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“Invitations are like previews to a movie. If the preview wasn’t any good, why should the wedding be?” @MyCreativeWed

This quote (and tweet) by John and Chanda Alicanté, the creative forces behind My Creative Wedding based in Long Island Beach, CA, sums of my belief that custom wedding invitations are worth the splurge.

As I have mentioned before on this wedding blog, invitations are a) part of your event design; b) they are the first impression you will make on your guests; and c) they inform your guests of all the key details as well as provide them with an idea of the level of formality for your wedding.

Here are just a couple of their invitation designs that I adore.

Aren’t they fabulous? Each of their invitations designs can be fully customized to your specifications and your personal style. To view more of their wedding invitation collection, you can visit their website and blog.

It was the summer of 2006, both Joe & I had just graduated high school. He was visiting the college where my mom works as the financial aid administrator when I came into the office just to stop by and say hello to my mom, little did I know that the “new student” she introduced me to there in her office would one day be my fiancé.A few weeks went by, he started school there & I started school at a college about 2 hours away. Honestly, I hadn’t thought much about that day until one day my mom called me. She told me about how during a sporting event at the college where she works, her and “that boy I met in her office” had sat on the stage in the gym and talked. Did I remember him? Of course I did, we had picked him out as the “cutest freshman” coming in the fall of ‘06. We have picked a cutest freshman out of the incoming class every year since I was old enough to know boys didn’t have cooties!

They had a nice talk and she even took half of his grilled cheese sandwich! During their conversation he asked about her daughter, Kristi (that’s me!) I guess she really liked him because she gave him my MySpace and my cell phone number so that he could contact me himself. (THANKS MOM!!!!!!) So we talked a little while in messages online before he felt that it wouldn’t be too forward to call me. Then we talked on the phone for a while longer before I was finally able to make a trip home to see my family, and of course, go on our first official date! A swing is where it all started…

Jump to September 2006, Joe & I sat on a swing on the campus of the college he was attending then and that we now both attend. This swing overlooks the river and we sat there all day long! We spent lots of time talking & getting to know each other…in the coming days we shared our first kiss on that same swing. Then on October 4th, 2006 at a church revival service, I introduced Joe to my great-grandmother, “Granny Gladys.” She asked me if he was my boyfriend….for lack of a better way to explain the new concept of “talking” to an 86 year old woman I said, “well, yes.” After church, Joe asked me if I meant what I had told Granny Gladys & if I did really want to officially be his girlfriend…of course I said yes or you wouldn’t have this story to read today!

The Proposal

So from October 4th, 2006-April 3rd, 2009 Joe & I dated, fell in love, & have shared so many great times! Then on Saturday April 4th, 2009 after Joe & I had just finished eating brunch in the cafeteria on the campus of our college, we started walking over to the library. I remember I was stressed because I had SO much work to do and needed to check out some books to use for research, I was thinking this was going to be a really lame weekend spent doing homework! But, Joe asked me to come sit on “our swing” because it was a nice day we hadn’t been able to sit there in a while because it was just starting to get warm enough to spend time outside.

I reluctantly agreed saying we REALLY needed to go to the library because I had a lot of work to do. So, after a few minutes of me bugging Joe to go to the library, he agreed, but instead of getting up & walking that way, he got up…and spun around kneeling in front of me. He stared into my eyes with a boyish grin and asked “Will you marry me Kristina Marie Pipkin?” There was no hesitation other than my two hands clasped over my mouth as a simple “yes” brought us into a standing embrace that we will never forget. My tears flowed and my smile was as big as ever. Let’s just say I didn’t get much homework done that weekend, but that’s okay with me! So…Joe & I began dating on October 4, were engaged on April 4, and now will be married on July 4, 2010!

Please help us to make our day all the more enjoyable by voting for us for this wonderful service from the great ladies at Elite Bridal Concierge!

Roger at Winstead Photography is offering a complimentary off-site engagement photo session, including a free 8 x 10 print to all new clients, who book his services during the month of February.

Roger serves clients throughout North Carolina and beyond, including for destination weddings. To learn more about Winstead Photography, please visit their website. And if you’re on Twitter, you can follow him here.

Photo Credit: Winstead Photography

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