You know, I looked into it. Found a few wedding checklists just to see if I was forgetting something.

I sensed what I’d be getting into with these lists. Not really meant for us.

There will be no limo driver, no corsages. But I did want to make sure there was no major wedding party basic we’d simply overlooked.

To my surprise, Martha Stewart says we’re right on track. Looks like we’ve covered the essentials, or at least considered them. So now, we’re all lined up, cued to send the invitations.

Right…the invitations. Hmmm… Paper. Money. Trees. We discussed this, the Bohemian and I.

“Is it crazy just to send a bulk email and ask everyone to reply with an RSVP? We could save paper, money, time…”

This is me, the bride, going ever-practical. Trying to question every wedding event assumption and break out of all bridal boxes.

“Well, it is kind of nice to have something in your hand. It’s a special day, you make something special for it…”

This is the Bohemian, the man of simplicity, who only owns four pairs of socks. If he’s suggesting we have paper invites, maybe I should mellow on my box demolition.

So I soften to the invitation idea. Run into the Artist by the kale start table at the farmer’s market. She asks me if I’m up for hand stamping cards. By golly, I think I am, and I set out on the quest to create a design.

I spend 48 hours sketching flowers, mandalas, feathers and borders. I offer them up to the Bohemian one at a time but he keeps sending me back to the drawing board. Finally, after showing him my tenth intricate spiral of vines and mosaic patterns, he makes a small suggestion.

“Jess, just keep it simple.”

Oh, right. Like this whole wedding thing. Simple. Of course.

So I drop all the doodles, pick up the foam and decide to experiment. No pressure, just see what I can cut and paste to a piece of wood to make my hand stamp.

And then, just like that, there it was. Stamp fashioned. Done.

Well, the invites aren’t done. But close. They’ve actually been fun. There are layers of stories just in the creation of these announcements. Each one, touched, cut, pressed, punched, tied, sealed, stacked.

Our own little crafty creation will soon be shuffling around in the sacks of postal carriers, far and wide.

And the RSVP? Email, please.