Wedding Week.

I have determined this week to be wedding week.  Just today, I received phone calls regarding spring weddings & the thought occurred to me...'it's time.'  Time for all those spring weddings to get kicked into high gear & finalize all those planning details.

So here is to wedding week!

We'll start with the envelopes.  I have an affection for a darling envelope.  I don't think the envelope should be an afterthought.  Instead it should be carefully crafted, with every detail thought out & executed to perfection.  It is the very first thing a guest will see regarding your wedding, so it should make a statement.

First, think of the size of your invitation.  This Christmas my cards were 'tea length' or long & skinny.  I could have mailed them in a plain ol' white envelope.  They would have looked like a bill you receive in your mailbox on a daily basis, minus the clear plastic part showing your address through!  Instead of that, do a colored envelope.  In this case, I used an envelope I had fallen in love with & used on my cousin's wedding.  It is colored, but also the opening flap is flipped to the side:

 

Just a simple change that makes all the difference in the envelope.

Next up.  The return address.  Have you invested in a stamp of your address yet?  If not, please do!  They are so great & make addressing almost fun.  I've had my stamp a couple years & am actually ready to get a new one, but I use it all.the.time.  It dresses up even a plain ol' white envelope when you ink it in gold, silver, red - you name it.

When I did mine, I had it custom made, but with etsy, it is so much easier now.  I've ordered several from here for a couple of different weddings.  I always end up choosing this style:

 

but she's added a few new ones, that I might have to look at for myself!

This is a great way to save some money on invitations as well.  Instead of paying to have the return address printed on your envelope, use a stamp.  And then you can use it again & again...that & it's cuter.  Both times I've done this on weddings we were stamping on pearl paper & we used a permanent gold ink -- divine.

Right now, I am obsessed with the wrap around label.  Obsessed.  And even better...IT IS SO EASY!  I'm also obsessed with Kraft paper...combine that with a wrap around label & I'm a happy girl.

 

Again, these were for my Christmas cards, but the design could be altered for a wedding.  The great thing about doing the wrap around label is it gives you the ease of the label {typing addresses as opposed to writing them} without the eyesore!  I think a white label with black type smacked on the outside of a beautiful wedding invitation is a shame.  This is just as easy & socially acceptable in my opinion.  My mom wishes this was around when I got married...instead she was hand addressing 500 invites because I wouldn't let her do labels! Thanks mom! 

These are the labels I used & my favorite thing about them is that there was no 'dead space' between the labels, so it made it really easy for me to design & print.  I've even emailed label layouts on them & had it work.

More ideas on my pinterest board...yes, I have an entire board dedicated to just the envelope.  Call me crazy, but I love it.