The Wedding Series: Invitations

Hello everyone! Many may not know, but I got married this last June! My husband Joshua and I got engaged December 5, 2014 and immediately started wedding planning, as we only had six months to get everything ready. Unlike many, Joshua and I paid for the wedding ourselves. We definitely had some help from my parents, but the majority came straight out of our pockets. Because of that, I made it my mission to have the most perfect wedding for the least amount of money as possible. The Wedding Series will be a collection of posts showing you how we had our dream wedding for approximately $2,000. 

When I started planning, my first concern was invitations. We skipped save-the-dates because we thought they were a waste of time and money, in all honesty. Plus, the wedding was only six months away. Save-the-dates probably make a lot more sense when your wedding is a year or more down the road. I did some exploring on the internet for invitation templates, but everything was SO EXPENSIVE. The ones I liked were up to $6 a piece. That multiplied by about 100 invites was way more than I was willing to spend. I did some looking around on Pinterest for some different options, and came across a free template for wedding invitations!

These are some of my favorites!

http://www.bestdayever.fi/free-printable-rustic-invitations/

http://ahandcraftedwedding.com/free-wedding-invitation-template/

https://mibodadiy.wordpress.com/2014/03/05/papeleria-rustica-imprimible/#more-4184

To match our rustic theme, we purchased brown paper bag looking cardstock, printed one out, and made copies at our library. The total cost was less than a sixth of the price of the invitations I first found online. Plus, I was able to make my own modifications to it to make them match our theme exactly how I wanted them to. Pinterest also has some cool ideas and fonts for handwriting the addresses on the envelopes.

Using a free template definitely took some extra time, but it was worth the money that I saved for other parts of the wedding that mattered more than the invitations. This is the main idea of wedding planning on a small budget. Save your money for the things that really matter, the things that you will remember forever, and spend very little on the rest.

I hope that this will help you start to save money while you begin planning your wedding. Stay tuned for more posts on how to plan your perfect wedding on a budget!

2016: The Year of Learning to Trust

2015 was full of half-trusts. By that I mean, I trusted God halfway with life’s uncertainties and I attempted to find hope within myself for the other half. I spent so much time trying to solve problems on my own last year. I kept telling myself and my husband that I trusted God to take care of me yet I would continue to try to fix the problem myself. Big or small, didn’t matter. A situation would arise and instead of clinging to God’s love and faithfulness, I would try to cling to my own ridiculous efforts.

This year is a year of truly learning to TRUST.

trust n. :assured reliance on the character, ability, strength or truth of someone or something.

I’ve seen His faithfulness throughout my entire life and therefore have no reason to doubt His goodness, but when the hard times come, I seem to look to myself for the solution. I am familiar with His character and His truth’s, but sometimes I can’t convince myself that He is enough. This year will be different.        

This year I will learn to fully put my trust in Jesus. I will stop trying to lean on my own understanding, I will stop trying to fix things, and I will stop trying to find the answers to life’s toughest questions within myself. This year I will meditate on His faithfulness and lean on His understanding instead of my own. I will hand over all of my cares and worries and know that God will remain faithful and will take care of me.

God proved His faithfulness to me in 2015 despite my inability to trust in Him. I can honestly say that I made every situation worse by trying to fix it on my own, but God was there at the end of every mess waiting for me to realize he was there the whole time. The Bible tells me that when I trust in the Lord, He will act (Psalm 37:5). Trying to fix things on my own is exhausting. This year I will find rest in the hope and peace of God’s sovereignty and faithfulness.

Proverbs 3:5-6

                “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.

                  In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

                  Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.

                  It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.”