Battle of the Themes: the first contender

I should not be awake at 2 am thinking about this, but since I'm doing it already, here goes....

I've currently got two "finalist" themes in mind, and both of them hinge on the the time of year -- whether we get married in late summer or into fall.  There are other factors going into the decision of exactly when to tie the knot, too, of course. If we do it earlier, we're more likely to have warm weather to encourage people to go outside and ease up the number of folks inside the church, longer daylight hours for taking pictures, and my bridesgals can wear shorter dresses (which will cost them less). If we do it later, we've got more time on our side -- time to save, time to plan, time for me to get more DIY adventures in.

But, I gotta say, this is the most visually compelling argument for doing it earlier:

I've been in love with this invitation since I saw it on the internet last summer. By "love," I mean "I saw it and actually started crying because it was that perfect a fit for us." At that point, I'd been kicking around the idea of "what if we have a summer wedding some day in the distant future," and this particular graphic tied in with the fireflies and mason jars idea I'd already been incubating just perfectly.
Like all outsourced invites, these are dang expensive -- however, they're the one thing I think I would really splurge on if we decide to go with an early option, and I don't think I'd regret it. Considering that I'm still drooling over them after about four months, I think they'd be a worthy splurge. I've heard arguments against investing a lot in invites -- people throw them away, they say. That's true -- some people do -- but they're also the first taste of the event that people get, and I think they make a better (at least flatter and more saveable/scrapbookable) memento than favors.
Bah, my practical judgment is clouded so much here.
Anyway, this gives you a visual reference for the theme, so here are some of my other ideas for details:

• Colors: A berryish purple (the invite color is "lobelia") and ivory
• Fun, laid-back, summery feel 
• BBQ and sweet tea!
• Copious use of Christmas and rice lights, along with gauzy fabric
• Guestbook constructed of a clothesline strung back and forth, where people can use clothespins to attach signatures/notes (I really need to draw a pic of this one to show the full idea)
• Centerpieces of mason jars used as various types of candle holders, ribbon accents added for color
• Star-shaped paper lanterns

I have more solid designs in mind for theme #2, but that one will have to wait until tomorrow.