I first have to mention an apology to my dedicated readers for being MIA on posting new blogs this past week... but there is a good reason ;) Aside from my busy work life of planning events, I have been hard at work to create a free download for all of you Chic Budget Brides out there!! Without further ado, here is our very first custom designed Invitation Suite - ENJOY!

*Click to Download ITB Invitation Suite*

I recommend printing on cardstock paper and using a paper trimmer for a more professional cut

I just love this font "Outlaw" from DaFont.com for a south western wedding theme! I recommend using the same font throughout wedding prints such as Save The Date Card, Invitation, Menu, and so on (not for the entire fonts on each, but for the header fonts) as it makes the theme really stand out in a great way.

click to Download "Outlaw" Font

Click to Download

Crown Correspondence Cards $20.00 at Neiman Marcus
Heavyweight crown cards, personalized in raised black ink, come with white envelopes; optional shiny black lining available. Cards are 4.5" x 6.25". Choose Pearl or Gold cards. Specify name (up to 26 characters/spaces). If desired, specify up to two lines of 36 characters/spaces per line for optional return address on envelopes. You will be able to specify personalization details after adding item(s) to your shopping cart. Please order carefully. Orders for personalized items cannot be canceled, and personalized items cannot be returned.

Personalized Damask-Print Cards $40.00 at Neiman Marcus
Damask provides a pretty background to your name in raised black script. Cards are 6.25" x 4.5". Specify Seafoam Green or Pink. Specify up to 20 characters/spaces for personalization. For optional lining and two-line return address on envelopes, specify up to 24 characters/spaces per line. You will be able to specify personalization details after adding item(s) to your shopping cart. Please order carefully. Orders for personalized items cannot be canceled, and personalized items cannot be returned.

Horchow Thank You Card Assortment $48.00 at Horchow
Our assortment includes eight cards, each bearing a unique way to say "Thanks" and your name printed at the bottom in a corresponding color. Set includes eight thank you cards, eight coordinating envelopes, and one white gel pen. Each card, 5.5"Sq. Made in the USA. Specify name (up to 1 line of 26 characters).

Vera Wang 100 Cards & Envelopes $785.00 by Vera Wang at Horchow
By Vera Wang. 6.69" x 4.53" cards are an eye-catching pumpkin hue with a white border are engraved with bordered monogram in style shown; specify three-initial monogram in the following order: first, middle, last. Last initial will appear in center of monogram. Envelopes feature a corresponding floral lining and flap is personalized with up to three lines of up to 36 characters/spaces per line. You will be able to specify personalization details after adding item(s) to your shopping cart. Orders for personalized items cannot be canceled, and personalized items cannot be returned.

Horchow 50 Ivory Cards/Pers. Envelopes $75.00 at Horchow
Scallop-edged cards in white or ivory are personalized in style shown. 6.125" x 4.5".

• For Ivory cards, specify name (up to 17 characters/spaces) and Navy, Teal, or Claret ink.
• For White cards, specify name (up to 10 characters/spaces) and Navy, Teal, or Claret ink.
• For optional two-line return address on envelopes, specify up to 32 characters/spaces per line.

I had so much fun designing this Frog Prince Blank Card for you all... I always loved the "frog prince" fairy-tale and thought i'd make a cute piece of wedding stationery out of it. Here you go... Enjoy!

Download Free Printable Frog Prince Card

I decided I would create a couple original Inspire The Bride Printable Templates to share with you all. Like many of you, I always love a great freebie;) So, "Taaa Dahhh"... here it is! This fabulous Pink Damask Thank You Card can be used for saying "Thanks" in many occasions, such as: Engagement Party Gifts, Bridal Shower, Bachelorette Party, and for Wedding Gifts. I have also created a Basic Pink Damask Card that is Blank, so that any of you bloggers out there who are not in the midst of planning a wedding can also enjoy this freebie.... ENJOY!

CLICK HERE to Download InspireTheBride ThankYouCard

CLICK to Download InspireTheBride Blank Card

Just love this dainty Menu Template recently posted on a ProjectWedding forum, check out the sweet find: 'While menus aren't a must have a wedding, I think having them gives the table-scape a little “something, something” tied in with the napkins.  Plus since we did a buffet it gave everyone an idea of what to expect when their table was dismissed to be served.  Template created using good ole Microsoft Word with Feel Script font (but used a free substitute on the templates below).  Other than cutting the paper, they were one of the easiest DIY projects"

(photo by Climie+Co)

Tools Needed:

• Paper Cutter (or have it precut at Kinko’s,etc)
• Color printer that will allow for custom paper sizes
• Feel Script Font (or Monterey BT Font which is free to download here)
• My Menu Template created in MS Word (saved for Word 95-2005)
• Also here is the Wrapable Template: My Napkin Wrap Template

Supplies Needed:

• 8.5 x 11 inches Ivory or White Cardstock – 1 sheet makes 3 menus  (I used cover stock from PaperSource in Luxe White but Cold Press watercolor paper would work well also)

Instructions:

• If you don’t already have it loaded on your computer, download and install the font of your choice.  This project uses Copperplate Gothic (which came with MS Word) and Monterey-BT.
• Download the Menu Template from above and update to your menu items of choice.    Verify that the paper size is set to a custom size with a width of 3.66 inches and a height of 8.5 inches.
• Cut your standard sized paper into 3 menu sized pieces*.  Each menu is setup to be 3.66 inches wide, so a 1/3 of a standard sheet of paper’s width if in landscape mode.  Using your paper cutter cut each sheet into 3 equal pieces.  To make this process less tedious I constructed a “guard” of sorts using a post-it note placed in the correct cutting position.  Then I could just line my paper up against it’s edge and make a consistent sized cut each time.  In retrospect it would have been even easier if I’d used a piece of heavier cardstock taped to my cutting deck so I have more of a solid edge to line up against.  With my cutter and this easier method of alignment, I could easily cut through 2 pieces of coverstock at a time.

• Load the menu paper into your printer and print only 2 or 3 menus to start with to ensure everything is working correctly.
• Print your menus out in smaller sized groups to verify consistency in the printer feed. Groups of 20 worked well with HP Deskjet D4160.

• Have a glass to wine to celebrate a quick and painless DIY project.
• Be sure to take a photo of the finished product

*Because my printer works well with custom sized paper I cut my paper into the correct menu sized pieces before printing. This meant not having to use a more time consuming program like Adobe Illustrator to create cut marks and spaces between each menu to allow for cutting, etc.  It also meant that once the printing was finished so were the menus.  I would suggest cutting a regular piece of copy paper into the correct size and verify your printer can handle the custom size before precutting all your paper.

**If you have hundreds of menus to create you could easily take your paper to Kinko’s or some similar place to have it precut.  You would need to pay for 2 cuts, so typically less than $4.00.' SOURCE

As we are already in October, I figured I would share this awesome and Inspiring Card recently posted on Vale Design Blog and created by Erin Vale! Not only are the cards extra cute when printed on pink cardstock, but it also is a special way to promote awareness and encourage a loved one. Click the link to Download: PassionFireFightBreastCancer

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) educates women about the importance of early detection for breast cancer. Since NBCAM’s inception, mammography use has doubled, and breast cancer death rates have declined. Still, many women do not utilize mammography at regular intervals. In recognition of the fact that mammography is the best available method of detecting breast changes that may be cancer, long before physical symptoms can be seen or felt, and that breast cancer deaths could decline further if all women age 40 and older received mammograms at regular intervals, InspireTheBride of the Orange County, do hereby proclaim October as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  I urge all women and their families in Orange County, CA to get the facts about mammography.

I just love these unique Yearline Save The Date Cards from Minted! They have so many great designs for you to choose from and are a fun way to share your story with guests at the same time as letting them save the date to your big day. Consisting of many opportunities to share your pictures and stories, you can't seem to go wrong with this type of Save The Date Card. "Tell your story with multiple photos and text blocks inside your card", Check out some of their yearline card examples below: