Save the Date Cards

Save the date cards have become very popular in recent years. These are basically invitations sent out before the invitations. They give basic information such as the name of the bride and groom, the date and the location. Save the date cards are meant to give your guests advanced notice of your wedding day so that they can go ahead and put you on their calendars. Save the date cards should be sent out at least 6 months prior to the wedding, even farther ahead of time if you are having a wedding in another country or if people will have to travel far in order to give them the chance to not only plan but save up the money to attend.

Save the date cards are not as formal as the actual wedding invitations. Because save the date cards are not as formal as wedding invitations you can make them a little fun or they could be as simple as a postcard. Save the date cards do not even have to be in the wedding colors though it would help to tie everything together.

It is also important to add that the actual wedding invitation will be sent in the future with more details. Some people may misunderstand and think that the save the date card is the invitation and then call and ask for more details. You may also want to put hotel and resort information on the save the date cards so that your guests can reserve their rooms early.

Save the date cards may be a new addition to the wedding event but it is sure to become a tradition at all weddings.

Now & Forever Invitations

Invitation site Now&Forever is offering
Free Wedding Invitation Samples. I requested some, and I was pleased with their Loving Silver Hearts design. The hearts are metallic, much nicer than they seem in the photo. Very classy without being overdone.

I also ordered the Burst Of Colors invitation, but they looked more like an invite to a junior-high sleepover than a wedding.

Anyway, if you are picking invitations, don’t forget to look at Now & Forever.

Wedding Invitations

Stressing over wedding invitations and in-laws? Here’s a giggle from Bridezilla!

We can all be thankful this isn’t our invitation!

Wedding Invitation Tips

How far are you in your wedding planning? Have you found yourself completely caught up in this wedding “stuff” yet? If so, you are not alone. Wedding planning is so easy to get consumed by. It is one of the only times in your life when you get to plan a big party for yourself - you get to throw the celebration of your dreams! And it is so easy to get carried away trying to make the day perfect.

So why when we want the day to be perfect, do we stress out about all sorts of things that happen before the day even occurs? For example, the wedding invitations. How many of you have spent hours upon hours searching for the perfect wedding invitations? - only to find out when you found the perfect ones that they were too expensive? Well, I have a few tips for you to think about before you even go out looking.

First of all, for those of you who are still making your guest list, consider this - the less people you invite, the less your cost will be. Seems logical right? But, not only will your food and beverage costs be significantly lower, but the number of invitations needed will be smaller. This is often easier said than done, but just remember as your guest list starts to get up there that each addition can equal a significant amount of money.

Second, especially if you are having a large wedding you may want to consider choosing an invitation with postcards as the reply card. Why? Well, less paper equals less cost to you, but also a postcard can be sent (currently) for 21 cents, whereas an envelope requires a 34 cent stamp. For every 100 guests you invite that is a savings of $13.00. Okay, so that may not seem like a lot, but I am of the opinion that every little bit counts. Not to mention, the less paper in the original invitation that you send, the less the weight will be and the less the cost to send the invitations. Most wedding invitations take 2 stamps to send - if you can reduce that to one stamp, you will save another $34.00 per 100 guests invited. If you are inviting 300 guests that is a total savings of $141!

Speaking of postage, I highly recommend that you take an example of one of your invitations - with an address, stamp, and everything inside and all ready - to the post office and have them weigh it. They can tell you the exact price that it will be to send your invitations and you will not have to deal with returned invitations or even over-paying for them.
Third, if you are having a smaller wedding, I would consider making your own invitations. Ordering invitations becomes more cost-effective the more you order, so if you do not need to order a lot, you will essentially be paying more per invitation. There are many computer programs out there that will help you make your invitations, but if you know your way around a computer, you could probably do this yourself. Most office supply stores will also sell stationary kits that would be perfect for weddings. These kits often contain cards that are printer-ready and easy to fold. They will also have matching envelopes and many will even have response cards for you to print on also.

The benefit to making your invitations is that you can also make them look and say whatever you would like them to. And, you can be creative. If you are into stamping, or calligraphy, you could get pretty fancy with your invitations. You could also buy vellum (that translucent plastic-feeling paper) instead of card stock and print a very elegant and modern-looking invitation.

Last, don’t forget to put the address of your wedding website on your invitations. Instead of sending directions in the invitation, your guests can get directions from your website. And, they can find out where you are registered, how you met, who is standing up in your wedding, and they can play your quiz. Sending the address to your site in your invitations is a great way to ensure that they know about your site and can find it easily. Plus, it will bring your guests tons of enjoyment to share in your love story.
I hope that these tips will help you with the stress of picking out wedding invitations. Don’t forget that nothing is as important as your relationship and the love that you share with each other. Have fun!

Shades of Green: RSVPs

Years ago, I remember a bridal consultant telling us potential new brides to save money in various ways. One was to Not include stamps on RSVP cards (as most people don’t bother to send them back, regardless). This represents one small way you can lessen the environmental impact of your wedding … without really diminshing its quality.

Traditional wedding invitations have (1) an outer envelope, (2) an invitation card, (3) a reception card, and (4) a response card. These four parts could easily, and without much of an impact, have only three … maybe two.

Instead of including a response card, couples have a few options to consider. You can request on the reception card, or invitation, that people RSVP by phone. You can also enlist a friend or relative to start calling your guests on your behalf. For that matter, you can do it all online. Joyce posted earlier about keeping traditional invitations but using recycled products, as well.

Big days often come with big celebrations, but they can trip up couples who are environmentally minded. Cutting down on paper waste is one small way of making a difference without making a huge impact on your festivities.

Going Green with Invitations

Wedding invitations are one of the most important part of the wedding. But have you ever stopped to think about how much paper is used? Papers are made from trees that are a valuable resource to our environment. Many couples are turning to green invitations.

Make certain that your invitations are printed on recycled paper instead of traditional paper. You can even go organic cotton paper that is recycled. It is a little bit higher but in the long run your are reducing your effect on the environment with your wedding invitations.

Encourage others to use recycled paper as well. Send out your thank you notes and acknowledgments with recycled paper as well.

Make Your Own Personalized Wedding Stamps

What a fun idea for your wedding invitations! Zazzle.com has partnered with the United States Post Office to provide stamps to people who are interested in designing them for special occasions or to just add a little bit of fun to a letter.

Simply upload a photo, add text, and then click and drag the image or text until you have it perfectly placed. You can choose between a wide range of font sizes and styles, and also choose the size of your stamp. Stamps are also available in a number of postal rates, from Postcard to Priority.

Now it will cost you a bit more for postage to personalize your stamps, but it such a fun idea that it might be worth it! A sheet of 20 first-class stamps in the small size on Zazzle is $14.95, while a sheet of 20 at the post office would only run you $8.40. And if you order more than one sheet, you get $2 taken off each order.

To get started making your very own unique postage stamps for your wedding Invitations ( or Bridal Shower, Engagement Party, Rehearsal Dinner, Wedding Favors, etc.), just visit the Zazzle website and have fun!

Electronic Invitations

Electronic wedding invitations are a great solution for wedding planning since there is so much attention on helping the environment. There are several ways to handle electronic invitations.

One option is to create a personal website with all of your wedding information. You can have your engagement picture, your registry listing and link, directions and maps and even some great music. You can send friends and relatives a message inviting them to your wedding with a link to the website.

Another option for electronic invitations is to send out all the announcement and invitation information via email to all of your guests. You can ask for an email RSVP from everyone. There are some great stationary pieces that you can use electronically to give the email a wedding feel and theme.

Invitation Etiquette

Ok - so my cousin is getting married. They decided to get married in Hawaii so a lot of family members are obviously not going to be attending because it is so far away. I never got an invitation to the wedding. Now, even though I would not be able to go…at least spend the $2 on the invitation to send me. However, they did send me an invitation to the bridal shower and the reception that they are going to have here in town before they go to Hawaii to get married. So, I was not invited formally to the wedding but you want me to go to the other events…just for my gift - so it seems. I just find this to be very rude and just in poor taste. What do you think?

Funky Retro Invitations from Bliss Ink

Tired of seeing the same boring invitations for weddings, but can’t find anything different and fun?

Check out these Retro Invitations from the Bliss Ink Signature Collection! They have polka dots, stars, and funky fonts that aren’t too “out there” – retro is hot, and your wedding invitations should be something your guests can’t stop talking about.

If your wedding is going to be a fun one, you shouldn’t feel forced to choose traditional invitations that are engraved and look formal and tired. Color is what’s happening, and your wedding invitations should be no different.

Bliss Ink is a fantastic company known for quality and reasonable pricing. They are known for having invitations that aren’t “just another invitation.” The styles are crisp and bold and call out to hipsters and non-traditionalists alike, letting you know your wedding doesn’t have to be like everyone else’s!

These invitations let your guests know what to expect at your wedding. Your guests will breathe a sigh of relief knowing your wedding isn’t going to be stilted and quiet. They will know your wedding is going to be just like you, fun and frisky – trendy but classy. Why shouldn’t you let your guests know from the moment the invitation is opened that your wedding is going to be absolutely as fun as you are? Having unique invitations is a way to not only stand out from the crowd, but it will increase your RSVP rate because your potential guests will know your wedding is going to be the event of the season.

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