on each table in addition to the flowers, which is why I wanted to see if her vision and my vision were one and the same.)

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We forgot to bring a full table runner with us, so that bit of aqua fabric you see is a swatch Mother Bunting happened to have in her purse (thanks mom!). It may not be the real deal, but it’s enough of a taste to fuel my imagination. The craspedia paired with the polka dots on the table runner fabric make me oh-so-happy.

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So what’s staying and what are the substitutes?

Each centerpiece will have a bit of the following:

• craspedia (as shown)
• bupleurum (as shown)
• pink hypericum berries (shown in green, below in pink)

image via Whole Blossoms

Additionally, each centerpiece with have a variation of the following:

• coral and peach peonies (shown in peach)
• white or yellow spider mums (shown in lavender)
• white and coral dahlias (not shown)
• white or pink wax flowers (shown in purple)

image via McGlauflin’s Perennials

image via Dave’s Garden

image via Total Flower Exports Pty Ltd

image via Flickr

That looks like a lot of pink and coral right now, but with the green bupleurum, yellow craspedia, and yellow or white spidermums I think it will balance out. I wanted to add ranunculus to the mix, but unfortunately it won’t be in season before our wedding.

Did you need to do a trial run with your flowers? What type of flowers are you using?

That last one is a lot of pressure to put on yourself. I’ve faced this challenge as an illustrator many times before as I struggled to develop an artistic style in college that reflected my “voice”, and I was about to face it again with our wedding invitations.

They had to be us, and man is hard to pin us down into a single design suite. The pressure was almost too much, so once again I procrastinated. A lot. I procrastinated by scouring the internet for inspiration, and just when I thought I found some elements that would be my inspirational focal point, I found another invitation suite that ran in the opposite direction (and was just as cool).

I finally had to gather all my favorite sources of inspiration in front of me and then just sit down and start drawing. I gave myself a pep talk about how there’s no way anyone can create something that embodies everything about us as individuals, so I focused on a starting element and things slowly evolved. Before I knew it, I had a general, consistent theme that just felt right. And despite all my procrastination, I started early enough so that I could pick away at all the little details until I had something I was really proud of. There were many neat elements and ideas that I had to sadly cast aside, but I realized that the illustrations needed to be the focal point and anything else was an unnecessary distraction.

So, without further ado, here are the Bunting wedding invitations!

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They are printed digitally on a lovely linen paper. I bought our envelopes from Paperandmore.com, which carried the perfect coordinating color and proved to be cheaper than Papersource.com. The carribbean blue baker’s twine used to tie it all together is from Etsy.

You want to know a secret little detail? In addition to the unicorns at the bottom of the main invitation, I added in other little unicorns and TIE-fighters (from Star Wars) among the flowers. See if you can find them all:

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So there you have it. Our wedding invitations, complete with unicorns and spaceships. Yeah, that’s just how we roll.

Did anyone else struggle with finding an invitation suite that reflected both of you as individuals?

To refresh your memory, this is the photo that was the full inspiration behind my garland:

image via The Sweetest Occasion / design by SHEPAPERIE + Design Boutique / photo by Jeanna Hayes

My version of the garland is coming together very, very nicely. I bought fabric in a variety of coordinating colors and patterns, and if you stick to the stuff that’s on sale or in the bargain area then this makes for a very cheap and very chic DIY project. Just be careful you don’t accidentally pick out any $20/yd fabrics like I did…

With the help of a rotary blade, self-healing mat, and my Grandpa & mom, we had the fabric cut into 36″ strips of fabric (they’ll be doubled over when tied) that were either 1″ or 1.5″ wide in no time.

image via About.com

I wanted to leave the edges unhemmed for a softer look and I wasn’t as concerned with having the widths be one-hundred percent perfect, so between the three of us we created an assembly line and finished the cutting job within 30 minutes.

That was the hardest part, and even that wasn’t very hard (except for a few mathematical calculations so we utilized close to the full amount of fabric).  I found some natural-looking alternatives to your typical thick, twisted rope at our local fabric store, so I bought 11 feet to hang over our 6 foot cookie table.

I thought the assembly part would take some time, but after setting up in front of the tv I was surprised to find the garland finished within one day. It honestly only took 2-3 episodes of Xena: Warrior Princess. (I love you, Lucy!)

The best thing about this project is that the strips are simply tied on, so it’s very easy to move, remove, and add strips.

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My kitty, Zoey, wanted to help me with the garland. Like most felines, her idea of “helping” is to lay on whatever you’re actively working on.

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I’m still debating whether I want to keep the pink strips in. I’ll have to set it up with the plates and platters we have to see if the pink becomes an eyesore. And because I don’t have access to those plates right now, I Photoshop’d the garland in to our mock-up photo to get an idea. Kinda neat, huh?

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I even have enough fabric left over to make a second one to hang above our punch table. Now I just have to make a nice sign to hang in the center of the garlands. I haven’t decided what I want it to say yet, but I was thinking somewhere along the lines of “Love, Sweet, Love”. Any ideas?

Did any of your DIY projects turn out to be easier than expected?

Awhile back I discovered and fell in love with Plum Pretty Sugar, a line of gorgeous loungerie that must feel as good as it looks.

image via Style Me Pretty / robes by Plum Pretty Sugar / photo by Lane Dittoe

These robes would make a perfect bridesmaid gift, but unfortunately they just weren’t within my budget. So I got crafty and used my resources. Now I personally do not know how to sew, but I do have a secret weapon. My seamstress.  She is not only talented and knowledgeable, but very reasonably priced. So I sought her expertise, and was promptly assured that robes were easy and definitely do-able. Success!

The next step was finding voile cotton, which is very lightweight, soft, and perfect for a breezy robe to throw on during summer nights or mornings.

I searched our local fabric stores and found one voile pattern that wasn’t bad, but I really wanted a variation of patterns, and the colors just weren’t right. Having exhausted my local options, I turned to (where else?) the internet.

image via Know Your Meme

I love the internet. I found the best variety and prices at Fabric.com, and happened to be shopping right when they had an anniversary sale and free shipping. Hells yeah.

So here is a preview of the fabrics I ordered:

personal collage / swatches via Fabric.com and Plum Pretty Sugar

There is enough so that each of my bridesmaids will have a different pattern. The bottom right swatch is one I’ll be ordering for myself from Plum Pretty Sugar as a treat, because I love it so.

I was a little afraid of what the fabric would look like in person, especially since it can be hard to tell how bright something actually is from the computer screen, but the fabric arrived and I love it so, SO much! Now the hard part is waiting for them to be finished!

In addition to the robes, I’m also considering getting each girl a little silver heart necklace with their initial. I just love how feminine and delicate they are.

image via moncadeau

Do you think they’ll like these? What gifts will you be getting your bridesmaids and did you decide to go a more DIY route?

Or…. how to make your own cake stand if your cake is too dang big for a glass or ceramic one.

image via My Sweet and Saucy

Among the many things I love, I would like to officially add pedestal cake stands. Especially those of the milk glass variety, yes siree. And though they can be a bit pricey, they elevate your cake with such visual oompf that they are so worth it. Regardless of whether you’re dishing out a lot or a little dough*, adding a pedestal cake stand always seems to make it cry, “look at how beautiful I am!” I bet you didn’t know that cakes could talk, but that is exactly what any cake would say if it had such a throne.

(*haha, silly cake pun)

image via Pot Luck Studios

When we booked our cake vendor, I mentioned that I really wanted to incorporate a pedestal for our cake. I was told that I would need a stand that is at least 16″ in diameter, preferably 18″, so that our cake base would have enough stand to sit upon. So off I went on my merry way to find the perfect stand.  I searched thrift stores. I searched antique stores. I searched online. I searched ALL OVER and could not, for the life of me, find any sort of ceramic or glass stand that was large enough, let alone made of milk glass. I’m convinced they don’t exist. (I later learned from our cake lady that glass or ceramic may be too fragile for 20-30lb cakes at this size, so keep this in mind if you’re having a full cake) And while Etsy has some beautiful handmade ceramic stands, they were all way out of my budget. This is where you call me a hypocrite, because I just finished telling you they were worth the price. Okay, I take that part back.

But they ARE worth finding a way to DIY, and Mama Bunting had just the solution. She found a large wooden pedestal at a thrift store and thought, “Hey, this is pretty neat!” And neat it was, but the top was nowhere near large enough for anything more than a cupcake. So then she thought, “Hey, why don’t we attach a lazy susan to it?” BRILLIANT. Lazy susans are pretty easy to find, so we picked up a cheap one and then set Daddy Bunting to work on the project.

Unfortunately I forgot to ask Daddy Bunting to take progress photos, but with the help of online photos and my “after” photos you’ll be able to get the idea.

What you’ll need:

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• lazy susan
• wooden pedestal base
• ruler and pencil
• countersunk screw and drill
• All Purpose Adhesive Caulk (make sure that it is also paintable)
• primer spray paint
• spray paint in color of choice

Step 1:

image via Quality Butcher Blocks

image via The Bridal Shop

Acquire a wooden pedestal and lazy susan. Try searching for the pedestal at your local thrift stores and home & decor departments. Make sure the pedestal is sturdy enough to support a cake, which may weigh a lot. (If you’re still unsure, better to be safe and ask your cake caterer than be sorry and have a tipsy tragedy.) Lazy susans can be found at most department stores, or places like Target and Bed Bath & Beyond.

Step 2:

image via Kitchen Fantasy

Remove the spinning underpart of the lazy susan so you have the large, flat circle. This should only take a screwdriver, though it will depend on the type of lazy susan you get. Prep your pedestal if you need to as well. We had to saw off a small candleholder/knob on the top of ours to get a flat top.

Step 3:

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Using two rulers positioned in a cross, find the center of the lazy susan and mark it with a pencil on the TOP of the surface (note: if you have a different technique for finding the center, by all means go for it!). This is where you’ll drill a screw into the top circle to secure it to the pedestal. Don’t forget to double-check that your center-point is indeed at the center by confirming that all distances are the same from center to edge no matter how you rotate the ruler. Don’t worry if it’s off just a tad, as long as it looks centered no one is going to be taking a rule to it. Or will they….? No, no, just kidding, there’s going to be a cake on top, remember?

Now flip over the lazy susan and place the pedestal facedown on top of the susan, so you have a cake stand that is upside-down. Take some time re-position the pedestal until it is centered. This is key to making a cake stand that is well-balanced and sturdy, so take your time. Once you’ve got it shifted right, trace around the diameter with a pencil so you have an outlined guide drawn on the bottom of lazy susan.

Step 4:

It’s caulking time! With your adhesive caulk, draw a line around the perimeter of the pedestal base that will be attached to the lazy susan. Now flip it over caulk-side down, position it to fit within your drawn outline (on the underside of the lazy susan), and press down! Use enough pressure to get the pedestal flush with the susan.

Step 5:

Carefully flip over the cake stand so it’s right-side up. It’s starting to look like something now, isn’t it? But the caulk won’t be enough to hold the two together, so we’ll attach them using a countersunk screw.  Countersinking will allow you to drill from the top of the lazy susan while still maintaining a flat surface for your cake. Using the center-point you marked with a pencil, drill your pilot hole through both the lazy susan and pedestal base, then follow by drilling the countersunk screw until it is flush with the surface.

Step 6:

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You’ll probably notice that there’s a gap between the pedestal base and the lazy susan piece, but that’s easy to fix. Flipping the stand so it’s upside-down again, take your caulk and draw a very thin line around the perimeter of where the two pieces are attached. Now smear this into any gaps, and wipe away the excess for a clean finish. We used our fingers, but you can use something else if you don’t want to get that dirty.

Take this time to dab a little bit of caulk or wood putty in the divet where the screwhead is on the top. Again, wipe away any excess. Once it’s had time to dry, you can even sand away any excess residue if needed.

Step 7:

After letting the caulk sit for the appropriate time, prime the entire piece by following the instructions on the can. We did a few coats of primer to make sure it was evenly covered.

You’ll have to wait for each coat to dry before moving on, but once it’s all primed it’s time to paint! We used a semi-satin finish white spray paint to give a nice, finished look. It may be no hobnail Fenton, but it will certainly get the job done!

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Did anyone else find a way to incorporate a cake pedestal without reducing the size of the cake drastically?

Dessert tables make me drool, and not just because they’re filled with all kinds of sweets and treats.  They’ve been catching on a lot lately, and it’s perfect for those who want an alternative to the traditional wedding cake or just an additional dessert bar. They would also be amazing at a bridal shower or really any type of party. Pretty much you can come up with whatever reason you want, and I will be all over it.

Just check out some of these arrangements and you’ll understand why:

image via The Caketress / design by Lori Hutchinson / photo by Rebecca Wood

image via Wedding Chicks / design by Grandes Fetes / photo by Jessica Schilling Photography

image via Catch My Party

photo by Kelly Chau Photography

Yummy, yummy, yummy!

We’re going to be having a dessert table of our own at the park following our ceremony so that our guests can enjoy the park and a snack before heading to the reception. Because we have limited helpers and to keep things simple for us in the short amount of time it will be up, we’ll only be serving cookies and lemonade. Only. Shame on me. I shouldn’t say ‘only’, because it belittles it. Our dessert table may not have elaborate macaroon trees and cakes and lollipops, but it WILL have an old door, re-purposed china, and saltwater taffy! And cookies, of course.

image via The Sweetest Occasion / design by SHEPAPERIE + Design Boutique / photo by Jeanna Hayes

This has to be my favorite dessert bar I’ve come across, and it’s the main source of inspiration for my own table design. I just love how colorful and playful it is!

I’m in the process of creating a fabric garland, and I’ve already acquired two apothecary jars of similar structure. Here’s the mock-up my mom and I came up with:

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We didn’t have everything on hand, so we had to make substitutes, but it gives the general idea (the lone piece of fabric was to gauge how long to make each streamer and we only had cheap grocery store bouquets on hand for the flowers.) Er, yes, that is wax paper on the plates you see. We didn’t want to handwash all of the plates for our mock-up shoot – we ate the cookies afterward.

A friend of the family has an old door with chipping light blue paint that we’ll be setting on the table for a unique surface top. Now just imagine those jars filled with colorful saltwater taffy, and all of those plates heaping with an assortment of cookies!

Speaking of those plates and china, that same family friend collects china to make beautiful mosaics, and she generously donated some pieces in our colors for the table. To get a variation of heights, we bought some glass candleholders from the dollar store and used heavy-duty tacky putty to secure the candleholder to the base of the plate. Ta-da, instant mini dessert stand!

I think it’s going to look delicious in an outdoor park setting once it’s all filled out with cookies, flowers, and a fabric garland.

design by Modern Day Floral / photo by Lisa Kae Photography

Oh, and because it’s just too cute not to show: craspedia and hypercum will be in the two end bud vases, much like the one shown above.

Is anyone else having a dessert table? What details are you including in it? Do tell!

I’ve wanted to incorporate chalkboards for awhile, and had settled on using one for our seating chart. However, my handwriting is not the best, and I couldn’t get the image of a smudged seating chart out of my head. Seriously, how do these people transport their chalkboards without smearing them? Oh, right, you can use a spray fixative (found at art/craft supply stores) to add a protective coating. Well, I still didn’t want to write out 150+ names, even if I could condense the couples into one line. So I thought to myself, why not print something to create a faux chalkboard? I work at a printing company, after all, so it’s perfect.

image via Idoityourself

photo by Lorraine Daley Photography

The first step was to acquire a high-quality photograph of a chalkboard texture to use as a convincing background. I couldn’t find a good one from my free stock photography sources, so I did what any good DIYer does in such a situation: I made one myself. I didn’t have an actual chalkboard to photograph, much less a camera that could take a hi-def photo, so I took the lazy route and made one using a combination of photos and some Photoshop brushes. I then placed the image into InDesign, worked my magic, and ta-da, rough draft of a seating board!

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Please excuse all the x’s (to protect privacy) and repeating table numbers (we haven’t actually figured out the assignments yet).

Here’s what you’ll need to create your own:

• Download chalk fonts for free: AllSkratchedUp and Eraser Dust
• Download my chalkboard texture (note: it’s a large file so I zipped it. You can use WinZip or 7-zip to unzip it)
• Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, or Photoshop

Step 1:

Choose your design program. I used InDesign, but Photoshop or a similar program will work as long as you can add type.

Once you’ve unzipped the chalkboard background file, open or place it in your program.

Step 2:

Adjust the size by re-sizing or cropping so that the image fits your board. I started with an 18×24 size document, so if that’s the size you want then you can skip this step.

Step 3:

Select your chalkboard font, font color, and start typing with the type tool! I used “AllSkratchedUp” for the header and “Eraser Dust” for the names.

Here is an image showing edges of my type boxes so you have a better visual of the layout structure.

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It may take some time to play with the text so you get a size and layout that works for you. I recommend InDesign if you have it because you can use helpful features like overflowing text and object alignment. These things make it easier to position columns and all your objects neatly, but if you’re unfamiliar with that program or are using different software then you can just eyeball it or use guidelines.

The chalk hearts are additional images that I created to add some spark.

Tip: I do not recommend finalizing the positioning of all the names and numbers until you have a final guest count. It will save you time if you can at least plug in the names and fake table numbers so you don’t have to later, but don’t spend hours perfecting the positioning if you don’t have your seating assignments figured out yet. This is because if you add/remove one name or change a table number, it will change the positioning of the text (especially if you’re using multiple columns), and you’ll have to make adjustments all over again.

Tip: Leave extra room around the edges to accommodate the frame and give some visual cushioning space.

Tip: Using the aforementioned chalk fonts, the uppercase letter/initial is 28pt and the names are all 20pt. if you have less people, you can make these larger, but I wouldn’t go much smaller or it will be hard to read.

Tip: Print a portion of the board at 100% before sending the final to the printer, just to make sure that the type really will be legible at the size you chose. It doesn’t have to be a quality print, just something that gives you an idea of how big the type really is.

And, for those who don’t want to bother but would still like to have a printed faux chalkboard, you can purchase one at idoityourself.etsy.com

Step 4:

Once you have everything finalized, submit your high-quality file to a printer, let them print it, and then insert into your  frame of choice!

Hive, I have a confession. I’m known to be a bit of a perfectionist. Not a “rrrrrggh, I’ll go bridezilla on you!” perfectionist, but nevertheless someone who obsesses over the tiniest details. I am also an artist (an illustrator, to be specific). Combine those two elements and you wind up with an artist who has to create the absolute PERFECT representation of who-we-are-as-a-couple design to share with the world. That’s a lot of pressure. And requires a LOT of thought. So as you can imagine, our STDs were not created right away.

In fact, I may or may not have procrastinated a little. Or a lot. I knew I wanted to have an illustrated drawing of us, but suddenly the deadline to mail them out was looming, and I didn’t even know where to begin, and oh gawd I really need to settle on our colors,  and I want to draw us but it’s been so long since I’ve drawn people and does Mr. Bunting look too Asian and why don’t I look right and yes we shall have blue hair because it’s cool and finally, WHEW-THEY’RE-DONE! As done as they’ll ever be, anyway! I wasn’t completely satisfied, but sometimes you just have to set things free (especially when they’re overdue).

personal design

personal design

Like many budget-friendly brides before me, I designed them in the format of postcards to take full advantage of the cheaper postcard stamp. I also learned (beforehand, thankfully) that the US Post Office cannot and will not mail postcards with rounded corners, so I only rounded them on those I knew would be personally handed out. It’s actually a good idea to stop by your post office with a mock-up before you print your entire run of postcards or wedding invitations, just to make absolutely sure they’re good to go.

In retrospect, I would have put the date on the front side, as many people didn’t think to flip them over and read the back. Consequently, many people did not even know we had a wedding website since that tidbit was also on the backside. Even Mother Bunting didn’t know there was information on the back, but to be fair I did personally hand it to her instead of mail it.

How did your save-the-dates turn out, and if you made them yourself did you struggle with the “perfect” design? Did you learn anything else about mailing standards that other brides should know beforehand?