Save the date cards; a do or a don't?

Many couples are opting to send out save the date cards before sending out their invitations, but is this worth while? And when should they be sent out?

There are two main times when save the date cards can be extremely handy; for weddings taking place during the school holidays, and Christmas.

The summer is a busy time for guests. There are summer holidays to go on, children’s activity clubs to drop the kids off at, and weddings. Millions of weddings! This is where save the date cards are handy!

The general rule of thumb is you send out the proper wedding invitations about 10-12 weeks before your big day. This is not too close to the day that  people already have prior engagements, but not too far away that they forget/loose the invitation (or look desperate!).

Save the date cards for summer weddings are best sent out 6 months before the actual day. No information other than who is invited and the date need be on the cards, it is simply so they can write it in their diary. And don’t forget, name names – if you are only inviting your friend and not their other half then make this clear, likewise if children are not invited to the wedding; this will cause major issues down the line if it is not clear.

This is also the case when sending these cards if you are having a Christmas wedding. Christmas is family time and hectic with present buying, family get together’s etc, so make sure you give people plenty of notice. I’d probably go as far to suggest sending the save the date cards at least 8months in advance.

This is also an easy introduction into DIY stationery if you decide to go down that route. After all, not much can go wrong on a wallet sized card can it…?! If when making these cards you realise that you are terrible at crafts and never want to see a glue stick or piece of ribbon again, then you have 6months to recitfy this and budget company made invitations into your budget.

Save the Date Card Ideas

There are lots of ways to make save the date card, with the most popular recently being by magnet. There are two main ways to create these:

Card and magnetic strip; decorate a wallet sized piece of card and use an adhesive magnet strip to form the magnet. Quick easy, and pretty cheap if you research craft sellers for the materials.

Pre-made magnets; you can buy plastic pre-made magnet cases from craft shops, ebay and other online stores for pretty cheap. The front usually pops off using a pin to wedge it out, and then you can insert your message inside. They are more expensive than simply sticking a magnet to a piece of card, but they last longer and are more interesting!This is also a nice favour to give someone thanking them for attending your wedding!

There is of course the traditional way of creating a save the date card; a wallet sized piece of card with the basic details on. This is the cheapest physical option you will come across. Cardstock can be cut up into small pieces and decorated and if you are using A4, you should get at least 20 cards from one piece of card

A save the date card idea from the website www.minted.com

Other options

Technology can be a blessing when you are a bride on a budget! Email and text messaging are practical free ways of sharing your news and date. The only downfalls with this are that not everyone owns a PC or mobile. Your Granny in the Highlands of Scotland may be extremely traditional and refuse any of that “new fangled rubbish” family members try and encourage her to use. So be prepared to send a physical copy to those guests who would appreciate it.

If you do choose to sent your information via a technological method, a lovely way is by using www.smilebox.com. This site allows you to edit online scrapbook pages to send to people via email. There are loads of designs and a wide range of categories, and best of all it is free! You can print these out at home, or send off for them to be printed as well, but you have to pay for that benefit.

On a seperate note…

All my materials for making my invitations came through today, so I will start uploading pictures of my progress when I get a chance to make some. I am going for a very minimalist look consisting of white cards with a sheer vellum overlay and a white ribbon to hold it all together. Well, thats the plan at the moment…!