Doe Invitation Reveal

One week ago, we did this:

I can hardly believe that our wedding invites are off into the great yonder. For so long I have been thinking, planning and obsessing over these invitations. Now they have run along to their proper places on our guests refrigerators, mail bins, or wherever it is they keep such things. 

Before I show off these beauties, I have to properly cite the designer. Her name is Vanessa Ottenbreit and she is the owner of VO Handmade.  Her work is phenomenal, and I am incredibly impressed with the way she handles her business. She was beyond easy, fun and professional to work with. I honestly cannot say enough fantastic mushy-gushy words about her. 

Okay, enough with the love fest. Let's get on to the invitation reveal. 

When I discovered these invitations, I was immediately fired up because I knew these were perfect for us. 

First up, the envelopes alone are enough for me to jump up and down with excitement. The pearl shimmer lives up to all of my girly hopes and imagination. 

Inside of this shimmery goodness is a black metallic pocket fold sealed with a sticker that is adorned with our first initials inside of a carved heart. 

We decided to keep the pearl shimmer throughout the rest of the invitation suite. I obviously couldn't get enough of it with the envelopes. At one point during the design process I exclaimed that all paper must shimmer! And shimmer is what I got. 

Besides getting a little crazy with things that shimmer, I adored the fact that I could have a tree on our invitations. Not just any tree, but one that resembles an almond blossom tree. When I think of spring in Northern California, my mind automatically envisions luscious pink almond blossom trees. I am enthralled that she was able to so closely mimic that beauty. 

The wording on the invitations was a bit tricky at first. We wanted both parents names, and wording it just right took a few edits. I never imagined it would take so long to figure this element out, but I guess that's how most wedding planning seems to roll. I think we hit the nail on the head though, and it seems to flow nicely. 

Ahhh, the famous clever RSVP wording. I went back and forth on this so many times. I wanted something with a little flair, but not to the point that I would confuse people. I thought this was cute and fun, while still getting the point across. 

Our venue also provided us with a stack of cards to include in our invitations. These cards have very useful information on it such as directions, weather and other important features. Go Monte Verde Inn for being so helpful and detailed!

I am very happy with the way these turned out. Ultimately I think they perfectly reflect the style and vision that we are trying to achieve.

What do you think of my invitations? Were you pleasantly surprised with how your wedding invitation process went?