Invites & Roses!

In the last few days, there has been a LOT of wedding progress! We bought (almost) all the needed supplies for the invitations - including postage and not including envelopes (strange, I know, but we didn't buy envelopes yet haha) they come out to $1.88 each. Not bad for a pocketfold with 3-4 inserts and a crepe-back satin outside with sheer ribbon closure! :D I've found out through this process that I'm extremely picky when it comes to invites and there aren't too many I like. But I think I'll love mine! We ordered the aqua satin last night, so hopefully by next week I'll be making invites! I'm definitely planning on having an invite-constructing party once I figure out what steps need to be done... anyone want to come and help? :P It's based on the tutorial in this book.

I've also officially finished painting all the big white/pink roses, which means that all flowers for the bouquets are DONE! I also made the wire bead spikes (easily the most expensive - but easiest/quickest thus far- part of the project. I made all of them while watching a single movie) and got the ribbon. So now all that remains is actually putting them together! The one thing I still need to figure out is how to cover up all the stems/wires. I keep looking at this picture (Bouquet made by alinaswedding on craftster) with extreme jealousy:

Isn't it beautiful! Her coffee filter roses are gorgeous and the pine covers up all the ugly wires.... I just can't figure out how I can do the same thing, but in a summer-wedding way. *sigh* I'll figure it out eventually, I suppose. Hopefully in the next week or so - I'm anxious to finally be done with them!

I still have to paint the yellow roses for the AST table and make mini and super mini roses for corsages. I may also do roses for the bouts... I'm not sure though. My current boutonnière inspiration is this (made by the ever-amazing sweets4ever on craftster):

I'm planning on doing mine slightly differently, with more of a loop at the bottom and no ribbon bow, but the same concept with the wires and beads. And blue instead of red, of course. I'm going to use many of the same beads I used on the bead wires for the bouquets:

(The ones on the left, not the right... the ones on the right are for my bouquet :) ) So we'll see how it goes. My mom already showed my brother (a groomsman) the prototype I threw together and so far he's not a fan. But we'll see once I actually put a real one together. I just need to get another 24 gauge spool of wire (I'm on my third spool now!)

My mom, Co-MOH, and I also went to our reception venue to ask more questions and finalize a few things... one of the BEST things we learned is a way to finally solve our seating issues! We had been struggling with a head table since Anthony's Dad is his best man, but we didn't want him sitting separately from Anthony's Mom and brother (who is also more or less a groomsman... it's a little complicated). There was also the matter of the groomswoman and more bridesmaids than grooms...people.... in any case, it's been a struggle. But no more! Evidently we can have a sweetheart table on a stage for me & Anthony (which I've been wanting - yay!!) and what's called a "captain's table," which is a long rectangular table for the bridal party and parents and grandparents. The captain's table won't be raised like the sweetheart table; it'll be on the floor in front of our table. So I'm very excited. We're still figuring out *exactly* who will sit at the captain's table and where, but I think we've got it pretty ironed out.

I'm very excited. Less than 110 days now! <3