The pleasure of your company! No strangers here...

In one of the early conversations about the wedding “we” discussed having a unique logo or design for stationery. Both the Bride and Groom were keen on the idea and gave me permission to approach my colleague and friend, Mike to help with design and print.  Once we had initial design proofs, we all knew that we were on the way to creating a very special set of stationery.

Mark did a really thorough job in compiling an additional information sheet. It covers everything you need to know about the day.  It has a spot of history and scene setting with details of the venues, directions, accommodation, dietary requirements and more.

Mike kindly arranged all the design and then sourced and dealt with the printers to ensure that everything was absolutely spot on! The Bride took delivery of the invitations and information sheets last week, and then as MOTB (Mother of the Bride – not to be dyslexic-ly confused with MOTD Match of the Day) I was asked if I’d like to write all the envelopes and invitations from Mark and Lucy’s spreadsheet lists. I’d love to – being a completer/finisher I just wanted to get them all written and posted out!

The process of writing the invitations was thought provoking. As I addressed each one, in my best joined up handwriting; an expression my Dad favours for social gatherings came to mind. “There are no strangers here, only friends you haven’t met”. The list of our family and Lucy’s close friends along with Mark’s family and friends made me think of the rich tapestry of life being woven for a date in the future; the day of the wedding when all these people will join together with us in Hexham Abbey or at Close House. I loved writing the names of many people we haven’t met yet, and anticipate greatly meeting them, putting names to faces and most of all sharing in the special day.

The canny chap who served me in the Newcastle’s main Post Office in Newcastle , who I always try to have  a chat with, told me a funny story when  I presented him the large ish pile of silver envelopes out of my “Keep calm I’m the Mother of the Bride” bag. I couldn’t help myself, and told him they were my daughter and her fiancé’ s wedding invitations. Other than Auntie Muriel in Canada, Babs and Mister David in Bahrain and Marks Cousin in Luxembourg, the invitations all had stamps on already.  I asked if he could check that I had the correct UK postage on – as how awful would it be to post them all out without checking. He told me that nightmare had indeed happened when a family sent out over 200 invitations, without checking the size or weight of the envelope. The wedding invitations design included buttons which meant that they didn’t fit through the standard sized Post Office measure gadget. So each person invited had to go to collect their invitations and pay the 70 or 80p to retrieve it! A few guests must have informed the family, and so they in turn then contacted all 200 to apologise and told them they would refund them at the wedding! Oops...

Most of the day time invitations have all been posted now so I can reveal the design. The same design will be applied to all printed materials for the big day – and afterwards. So we still have the name place cards, order of service, table plans and thank you cards to produce. Exciting times...