Save the date cards for weddings are the first thing that will give guests an insight into the kind of day you’re planning. If your whole theme and colour scheme is already decided it can be a fun time to incorporate that and begin the process of delivering something truly cohesive, though you need not worry if that is not the case. There are no rules to say you can’t deviate later.
Glossy, professionally printed cards have their place, especially if that’s the style of event you’re planning to have. Whilst something that doesn’t try too hard not to look homemade implies your day is likely to be less formal and maybe more personal.
Get the glitter out and let the children have fun
If you’re going to have a family-friendly day that doesn’t necessarily follow a traditional approach, this could be ideal. If you go down this route, it’s about fun and individualism, not perfection and you’ll probably need to not have too strong a view of how you want the finished article to look.
For a smallish affair, if you’ve only got a few dozen save the date cards to send, you could aim to hand make each one.
To lessen the load on children and keep it a fun exercise rather than a chore, you could aim to just get them to decorate some pieces of paper or card that you then write over the top with a Sharpie or fountain pen.
If you were to standardise the way the details are presented and a few finishing touches for each card, it’d create a great mix of haphazard individualism with a pulled-together finish.
An alternative would be to spend more time on one design – perhaps ask your child to draw a picture of you and husband or wife-to-be and then get a local professional printer or online shop to run off as many copies as you need. This can be achieved quite affordably.
Get a professional designer to make you a PDF for your use
For a more professional and standardised look, you could consider engaging a designer to either customise an existing template or make something bespoke for you. This can be achieved surprisingly affordably through sites such as Etsy.
There are lots of designers willing to work to your specification and create a digital version of the design for you to use as you’d like. If you wish, you could customise all your wedding stationery, such as invitations, table plan and table setting name cards, in this way.
Grab some good quality paper and simply print off as many save the date cards as you need on your home printer. The ink and card can add up to more than you might expect so hunt for a good deal on your materials. Toner Giant, printer ink cartridge supplier, promises daily price checks to ensure their products are always competitive.
Incorporate photos
Photos are the ultimate way to personalise a save the date card and you can do it in a number of ways. You could pull together a montage on your computer of some of your memories with your partner, have a specific engagement shoot, use a picture from your engagement party perhaps or just select a favourite shot of the two of you.
It’s okay to be a little self-indulgent where weddings are concerned, everyone accepts the day is about the two of you and no one will mind that. However, if you want to shift the focus a little and have the time and patience, you could try something a little different. How about tailoring each save the date to each guest with a favourite photo of you together – the sentiment being ‘we love being with you, your company makes life better and we want you there on our special day’?
You may find it’s more affordable to print the pictures you want via a photo printing service, like Vistaprint, especially as there are occasional deals to bulk print for free or at a very low price. You could do this and then apply them yourself to a card. For a more sleek finish, you can template it all on your home computer with the photo incorporated and print them yourself or via a professional.
