Save the Dates

6 months from the big day... it's time for Save the Dates!

I think I've been excited about the Save the Dates even before the engagement.  Since being in college, I've never seen so many Save the Dates hanging on my friends' fridges and displayed in my own house.  So after the proposal, Toby and I started immediately brainstorming on how we could order our own Save the Dates for a good price while also being able to customize them just the way we wanted them.

If you're engaged, have a daughter/son getting married (or are single and planning your wedding a little in advance), here's my advice to you when it's time to order those little cards that have become such a big deal in the wedding planning process.

First things first... pick your favorite pictures.  

Toby and I had a little trouble deciding between the 300 AMAZING engagement pics that the talented Lori Hensley took of us, but we finally narrowed it down to two.  ((Pick your fave ten, then five, and then go from there.))

Then... decide on a format and a price.

Do you want magnets, notecards, coasters, postcards, stickers...? ((Really, the list goes on and on.))

Do some research and see what's out there.  Then see what's the best bargain for what you want.

We originally wanted magnets, but after figuring out how much we would have to spend on the magnets, envelopes and postage for more than 300 Save the Dates, we decided that double-sided postcards would be the wisest decision.  Besides, people are going to put us on the fridge anyway, right?  ;)

Next... create.

The company we decided to order from allowed us to completely customize our postcards, which was a really nice feature!  Some websites place restrictions on how many pictures and words you're allowed to include.  In the end, I was extremely happy with our Save the Dates!

We ordered "standard postcards-4x6" from 123print.com, which is also the same website I used to create my Miss Nashville autograph cards last year (so they definitely can be used for multiple purposes).  They do great work, and their products are really nice!  

Front:

 Back:

 

 All-in-all, we spent just under $80 on 500 double-sided Save the Dates and the envelopes with our return address printed on the back.  I call that a deal!