Brides-to-be often envision a gala wedding, a la Brittany Murphy's, while working with a budget that includes college loans and a first mortgage. While the luxury honeymoon is tough to get for a steal, a savvy planner can create stunning invitations without spending a fortune.

Initially attracted by price, wedding planners make the decision to use do-it-yourself (DIY) invitations based on time, flexibility and design. This style of invitations caters to couples who want to send a customized, quality invitation without a lot of cost and hassle.

Masterpiece Studios, creator of the Treasure Masters brand of imprintable invitations, has experienced a significant increase in the number of weddings served.

"Two strong consumer trends have worked in our favor," notes marketing and creative director Tamra Sundboom. "In the recent economy, imprintable invitations have become much more visible and our kits fit well with the do-it-yourself trend that is sweeping the nation."

About a fifth of Masterpiece Studios' users list "crafts" as a hobby in response to an Internet survey about their interests.

"We've found that as the use of computers for other crafting projects-such as scrapbooking-has become popular, consumers have become comfortable and enthusiastic about using their computers for more than just word processing," says Sundboom.

At the site, users are led through font color and style choices, plus verse options to create truly customized invitations while following proper layout and wording etiquette. Wedding planners can use a 12-month schedule feature to compose and manage the guest list, automatically calculate ceremony and reception guest attendance, and keep track of gifts received and thank-you notes sent.

Distinctive invitation embellishments such as satin bows, overlays and rhinestones are also available. Invitations may be purchased separately in groups of 25 and note cards in packages of 50. OfficeMax offers a variety of designs and kit options for creating invitations for showers and rehearsal dinners, as well as response cards, save-the-date cards, and marriage announcements.