Do-It-Yourself Summer Wedding Invitations

For many people, buying everything they need for their wedding isn't a problem. For others, it's more cost effective to try to do as much as they can themselves. Still others just like the idea of putting a unique spin on their wedding by doing things themselves.

Wedding invitations can be one of the most expensive aspects of the wedding. If you make them yourself, that won't be an issue. While the ease of looking in a book, choosing your design and waiting for a company to take care of things for you is nice, making them yourself can be a special experience.

The first step is to sit back and think of the theme for your wedding. The theme may be an object, a place or your color choices. If you don't already have a theme and are stuck on what to choose, summer can be a wonderful inspiration.

Do you like the ocean? Incorporate colors of blue, grey and green into your invitations, perhaps using seashells as a motif. Think of objects that remind you of summer. For example, if the thing you remember most is drinking lemonade, begin by using a pale yellow theme, or pink if you were a pink lemonade drinker!

One idea is to take a piece of paper and a pen and think about past summers. Write down the first things that come to mind, whether they are events, colors or sounds. You might be able to come up with some truly unique ideas. While summer weddings are usually associated with bright, bold colors such as reds, oranges and hot pinks, you don't have to do the same. It's your wedding! There's no right or wrong way to plan it.

Once you figure out your theme, it will be easier to imagine what your invitations will be like.

Once you have a vision of sorts in your head, it's time to look for paper and tools. Affordable paper can be easily found at places like Hobby Lobby. Scrapbooking paper is especially good for making wedding invitations and you can also find lots of extras you can decorate them with.

Paper with a texture is always going to stand out and pairing it with plain paper of a different color can leave you with many different ideas. Tools can be stamps, stickers, photos, scrapbooking scissors (such as Fiskars) and variegated paper.

Another tool is your computer. By using such programs as Adobe Pagemaker, Quark Express, In Design or even Microsoft Works, you can design your own invitations with little muss or fuss. If the idea of printing out hundreds of invitations and finding envelopes for them frightens you, consider the possibility of taking the design to a local printer. Have a meeting with them, express your needs and show them the design. They should be able to affordably print them out for you, as well as provide envelopes.

One way to make the time fly by is to have your bridesmaids and family come over for an evening and have them help you put the invitations together. That way, you're not overwhelmed with the task ahead.

If you still need more ideas, visit Do-It-Yourself-Invitations.com or The Knot.com for some inspiration and helpful hints.

Do-It-Yourself-Invitations.com

The Knot.com

Personal Experience