I don't think you'll see this recipe on Barefoot Contessa any time soon

What do you get when you mix...

- a 28-cent polar bear
- a drool-inducing engagement picture
- a couple afternoons with Microsoft Publisher
- a killer online printing deal
- and the addresses of your closest family and friends?

Here's a hint...

That's right...I broke down and pledged my allegiance to save-the-dates, and they're here (well, most of them.  More to come on that later).  Shortly after we got engaged, I was firmly anti-STD.  It seemed like a silly expenditure that could easily be avoided in today's world of text messaging, Facebook, email, and the old standby of telephone calls.  Plus, we weren't getting married on a holiday weekend, a faraway land, or a non-traditional day of the week.

Buuuut then I had second thoughts.  The rational part of my brain stood firm while the bridal side of my brain turned to wedding pudding.  I saw other brides' creative and cute STDs, and I reverted to a spoiled little five-year-old who refused to relax until she got what she wanted.  I decided to secretly look around online for some affordable options, secretly look for inspiration, and secretly try to design a little sumthin-sumthin myself.  I figured if it worked out, great, and if not, then no one would know of this failed mission aside from myself.

As the photos above indicate, it all worked out, and now we're prepping to send these babies out to some lovely folks.  I'm not going to share the design until our guests have received them, since I want them to be surprised when they open their mailboxes in a couple weeks' time.  But until then... I'M SO EXCITED!!

What did you change your mind about while wedding planning?  What swayed you away from your initial decision?

(all photos personal)