POST-IT NOTE SEVEN: Wedding Invitation Update - Is it Still the Bane of S1's Existence?

Hello friends!
Good news, the invitations are signed, sealed and about to be delivered. Which option did we choose? The Anna Griffin Purple DIY's! It was Anna all along. She touched S1 right from the beginning and it just felt right.

2 sets of Anna Griffin DIY invitations- $124.72
Postage for 55 invitations- $86.35
Hours spent printing, labelling, formatting, licking and swearing- 9.75
Realizing that you forgot to put the stamp on the reply card envelope after you've mailed them? PRICELESS.

Here's the thing, the place cards don't have to match the invitations. And the menu cards don't have to match the programs. Bottom line, nothing has to match. S1 has had this epiphany after her own invitation debacle as well as witnessing a near breakdown of a future guest blogger...

So now that the invitations had been picked, the deadline to determine who was actually going to be receiving an invitation crept up. After you get engaged, you inevitably will draw up a mock list to get an idea of numbers. This will change a million times as will your relationships with the people on the list (especially if you're engaged for 20 months or more). So you've been friends with a certain someone let's call him "Alex" for several years. You've partied, gone to school together and maybe enjoyed the occasional decaffeinated beverage and you would like Alex to attend your wedding. But Alex has a girlfriend. They live together. You've never met her. Crap. The ol' Plus One debate.

This boils down to budget. If you have room in the budget to include Alex's Plus One than why not. The more, the merrier. BUT, if you're on a space or money crunch, Alex's Plus One will probably get the shaft. Is this wrong?

We at The Nuptial Notebook are taking the stance that it would be incredibly awkward to meet someone for the first time at your wedding.

Possible Receiving Line Conversation:
Alex's Plus One- "Hi. Nice to meet you for the first time. Congratulations, I'm Alexandra."
You- "Hi. Nice to meet you for the first time. Thanks for coming, I'm the bride".
Uh oh. There's a backlog with your new husband chatting up Alex...move it along honey, we're just staring at each other now...crap.

See? Awkward much?

That all being said, there are some exceptions. Long distance friends and/or family should always have the option to bring a date, especially if they've been together awhile or live together etc. Obviously, you're 13 year old cousin can go the night without the cute boy from math class.

Another possible issue that will arise are the late additions to the list. You probably didn't think that it would be a big deal to leave them off the list because when you initially did the list you were trying to keep numbers down. Upon reflection, you've likely realized that you don't want to leave them out or you just really want them there. This becomes tough if you just don't have the space in the venue. You could always go the A list, B list route and wait to see who is coming and who isn't but that gets tricky. You don't want to offend people. We would suggest doing what's right for you as a couple and ultimately, what you feel better doing. If it's going to keep you up at night, send the invitation. No one likes a cranky, sleep deprived bride. It'll all work out in the end.

OK, onto mailing logistics. Envelopes & postage. Do you know that sinking feeling of getting onto a scale and weighing yourself? That's how S1 felt about weighing her invitations. Sure, the pocket fold is pretty and nice but man, is it costly in postage. Invitations now a days can be elaborate, creative and beautiful but for every ribbon and direction card, be prepared to pay an extra postage fee. Hence the debate that ensued at S1's house;

Outer Envelope vs. Inner Envelope Debate.
S1- "Mom, we don't need to spend an extra $1/invitation on outer envelopes to put the inner envelope in."
S1's Mom- "But that's how it's done, S1! The invitation is mailed to someone in an outer envelope so that when they open the outer envelope they are presented with their invitation which is contained in the inner envelope"
S1- "I thought we were trying to cut costs here...this is also a waste of paper."
S1's Dad- "Listen to your mother."

Confused yet? So was S1, which is why she gave in. Ugh. And apparently, though she is almost a wife, she still gets in trouble from her dad.

Basically, invitations are no longer the bane of S1's existence but only because she mailed them yesterday and she doesn't have to think about it anymore. Let's re-visit this crazy topic when S2 has to go through this in 7 months shall we?