Put Your Own Spin on the Pre-Invites
Your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life. As such, you probably want the most important people in your life to be there. The problem is that we all live very busy lives full of responsibilities, which can make it hard for everyone to make it to important events without enough notice, especially those who live in another city, state, or even country. The best way for you to ensure that all of the important family and friends in your life are able to make it to your wedding ceremony, is to give them plenty of time to mark off the date on their calendars. The sooner you let people know you’re tying the knot, the more likely they will be able to attend.
Why Send Save the Date Cards
The problem that many people run into when they are planning a wedding, is that it can often take so long to get all of the ceremony laid out for your invitations. Waiting until your invitations are done to inform friends and family of your upcoming nuptials can spell disaster. In some cases, your invitations may not go out until a couple months before your wedding, making it impossible for people to plan a trip to see you say your vows. The popular solution to this is the save the date card. Save the date cards have now become a ubiquitous wedding tradition, as they allow you to tell your friends and family you are getting married right away. As soon as you and your partner have chosen a date, you can let your family know to keep that date open.
Traditionally, people send postcard like notices out with the date and sometimes the location of the wedding listed. For a long time, simple was the key when sending out save the date card. However, these days couples are choosing to have a little more fun with their save the dates cards and saving the formality for the real invitations.
Have Fun with Your Photos
Since most save the date notices include a picture of the happy couple, you should think up a way to make the photo you are sending out fun and interesting. For example, instead of sending out a posed professional photo, you could instead take a trip to a photo booth and send out a collection of those ironically silly photo strips. You could also recreate a favorite movie poster or even turn yourselves into a cartoon.
Send Little Objects and Souvenirs
There are also dozens of save the dates ideas that involve sending little objects or souvenirs to your potential guests. You could send little boxes full of mini champagne bottles along with the notice of your upcoming celebration. You can also send along bags of confetti or little bubble containers that your guest can bring with them to the ceremony once it is time to celebrate. If you want to tell people the story of your relationship, you can make a mini flip book or send out a save the date tape or CD full of songs that tell your story. Other perfect ideas are little magnets and stickers that can stay on people’s refrigerators and inside their calendars.
Send Out a Digital Save the Date
Lastly, with the rise of the digital generation, comes the rise of the digital save the date cards. You can send little animated cartoons through email. You can also post a save the date video on YouTube or any other video sharing site. Keep in mind that when you choose to use technology to send your notices, you may want to have another backup plan for those in your family who may not be very tech savvy.
When you are sending out save the date cards, there are a few details you will need to get straight first. Make sure that you have the date of your wedding set in stone. You may need to book venue before you are able to do this as many wedding dates revolve around the availability of a specific place. You will also want to make sure that you are not sending out the card too far in advance. While the point of sending save the date cards is to get the word out before a standard invitation, sending them out too far ahead of time can be dangerous. Your venue may fall through, the date could change, or you may be in danger of the date slipping out of the mind if your guests. It is best to send your save the dates no more than nine to six months before the big day. Hopefully we’ve given some good ideas for you to put your own spin on this pre-invite trend!
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