Since we've been a poor post-college family, I might be able to help you with the "what to bring under $15" category -- and it looks like so much more. First, make sure you have their wedding invitation or announcement. The idea here is instead of matting the invitation, as is usually done, to use a mirror as the "mat" and to have the invitation/announcement peeking through from behind. It's very unique, easy to make, and fairly inexpensive. It's going to sound *much* more difficult than it is -- but I can make them in my sleep now -- so I promise they're not that hard. And it takes less than 30 minutes to complete...

Go to the Wal Mart/K Mart/Target/Clover, etc., in your area and purchase an 8x10 or 11x14 mirror (about $3-5). The cheaper the mirror, the better, because the backing will remove easier. You can also have a mirror cut at a local glass dealer. These backings seem to remove the easiest, and the cost is minimal. It will depend on how large the invitation is, if there's any graphics on it, whether a card with the couples names is enclosed, whether you want to include a photo of the couple, etc., as to how large the mirror you purchase will need to be. Then, get a frame the size of the mirror that you think would coordinate with the wedding invitation. I know that Wal Mart has beautiful oak ones starting at $2. Next, head over to the paint dept. and get brushable *paste* paint/varnish/stain stripper (the brand I prefer is Strip-X in a blue and yellow can, if you can find it). Grab a pack of real (not synthetic) steel wool pads too. Those two together should be about $5-7.

Now, look at how you want to lay everything out on the mirror. Make sure to leave a 1/2" trim around everything you will be placing on the mirror as you cut the pieces down, and not to use too many items or it will look cluttered. The mirror made for our wedding used a horizontal lay-out. My mother used the text of our announcement in the center, two small photos from the wedding at each top corner, our first names centered under the text of our announcement, and a small cherub raised graphic from the announcement between the two photos at the top, just above where the text of the announcement was placed. (Hope that's clearer than mud.) You'll just have to determine what you have to work with, and what looks best to you.

After you've got the layout decided, circle in pen on the backside of the mirror where everything is to be placed. (You also need to remember to mark your lay-out in reverse on the back.) Pour about two tablespoons of the paint stripper into a small dish. Tear your steel wool pad in half to make it more manageable, if needed. Dip the corner of the steel wool into the dish, being careful not to get too much stripper on it. Start rubbing off the backing of the mirror in your marked spots, going slowly and being careful to stay inside the lines you've marked. Keep repeating until the backing disappears in your marked areas. Once you have the backing removed from the marked areas, you will see clear glass, surrounded by mirror. (Hence the "matting" effect.)

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