A Little About Me
I moved to Utah in the summer of 2002 to pursue a Fine Arts degree in Design. I’d grown up in Ohio and the change was… well, it was big. It seemed like everything was different here and I was left to learn it all on my own.
A brother of a friend picked me up at the airport the day I moved here. He was mad I’d brought so much stuff with me- two whole boxes to get me through a year at school- and grumbled all the way to the car about how he had no idea how we’d get them to fit. He must have forgotten about the trunk, ’cause fitting the few things I had was no big effort. He dropped me off on the doorstep of my new place and left me completely alone.
I’m not sure exactly why I’m telling this story. That was the day my current life started and the way it began seems to have shaped me into who I am. I didn’t have a grandma waiting for me with a bowl of warm soup, nor did my mom fly out with me to help me get settled. I remember walking into my new home and realizing I had no sheets for my bed and had no idea how to get to a grocery store, let alone which bus I’d have to take to get there. I think I matured 5 years in that week and you know what, I liked it. I loved being out on my own and not having to listen to the opinions of other people. I loved the freedom that came as I learned to get by without things others believe necessary. Most of all, I loved the success that came from that independence.
The successes came in many forms. The one I’d like to focus on seems almost silly. It has to do with finances. But I’m not talking about 401Ks or savings accounts. I’m talking about spending money.
I never had to trust another’s opinion on how much things cost. No one was there to tell me one grocery store was cheaper than another or that I had to buy my jeans at Walmart because that’s where things are ‘affordable’. I had to figure that out on my own. Instead of heading to the local super store, I researched everywhere I could to find what was really the best deal. Instead of Walmart jeans, I found the ‘sale’ section of the J.Crew website and bought the jeans of my dreams for less than I could have found at any super store. I know. I told you, the example sounds silly. But it makes a difference, trust me.
Through my years in Provo, UT I watched girl after girl plan weddings. I cannot count the times I saw someone get something ugly simply because she trusted the opinions of others who told her what she really wanted was just too expensive. That brings me to the purpose of this blog.
I am now a professional graphic designer on a mission. I want to help girls get the wedding day of their dreams on a realistic budget. My first step was an obvious one to me. I researched different printing methods and, using my graphic design skills, have created a business creating the wedding invitations girls dream about and help them find a printing method to fit their budget. For some recent examples of my work please visit jessicageorgedesign.com. I will feature invitations on this blog to prove that something beautiful really is possible on a budget!
Because a wedding cannot be made with invitations alone, I will also be featuring affordable planning information throughout this blog. I hope the information can help those of you planning weddings to find what you love for a price you can afford!
