Can I get some help please?

[totalia]

Well, he and I are finally getting married.

It will be a civil ceremony of course. I'm currently looking for locations suitable for January in Canada for the location of the ceremony. There will only be around 15 guests. We can't afford more.

That being said, I need help with a couple things.

I'm just going to print the invitations on the computer. Its cheaper and I have nice paper for them.

But, I can't find any wedding graphics online that don't look cheesy or stupid.

This means, its going to be extremely informal. I have a formal wedding dress but that isn't going to suit this. I will just keep it for when we have the actual wedding we want in a few years for a renewal.

What I need is something to wear thats informal. A white or ivory pantsuit or summer dress. Not bridal like. They are way too expensive. It can't cost any more than $80 max.

Do you guys have any ideas for informal graphics for the invitations that don't look incredibly cheesy or cartoony? And do you know where I could get a nice pantsuit or summerdress?

Keep in mind that I have very serious budget restraints. This wedding is going to cost about $300 because we simply cannot afford more. We have been waiting 2 years to get married. Sick to death of waiting for the money situation to work itself out. There are more important things for our money to go to.

Thanks so much.

 

[damo]

Check on Ebay for dresses. We've gotten some great deals there for formal dresses.

 

[swilphil]

I wouldn't use any graphics on wedding invitations. You can make it more interesting by using some nice font type. I designed my own invitations and wedding program. I used Castellar font for the invitations. On the front of the wedding program I used a Script/Calligraphy Font with the first letter very large and I made it gray.

 

[Saffron]

Good luck to you!

I've been looking for the perfect summer dress, suit or pantsuit since we decided to get married and I haven't found it yet. I've been looking for over a year! When I find it, that's when we'll set the date. LOL!

I like small intimate weddings! That's the type of wedding we're going to have. Very small, with friends and family back to the house (or condo if we wed near WDW) for a very informal picnic type reception. The last thing I want to do is be stressed out on our wedding day or days leading up to the day, I just want to relax and have fun with good friends and loved ones. Plus we're old.

 

[Sparx]

I don't have any advice, but I just wanted to say congrats!

 

[Dan Murphy]

Congratulations, totalia.


Maggie, you too???

 

[LoraJ]

Congratulations!!!!!

Have you checked out http://www.theknot.com/keywords/sc_152_527.shtml ?

They seem to have lots of examples of stuff you can do.

 

[Poohnatic]

I made my own wedding invitations. No graphics!!! I've never had a wedding invite with graphics.

If you're somewhat artistic, I'd suggest getting some vellum from a scrapping store, then printing the invite in a calligraphy type font on it. Take heavy card stock in your preferred color and glue the vellum onto it. Simple and classy looking.

I do calligraphy, but we had too many invites to send out, so I did them with paper stock I found at office depot.

As far as the wedding dress/outfit, do you have consignment or thrift stores near you? A lot of times, you can find dressier outfits that were purchased for wearing at a wedding. These types of shops are great, if you tell the shop owner what you're looking for, frequently they'll take a name and number and call you to let you know when they get something that meets your criteria!

My first wedding dress was actually a prom dress that I got for 70 bucks! I tease my DH that I splurged on the dress this time ($250 for a very nontraditional wedding dress from a bridal shop). Bargains are out there-trust me, I did two very nice weddings on a small budget-but no one ever knew!

To save money on the reception, perhaps a wedding brunch or luncheon.

Good luck!

Suzanne

 

[SillyMe]

What style dress are you looking for?

 

[WDWAurora]

Depending on your size, check the final sale dresses on JCrew.com I found one in a large that is great for 70, and all the final sale stuff is an additional 40% off, so you may be able to find something great there for a great price!

 

[Albertan mom]

Banff or Jasper are beautiful. But expensive. Great for skiing!

 

[ericamanda01]

Check on Ebay for dresses. We've gotten some great deals there for formal dresses.

It's a great source for an inexspensive dress, that look nice. Good luck and congradulations!

 

[totalia]

Thank you. Umm, something like a sundress. It can be strapless, or not. A-line cut.

I'd love something that would reflect the classy 20's/30's/40's if not light and airy like something you'd wear on the beach at night.

I did find one on e-bay that I really like but the store doesn't carry my size. At least not at the moment. I wonder if they would make one larger than the damned sizes 4-8 that I saw. I haven't been able to wear size 4 since high school. I'm a size 12 atm.

Well that and the fact that the annoying woman only accepts credit cards and pay pal if you live outside the US.

 

[Briarmom]

Hmm, I have a size 11/12 Lavender dress that is floor length. It is very light and airy. I am 5 feet 3 inches. It's beautiful, sleeveless, and I wore it once for a few hours. I paid $250. If that sounds even CLOSE to what you want, let me know. I'll let you have it for $25 plus shipping. I'll get some pics before we'd make a deal. Oh, and I am 5 feet 3 inches and the dress was floorlength with 3 inch heels.

As far as invites, have you considered stamping them? If you go in to a craft store you could just buy an inkpad and some stamps and do it yourself, since the guestlist will be small.

Good luck to you! I have lots of stamps as well, but am not sure if ther are any acceptable for weddings. I'd have to look.

 

[scrump]

Congrats!!!!!! I got my wedding dress on overstock.com, I also checked out bluefly.com as well for possibilities. Look at regular dresses that are white or ivory (yes, they do make them) at the department stores, someone also mentioned prom dresses, which is a great idea. Remember that if it says "bridal" that means $$$, so do everyday dresses and you'd be surprised at what you'll find.

I wouldn't do graphics on your invites either. I'm sure they'll look fine without them.

 

[totalia]

I hadn't thought about stamping them. I think I'll go downtown to Michael's tomorrow. Thanks for the great idea.

I'll check out those web sites too.

Thank you ladies.

 

[phorsenuf]

Do you like any of these?

From chadwicks.com
Bow-detailed dress.
Classic V-neck sheath is made charming with a bow at the empire waist. Short sleeves, back zipper. Fully lined polyester. Dry clean. Imported. $39.99

From Newport-news.com
Matelasse suit
Chic and flattering...our beautiful two-piece set matelasse suit: shaped cropped jacket with besom pockets; tank dress with back zip, knee length. Cotton/polyester jacquard. Dry clean. Imported.
was $99.00 now $49.99

From Newport-news
Floral dress
Flirty, floral-print dress with flounce sleeves and hem. Draped, ruched yoke on square neckline. Back zip. 38" from waist. Bias-cut rayon georgette, fully lined. Dry clean. Imported.
was $74.00 now $59.00

From Newport-news.com
Mesh embroidered dress
Sensational mesh dress embellished with beaded and embroidered appliqués, finished with a ruffled flounce. Lined with a separate tricot slip that echoes the flounce. V-neck, empire waist, adjustable straps. 33" from the waist at the longest point. Polyester. Dry clean. Imported. $79.99

 

[SillyMe]

Do you like any of these?

The last dress is really pretty.

 

[phorsenuf]

I like the floral one myself.

 

[chyam]

Check out the catalogs.........www.Roamans.com they usually have some nice dresses, also www.LewMagram.com, I have gotten some dressier stuff from them very reasonable and good quality, I always have a hard time finding stuff I like in stores, although I know right now JCPenney has alot of dresser stuff I guess for the holidays already. Good luck

You could also check out the office stores, like Office Depot, Staples for stationary that you can print all your info on that already has a graphic design on. I always make my own business cards with stock from them.