My partner and I saw this awesome video of wedding invitations made from a paper record that was even playable! Both my man and I thought that was amazing… but how come the invitations couldn't just be an actual record?
So we found out how to have your own 45 vinyl record pressed. We had our friends record two of our most sentimental songs. We bought the legal rights to the songs. We designed the record labels. Since not everybody has a record player, we also decided to add the option of a digital download. This way people can download the record and put it on their iPods or whatever.
I used a professional record pressing company which is often used by lots of indie musicians: United Record Press. In order to get a record pressed you must do the following:
- Pick out two songs which are short enough to fit on the record (less than 4 min…i think).
- Buy the rights to the song…we used a company online and it cost about $150 to buy the rights to the songs.
- Have your friends, a local band, or yourselves record a high quality recording of the music.
- send it in with the license.
- Design your label.
When you get your test pressing, it's the best moment! I would like to add that this is not a cheap endeavor. It ends up costing around $6/record, and we ordered 200 records.
I wanted the invite to have some formality, so I created an insert that was the “official” invite. Then we decided that the RSVPs couldn't just be a traditional one, so we made a ticket/postcard. The guests kept the ticket stub end of the card, and they mailed us the postcard end. We also made a ticket to the rehearsal dinner, for those who were invited to that as well.
We also included VIP passes for those who are in the wedding party and are, well, very important people. I designed the passes, printed them out on nice paper and laminated them. I bought cool orange lanyards online and they are awesome!
After more than a year of thinking and planning the invitations, they are finally finished, mailed out and waiting replies. I am super proud of them.
I just really want to come to your wedding now! Amazing. X
What were the songs on the record?
Wow, this is some next-level shit. The label “DIY” isn’t big enough to hold you!
It’s also of note we didn’t use the actual recordings of the songs but covers by our friends’ bands. Home was recorded by Kisses and Kream from Northfield, VT and Love You Madly was recorded by The Rickey Crickets of Pittsburgh, PA.
Both of those songs are very important to my honey and me. This post is the best, what great ideas!
OMG! Obviously you have no clue who I am, but I was at Lareau Farm last weekend! My brother is going to do all the cooking for your wedding! And I met your mom too! She told me about all your wedding plans and they sound incredible! I hope you post your whole wedding story to OBB since there’s a good chance I’ll be getting hitched there too!
Hi Frankie– So glad you reached out. I’ll be sure to post images from the wedding as well. -M
awesome, thanks!
I love this idea. I may in fact “borrow” it for my day. Just a note to any of you non-american OBB’s who are swooning over this, as I am. Purchasing the rights to music is not the same in every country. Here in canada, for example, you have to work directly with the music publishing company because the artist has say over use of their song in every instance. Where as the US, they give up their rights when they license it once. Just some food for thought.
Thank you! I wanted to record my vows and put them on vinyl for the future hubby and didn’t even know where to start, hopefully this will make that goal possible 🙂
I’m looking to do this for our wedding. We bought a bunch of 7″ records off eBay. We’re trying to figure out a cheap way to ship all these invitations. How did you guys ship the records? What kind of envelopes did you use? How much did it end up costing?
Those invites are the ….. well you know amazing! Great idea,very unique.
What a wonderful idea, where did you create your record labels?