my postal love affair.

In Sunday's post, I promised to share more about the evolution of our wedding. This post seemed appropriate because during these weeks last February, I was slaving away on our invitations...which would each eventually hold one of each of these seven different stamps!

photo by {av}
I know what you're thinking...
a) WHAT?!
b) are you crazy?
c) why??

With our long engagement, we didn't begin the discussions around "paper" until early August 2009 for our wedding in April 2010. Thankfully, we chose very capable hands to handle our invites...those of Rhode Island's own, Paper Moss. {And the bonus? The owner and creative genius behind Paper Moss is one of my closest friends here in RI!}

I don't know where in the wedding blog world I first spotted the multiple-stamp envelope. I only knew from the minute I saw it that I. had. to. have. it. From the blogs, I noticed most people chose a color of stamps to pursue. I decided to take a different...and a much more colorful route.

The final products looked a little like this...

photo by {av}

Each stamp represented something different for us as a couple...
Lighthouse stamp = Maine Statehood stamp...{cv} spent his childhood in Maine
George Washington + Flag stamps = with our rich history in DC, along with actually having the wedding there, it was only appropriate to have a few of these included
Indiana stamp = Indiana statehood stamp, aka my home state stamp
Dolley Madison stamp = the former First Lady escaped to the Dumbarton House, where we got married, during the war of 1812
LOVE stamp = no, we don't have a connection to Philly...the artist, Robert Indiana, also hails from my home state

I must admit that the final product made me so happy...it was the first real tangible item {other than our save-the-date} that our guests would receive and I really wanted to set the tone for our big day. I had to glue each stamp on individually, so they wouldn't fall off in the mail...and thus not make it to their recipients. By the numbers, I sent a few more than a 100 invitations...which means I glued more than 700 stamps. OY! Each envelope took a lot of TLC, but in the end, it was absolutely worth it.

One surprise on the wedding day? Our wedding cake! 
I left it in the capable hands of my wonderful planners...little did I know my new stamp obsession would carry through to our key-lime+blueberry cake heaven.

photo from a family friend
A few words of advice...
-make sure you weigh your invitation with EVERYTHING in it, including any sort of ribbon or ties around the invitation suite. You need to know how much postage is needed before you spend $$$ to find the stamps. {Since you'll probably be planning for postage before you receive your suite, ask if your invite designer can create a mock set for you.}
-it takes time {and a considerable amount of it} to track down the stamps...so start planning what stamps you might want. I found a lot more success in finding the stamp sheets I wanted after I identified the "scott" number. Once I had that, it made eBay much less daunting.
-make sure to find mint, uncancelled stamps...if they're cancelled, they're no good.

Despite the endless hours spent scouring eBay for these stamp sheets and then having to bid for them during dinners out with friends, I wouldn't change a thing. I loved having glue caked on my fingers for weeks. I just wish I could have received my own in the mail ;) 


I'm sure I don't need to remind you that tomorrow is Friday. And what does Friday bring? Friday's Fancies! YAY!  I made a new logo for you to use if you like... and I also made one in a blog button size, available over in my sidebar.

Consider Friday's Fancies to be the shopping spree like the one on this week's Bachelor. Dream big. Your goal? Pull together the outfit you'd love to be wearing during your Friday night activities--and don't worry about the pricetag! It's therapeutic {and fun!} to admire fashion without thinking about your wallet for once! {If you want to see a few other examples, click here.}


Get excited :) It's a chance to dream of being a Parisian fashionista--and to find a few new blogs to explore on your Friday afternoon! The best part? If you do a Friday's Fancies post, you get an extra entry in my Minted.com giveaway which ends this Sunday! {Make sure to add a comment to the giveaway page to make it count!}  I'll have the link-up ready to go shortly after midnight on Friday! 

If you're still reading at this point, thank you ;) I hope you all have a fantastic Friday--and liked my little postal love affair today. As always, I'm an open book...so if you have questions, feel free to comment or email me! xoxo {av}

P.S. I made a new blog button too...inspired slightly by my love of stamps. Check 'er out...

51 comments:

  1. Oh my gooodness, that stamp idea on the envelopes was too cute! And then cake!!!!

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  2. Ohhhh, I love the stamps!!! What a great idea. And it really dressed up the envelopes. Now the cake...delicious...makes me want to have some for breakfast:)

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  3. I love stamps too! And I LOVE your cake, it's so pretty! To me, stamps have such a vintage, worn-in feel (I don't know how I see the connection but it's kind of like my oldest pair of jeans...)

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  4. i love stamps & now having pen pals gives me an excuse to use them. and the fact your wedding cake had stamps on it was EVEN better - so cute and creative.. right now i'm loving looking at all the wedding pictures because its giving me so many ideas for my own wedding since the possibilties are endless. ♥

    much love.. stay warm today! xoxo

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  5. Oh wow, I love all the stamps! I think the stamps having significance is better than them sharing a color palette!

    After seeing the new J Crew items, I may just have to do a Friday Fancies this week. :)

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  6. OMG that postal wedding cake is amazing!

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  7. LOVE LOVE that stamp idea. SO cute. I have never seen that before. amazing.

    I am still jealous of the girl on the bachelors shopping spree..

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  8. That is such a neat idea!! Stamps are so fun! I love the cake too!

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  9. I love your wedding cake what an original idea and so cute!!!

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  10. Oh my gosh, AV, I cannot believe you glued over 700 stamps! The envelopes look absolutely beautiful (and the stamp cake was such a clever idea) -- I give you so much credit, because I know I'd never have the patience for it. I love hearing about your wedding stories. :)

    Can't wait for Friday's Fancies!

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  11. Wow! So creative! Love this idea!

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  12. what a labor of love! btw, i love your new info bar..so cute!

    xo.ashley

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  13. LOVE that cake :) I'm going to love these tips so much! and can't wait for tomorrow's friday's fancies!

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  14. The stamp theme is too cool. I'll have to keep that in mind for my daughters.

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  15. **So unique and genius.

    ps: I love your new info bar

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  16. I love that they surprised you with a postal cake! So talented and fun! <3 Thanks for sharing a bit of your wedding with us =)

    xoXOxo
    Jenn @ Peas & Crayons

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  17. What a great idea... it's the first time I've seen it!... Thanks for sharing :)

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  18. such a fabulous idea! you are sooo creative! xx.

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  19. ADORE!!! I love that they suprised you with that AWESOME cake!! <3

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  20. Love this! And I l-o-v-e y'alls cake! So cute!

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  21. I bought the Southern Living Wedding mag this week and loved seeing your beautiful pictures!

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  22. I love this post. Can't get over that cake.

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  23. Oh my gosh that is seriously the coolest wedding cake I have ever seen!! I love stamps. There is something so vintage and magical about them. I wish snail mail wasn't so extinct. Sigh.

    I have an uncle (who is a postman) who has collected stamps for 40 years. It's just amazing to see. :)

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  24. You are so very creative... I love both of these ideas!

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  25. Thanks for "stumbling" onto my blog! I love yours as well! I'm in a long distance relationship now, and so it's great to see there is light at the end of the tunnel! :)

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  26. I love this idea... love how it gave even the outside of your invites a personal feel - and th cake - Ahhhmazing!

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  27. Oh my goodness! Your stamps told a story!! I love it! Really shows how much thought you put into even the tiniest of details!

    & Beautiful CAKE!! Looks like it should be on one of those awesome cake making tv shows! :)

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  28. i seriously adore stamps! especially the vintage ones. i've got quite the love affair going with hand written letters, stamps, and old stamps just knock my socks off!

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  29. love love! not only the invitations and how all the stamps meant something, but then how the cake brought it all full circle. excited to perfect my fancy friday outfit for tomorrow :)

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  30. Oh, how I love the stamps! I plan to participate in Friday Fancies tomorrow! xo

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  31. Love the new Friday's Fancies graphic! Can't wait to link up tomorrow!

    xo
    Kelly

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  32. I love that stamps were your big thing. Our invitations were really awesome and screenprinted on 1/4" slabs of wood. We ordered stamps from Zazzle that we custom made - one of our engagement picture and other vintage ones of California wine country where our wedding took place. It was fun to put so many stamps on there and we even used a wax seal on the back! My parents came up to help with the project and we had a really great time working on them!

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  33. Awesome!! Such a wonderful idea. xoxo

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  34. I absolutely loved all the thought you put into your stamps-it made them all the more lovely! Can't wait to see your Friday's Fancies look!

    xo, Lena

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  35. That's the coolest cake I've ever seen!

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  36. So fun! Love all the little details of a wedding:-) Yours was beautiful!

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  37. Dang girl, you seriously never fail to impress me! This is so thoughtful and planned out..and well perfect! I loooove that every stamp has a story. So sweet and personal! Have you ever thought of going into wedding planning full-time!? Love the cake too, you're so brave to let that be a surprise! I'm too much of a control freak :) lovely post. Looking forward to ff tomorrow! Later gator ;) xoox jcd

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  38. this is TOO cool! i used to collect stamps (super nerdish hey?) and love what you did with your wedding envelopes so much. each stamps meaning and all, what thought you put into every single element - wow. AND your cake has almost put me over the insane edge b/c it's just magnificent.

    i have loved the "postal love affair", thanks for sharing the goodness. ♥

    pea ess: thanks for the advice about dear deer! xo

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  39. Such a cute cake!! Thanks for entering the giveaway!! Good luck!

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  40. What a GREAT personal touch and an AMAZING cake! I love your blog girl! I'm def going to follow it!

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  41. The stamps are SUCH an amazing idea! And one I've never seen before! I love how special that makes the invite ... even before the recipient opens it! :)

    And your wedding cake ... AMAZING! :)

    xo! Lauren
    tickledonline.blogspot.com

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  42. That is soo cool! Speaking of stamps, I used to collect them when I was little. :) Fun stuff.

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  43. I love the stamp idea, I've never heard of it. your cake was beautiful.

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  44. Precious! I have loved everything about your wedding...the theme is so unique to you and your husband. Can't wait for another Friday Fancies!

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  45. The stamps are amazing! That was such a creative idea!! Your wedding was truly amazing!! I didn't know they surprised you with the cake...how fabulous!! : )

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  46. what a beautiful idea!!! i love it.

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  47. oh my gosh. so cool. and i love the cake!

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  48. This is such a great thing to see when you open your mail! Love it!

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