Both my fiancé and I love working in the garage and creating things, so we wanted to create a wooden invitation to bring together our love of graphic design and woodworking. We also wanted to create something that people would keep. After all, with all the work the invitation would take, we didn't want them to get tossed aside. We decided to mix form and function and utilize the back of the board to make a chalkboard. From there we thought it should be magnetized on both sides so that the user could hang it on their fridge before the wedding as a reminder, and after the wedding flip it over to utilize the chalkboard. Of course we couldn't have a chalkboard without a place to store chalk, but it needed to be flat to go through the mail. So, we fashioned a piece of twine to the board to hold the chalk.

 

The invitation also included a hand drawn map to get to the property, a mad lib (to be used for further items in the wedding) a RSVP card mounted to custom screen printed kraft card stock, and of course chalk. The paper stock used was a textured warm press rag and kraft envelopes. We included double sided tags tied to the twine explaining that the invite doubled as a chalk board and to use the twine to hold the chalk.

 

We designed and produced the entire set by hand on the screen printing press Alan had built me as previous birthday gift.

 

Tools and Supplies: Adobe Illustrator, transparencies, pigment printer, Speedball ink, squeegee, screen mesh, screen printing press, table saw, router, compound miter saw, sander, hole punch, magnets, burlap, twine, chalk, kraft card stock, warm tone rag stock.
 

Venue and décor: The invitation features a rendering of the venue and it's iconic red doors. The red and green in the invitations was carried through the décor. In addition to building all the flower boxes, lanterns, crates and other rustic items, we designed and arranged the flower/produce arrangements used in the ceremony and receptions.

Above: Tables prior to roses being placed in vases.