We struggled a lot at first with our invitations. We wanted them to be creative, but we couldn't find any store-bought ones that captured our personalities. We also wanted them to be affordable. And we had way too much to say that couldn't all fit onto one invitation card. So our answer was to...
write a newspaper! Invitations covered in lace and vellum are beautiful, but it didn't fit the style of our wedding. A newspaper would allow us to include a lot of information for our guests, be creative, and stay within budget.
To re-create this newspaper-style invitation, all you will need is the following:
Microsoft Word (seriously! That's the only program we used for this project!)
Legal size paper 8 1/2" by 14" (we used a type called Classic Linen, Antique Gray, 80 lbs)
The front page was all about us. Our opening article was about how we met and for some reason we had that "written by our cats." To the left of that article, we had a side column explaining how to pronounce my new last name Mojeiko. And for you readers, it is pronounced Mo-jay-co. Very simple!
To the right of the main article was the invitation portion from my parents and a map of the location. We used Mapquest for the image because we thought it was prettier than Google Maps. We also included an RSVP ticket on the bottom of the front page. We had our guests RSVP online through our weddingwire website so this kept cost down and made it easier for us to keep organized.
The back of the newspaper was the most fun to create! We wrote personal ads, auto ads, and sisterly advice columns for our bridal party. Pete had the chance to create the comic he always wanted to and I had the chance to create a crossword for the first time! We included an ad for our big day too that resembled an ad for a movie.
Like I said before, this was very easy to create in a Word Document. Here are some tips when using Word:
- Set page layout: size to legal 8.5" by 14"
- Create tables to keep all sections organized. For those of you not familiar with tables, here's an online tutorial that may help.
- Use an online crossword generator
We went to Office Depot for printing. They printed 150 invitations in about 10-15 minutes! We had one side done in color and the other in black and white. They also folded all of the invitations for us.
A newspaper invitation was a great way to express ourselves, but we were also able to continue the fun with our thank-you cards. We sent everyone a personal card attached to a second issue of The Daily Love that recapped the big day. We included a general thank you section, shout-outs to our favorite dancers, and best moments.