Please Save the Date

Now that I've confirmed that a fair number of our guests have gotten them, I'm finally ready to share our save the dates with you!


When I decided to make them myself, I knew that I wanted the fonts to be Century Gothic and Freebooter Script (to match the rest of the paper), that it would include our website address, assumed that it would be teal and kiwi in someway, and have our picture on it. I love that picture of us, and preferred it in black and white, so when I decided to use that photo, I just made the whole card black and white. I think that STDs can be a departure from the invites (especially since they are usually ordered before invites are fully decided upon) as long as they ultimately coordinate with the other paper-goods. Ours do, and I'll prove it...in due time.

I designed the cards in PowerPoint, converted the file to a pdf, and uploaded it to VistaPrint so I could get them for free. There is always some kind of promotion going on where you can get free stuff. I googled "VistaPrint free postcards" or something like that and found a code to get 100 postcards for free. All I had to do was pay the minimal image upload fee (it was like $2.50) and the shipping. Unless you need them yesterday, don't waste your money on the fast shipping. I selected the slowest (and cheapest) rate and got them in about a week and a half. Card printing and shipping: about $8.


To keep with the black and white design, I decided to mail them in black envelopes. I really wanted the envelopes with the Euro (triangle) flap, but these square "announcement" type were a little cheaper so I ordered 100 of those from envelopemall.com. Again, I selected the standard shipping rate. It was kind of expensive, but crazy fast. I think I got them like 2 or 3 days later. I was a little nervous about mailing the black envelopes, but I asked around and determined they should make it okay (they did). Envelope cost and shipping: about $17


I made these wrap around labels using my Xyron 510 sticker maker machine and plain ole copy paper. Designing the labels themselves was a little tricky. I made a table in Word, and then hid all the borders except for the outside one - which I made polka dotted. Then I cut and pasted my formatted table a gazillion times - I was able to fit about 5 labels to a sheet.

After all the labels were printed, I cut them and ran them through my Xyron. I love my Xyron. It doesn't require batteries and will turn almost anything into a sticker. Easy peasy wrap around labels. I purchased my Xyron ages ago, but hadn't used it for a project yet. I'm planning to use it for our favor tags, the programs, and possibly to make another set of wrap around labels for the wedding invites. Haven't decided how I'm going to address them yet. Wrap around labels: a little bridal elbow grease.

As I mentioned last week, to save some change on postage, a good number of the save the dates were hand-delivered. However, we did end up mailing about 40 of them. 40 stamps: $16.80


Here's the gang all ready for their trip to the mailbox.

I have to admit, initially I was against sending STDs. I thought it was a waste of paper and outside of our budget. The PHI felt very strongly about sending notification to our OOT guests and I told him that I would agree to them on one condition: that they'd cost us less than $1 each (I know, I can be awful). I'm so glad we sent them now. I think they are a lovely combination of chic and personal, and invoke the spirit of our wedding invites without being teal and kiwi green. You already know the best part: the price! Forty-two cents each! Couldn't beat that with a stick if I tried.

Are you planning on sending STDs? What qualities would you like yours to have?

♥