With the availability and user-friendly nature of computers, art programs such as Photoshop, and photo-quality printers, making your own invitations for your wedding or wedding-related events is definitely possible. As long as you take care to preserve the dignity of the occasion, you can create beautiful, appropriate invitations with a personal touch.

Paper. Make sure you use paper that is commensurate with a professional invitation. Buy card stock, vellum, and fine cotton and linen papers at your local art store or stationer, and experiment to see what you like best.

Practice. Before you attempt to create your wedding invitations, start with a smaller project first, such as your bridesmaids luncheon invites. Once you have the knack of it, you can start designing your wedding invites.

Print. You can download many fonts off the Internet and use them on your own computer, or invest in a pre-packaged invitation kit complete with software to help you create templates, choose fonts, and print beautiful invites at home. Another option is to use a high-quality printer to create a master invitation, and then take your work of art to a professional photocopier or printer where they can duplicate your creation

Personalize. The beauty of creating your own invitations is that you can add the personal touch of your choosing, such as:

• Accessorizing with ribbons or charms
• Embossing a monogram or simple image with a custom stamp from a craft store
• Incorporating your engagement photo (have it professionally photocopied onto cardstock)