Seventy envelopes personally addressed and sealed (read: licked). One hundred and thirty-nine desired guests slated to receive news of our marital shenanigans. But for a few name and addessing issues, the wedding invitations are done.
As The Big Day is just two months from today, Luke and I are a wee bit early on the whole invite thing. Blame it on Easter, because when trying to determine an RSVP date we counted back four weeks from Friday, May 12, and arrived at Friday, April 14, which happens to be Good Friday this year, and we figured, maybe final headcounts for cake and beef fajitas could be tallied on a day that doesn't mourn Jesus's death on the cross. It didn't feel right going later then that, seeing as we'll need a little time to reconcile the final bill, so we went with the Monday before. A month back from that brings us to last Friday, and since everything'll go out with tomorrow's mail, Frema and Useless Clutter are actually three days behind schedule. Slackers.
For those unfamiliar with putting together a formal invitation, included in your slew of reception announcements and response cards is a how-to that explains how names should be written, what you do with all that tissue paper, etc. It provides fascinating tidbits about the rationale behind using two envelopes per invitation (it ensures the delivery of the invitation itself in a clean envelope, of course!) and how to formulate addresses (cities, states, and numbered streets are written out in full). It also heeds stern warnings (the inner envelope always carries the last names only, with no address).
Based on these and other helpful hints, I'm assuming the following actions would earn us an "F" at the Emily Post Institute:
- Writing "Auntie Diane and Uncle Steve" on the inner envelope (Hi, Auntie Diane!)
- Writing "Frema and Luke" on the return flap
- (Accidentally) writing "Frema and Luke Clutter" on the return flap
- Using actual numbers to represent 103rd Street (and really, what's the alternative? "A Hundred and Third Street"? Does that sound like hick talk to anyone but me?)
- Tracing the "u" in Luke's name to disguise a penmanship malfunction, a la engagement scrapbook
- Elevating the zip code above the "perfectly spaced" envelope addressing guide line because I started to write a six but realized in mid-flow it needed to be a four, so I transformed the six's top arc into a curvaceous but still acceptable horizontal slash component for the line that joins the four's two vertical elements
Luke and I discussed re-doing the ones that featured such unthinkable etiquette errors but ultimately decided there were bigger fish to fry, like: Just how tacky is it to play your opening wedding march out of a boom box?
(Another) great entry Frema... just so you know, if you can part with $50 (I think?), I have someone in the family that has a keyboard and plays at your gazeebo for weddings all the time. I can get specifics if you're interested. Although, I personally could care less if you have a boombox. :)
Posted by: Number Twelve | March 13, 2006 at 12:23 PM
Hi Bree!
I like Luke's last name, it has a certain nobiliy about it. Just think of all this invitation stuff as pratice for the baby books, You should be a pro by then! Also, your mother always praticed her penmanship on paper, your name was written about 1000 times with every different spelling and middle name before you were even born so take a lesson from mom-pratice makes perfect!
Love Auntie Di
Posted by: Anonymous | March 13, 2006 at 12:24 PM
"penmanship malfunction" - I love this phrase!
Posted by: verniciousknids | March 13, 2006 at 12:56 PM
And now all but those few invitations we needed more address info for are in the mail.
There's no turning back now.
Posted by: Luke | March 13, 2006 at 04:56 PM
Now come on, I know you know that we know that you know it would be written "One hundred Third Street" :)
Posted by: David McNelis | March 13, 2006 at 05:44 PM
What a great feat to have under your belt! Wedding's on!
I hope checking for wedding responses gets just as exciting for you as checking for blog comments!
Posted by: Lost a Sock | March 13, 2006 at 06:11 PM
When it comes to the laughs, I'll resort to anything...even bad grammar.
Posted by: Frema | March 13, 2006 at 06:11 PM
Did you really say hi to auntie Diane and uncle Steve?! ;) Anywho, I'm glad that you got your invitations out...you both must feel sooooooo relieved.
And what is up with double envelopes? It's the little complications I tell ya-but you must admit it was KINDA fun to do. ;)
Posted by: Sambo V. | March 13, 2006 at 10:53 PM
Wow...it's getting closer.
Once the invitations go out...there's no turning back (and that's a good thing)!
Posted by: Isabel | March 14, 2006 at 12:58 PM
Emily Post is related to the devil. I'm sure of it.
The invitations being done is a BIG accomplishment. Congrats girl.
Posted by: Hilary | March 14, 2006 at 05:58 PM
Honestly, who really knows all the rules?
Posted by: butterflygirl | March 14, 2006 at 11:25 PM
I bet your wedding will be a blast! Can't wait to read the blog after THAT day comes!
Posted by: Jenabeeb | March 17, 2006 at 03:55 AM