Save-the-Date!

So last week I was FINALLY able to get our save-the-date e-mails out! As you may remember, I had thought about sending them out months ago before we got our engagement pictures. I'm SO glad that I waited and I'm so glad they're finally sent. It was sooo easy to do them as e-mails! I highly recommend this option....cause it's FREE! Most everyone these days has an e-mail account so you're still able to reach everyone.
Here is what I designed....

(Source: yours truly)

So I think I owe you all a few updates....
1.) I am still unemployed. The job search has been nothing short of frustrating, disappointing and hard.
2.) Two good things have come out of being unemployed...I have been able to spend more time with Charles and I have been able to work on my stained glass (yes, I'm a stained glass artist!) more. To see my work check out Kristal Kreations on Facebook and become a fan!
3.) I still do not have regular access to hi-speed internet.
4.) I miss all of your blogs terribly, you have no idea!! I try and check in when I can but my dial-up just takes AGES and won't allow me to comment or anything!
5.) Even though I have tons of wedding projects and decisions taken care of, it still seems like I have an overwhelming about of things left to do! lol
6.) I feel bad that I have not been able to blog often.
7.) I promise to get better about posting more regularly!

Help!!!!

(Source)

Ok ladies, I need your assistance please! I'm working on the layout for our invitations and I've almost got it figured out...I think.

However I need help with something. Is it ok to put our wedding website link on our invitations? I was originally planning on including it. But because of the shape of our invitations, it's proving to be hard to include it because it's so long. And then I got to thinking that I don't know if I've ever seen them on invitations to begin with!

I'll certainly be putting the website link on our e-mail save-the-dates. Is that enough? So what do you think...include the link on the invites or no?

Also when it comes to the date and time I need opinions on how I should word that part:
1) on Saturday, the first of May
two thousand ten
at three o'clock in the afternoon
or
2) Saturday, the first of May
two thousand ten
three o'clock in the afternoon

Let me know what you think is best for each question! Thanks! :D

Just A Few Things

So our wedding website is now up and ready for the viewing! Go check it out here and let me know what you think! Be sure to sign our guest book too if you'd like! :)

I haven't talked anymore about our Save-the-Dates because I haven't done ANYTHING with them. I've decided to wait and send them once we get our engagement pictures taken and I have some fabulous images from Wes & Danielle to play around with. My rush in wanting to get them out ASAP was my OCDness and the major planner in me rearing its ugly head. The wedding is ten months away, waiting until the end of July or early August to get the save-the-dates out is not going to be the end of the world! lol So I'm waiting. We don't have an appointment set for our e-session yet because our photographers were out of town and I'm hoping to lose a little more weight before I get in front of the camera.*

Yesterday, I had an epiphany. I got the most random idea in my head about how I can achieve the balloon look I'm envisioning in my head for the reception tent. Use white decorative fishing nets! Let me explain, the nets can be hung from the frame supports of the tent and connected together to cover the whole area of the tent ceiling. The balloons can be tied to the net all at once before each section is hung from the frame and the nets tied together. That way, we won't have to hang one balloon at a time (which would take forever to put up and take down). Hopefully this weekend I'll be able to illustrate what I'm thinking so I can show you. I was worried about the cost of the nets, but I found some very reasonably priced ones on amazon.com!

And because no post is a good post without beautiful pictures I bring you these.....

(Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7)

Those stunning images are from Kauai, Hawaii. Kauai is where Charles and I are planning to honeymoon! We don't have any other details about the honeymoon at this time so there will be more on this later. But I wanted to give you a sneak peak. ;)

*When I bought my dress back in March (which should be in at the end of this month/beginning of July!) I didn't set any goals with myself about losing weight. I was at a comfortable and healthy weight for myself and didn't feel like I needed to lose any weight for the wedding. I just didn't want to gain anything. So guess what happened....I've gained weight since I got my dress...and more than just a few pounds too. I was so mad when I discovered this. I can be a stress eater....and things at work for a while were oh so stressful. I'm talking not knowing if I would have a job the next day stressful. On top of that, I don't have much to do at work and I was having literally having to eat to stay awake (caffeine didn't help) while I was at work. It wasn't good. I'm being VERY careful about what I'm eating now and have been taking Alli to help shed the pounds even faster. I've already lost some weight and want to lose a little more before we get our e-pics taken.

Save-the-Dates

I absolutely REFUSE to call them STD's. I just can't do it. lol

Our save-the-dates will be sent out via e-mails. Why? First and foremost, budget limitations. I just simply cannot afford to create paper save-the-dates and then spend all that $$$ on postage for them. Most everyone that we will be inviting to the wedding has an e-mail address and uses it frequently so e-mail is the way to go for us!

I realize that our wedding is still 11 months out and it may seem a little early to be sending out a save-the-date e-mail. However my family (close and extended) and close friends that will be invited will have to travel to the wedding. They also have very busy schedules and plan out as far as a year in advance! So...in our case, we need to get these babies out as soon as we can!!

So yesterday I sat down and started designing some save-the-date graphics that we can put in the e-mails to get the word out. Just like with my Flickr Cards, I had no vision or ideas for the design of the graphic. I just set to work and let my creative juices flow and these are the options I ended up with:

(Source: yours truly)

I created these graphics from scratch, no part of them was taken from anyone else or any other image. As you can probably tell, the top designs were my first attempts and as you work your way down, my last. I would love to be able to wait to send these puppies out until after we have an engagement photo session and get the pictures back, but there's no way I can hold off. So, I rummaged through my pictures of the two of us and found two of my favorite images (and also realized we need more pictures of us together). I still have to show these images to Charles (doing that tonight) so that I can get his input on them since his mug is on them too! But before consulting with him #5 is my absolute favorite! We're dressed up a little more in this picture and the day it was taken was fantastic! Back in October, Charles took me on a train ride on the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad. I'd never been on a train before and it was so awesome!

If you enlarge the picture, you'll be able to see the design elements better. If you notice our wedding website address feel free to check it out. I'll blog about it soon but it's not done and I was waiting to blog it until it's complete. Which save-the-date design do you like best?

Are you sending out your save-the-dates via e-mail or snail mail?