Save The Dates: Wedding Plans

At first I wasn't sure we should even spend the money on Save the Date cards, but once we talked it over we both decided it was a good idea. It gives people advanced notice of the date, and we hope more people will be able to make it to the wedding if they have plenty of notice.

We wanted to get those cards out asap, but choosing just the right card became a bit of a task. There are so many choices, and I spent days looking. I finally just went for it, and made up a photo card through Shutterfly. I showed it to Chuck really quick, got his approval, and placed the order at the eleventh hour. They had a sale going on, and I wanted to take advantage of it because I wasn't sure they would have another sale before our deadline for getting the cards mailed. We saved a good chunk of money doing it that way. I think the final total was less than $1 per card.

We were both happy with the choice we made for the Save the Date card. I used a photo of us that our friend Scott took in the fall.

Photo by Scott Turner Photography

He came out and took pictures of all of us. That photo shoot was a story in itself. On the day he was scheduled to come out it was raining and everything was drenched. He got a few inside shots, some pics on the front porch, and in various places around the property. I figured they would be OK. But they weren't. Almost every one of them showed the water spots on our clothes.

Scott was disappointed with the photos and wanted to do another shoot. I wanted a good shot of the two of us for an engagement photo, but at the time I wasn't thinking of it for a Save the Date card. We did do another shoot, but it was a few weeks later. I waited until we got those photos to make a decision on Christmas cards, but I ended up using a photo from the original shoot that seemed perfect for the Save the Date card we chose. It was an inside shot that was taken before we ventured outside, so our clothes didn't have any rain spots on them.

I didn't want the card to be tossed into a pile, or lost in someone's recycle stack, so I took an idea from my daughter-in-law, Grace, and attached a magnet to the back of each card.
I couldn't find the same magnets she used, so I started asking around to see if anyone I knew had ideas for the best magnets in the size I wanted.
A friend suggested business card magnets. Her husband had just done it with his business cards, so she called to ask him where he got them. Office Depot.
I was able to find them there and cut them down to a manageable size with scissors. They had a peel-and-stick back, so it was super easy.

We've had a few people mention the cards in social situations. We are displayed on refrigerators all over the Puget Sound and beyond. Exactly what I was hoping for, so they will "save the date."

Next Post: Wedding Invitations