More on Save the Dates!

My last post was a lot of words. Today, I have some pictures for you. Here we go!

This comes to me from my friend Kelly. She and Blake will be married in August. What can I say? I LOVE this. Notice the simple wording- names, dates, and "invitation to follow". That's all you need. The picture is adorable. They look so happy and Kelly looks beautiful in blue. The design is perfect! It's flirty, fun, and I absolutely cannot wait for August 16th. Remember what I said yesterday about leaving your guests wanting more? This is what I meant. I think this is a great example of functionality and artistry. The best part?? She did these herself! That's right, my crafty little friend drew these up in Photoshop. They were printed on high-quality photo paper and sent in a sweet little envelope (Which I don't have for you b/c The Hubbs threw it away). These cards measure 4x6 a standard postal standard, but these could easily be made into postcard size. This would save both paper and postage. I think this is huge for bargain-savvy brides! This shows us that with a little ingenuity and an eye for color and design, we can take control of our weddings and save a little money doing it.

This one is ours. Yep, this is your first glimpse of the Burgess/Ellingen invitation suite. Again, we stuck with the simple wording. Names, dates and "invitation to follow". We went with a big, bold format to really catch the eye of the recipient. I chose a square shape to make it stand out even more from the mail one usually receives. The design is simple but elegant and, I think, accurately gives our guests a taste of what's to come. Our biggest challenge was amping up what can usually be a casual announcement to fit the theme of the formal evening wedding we were having. We also had a lot of out of town guests so these went out in two waves. Out of towners first, then locals.

Our cards were designed by my friend/Bridesmaid Allison. They were thermographed by Paper Envy here in Milwaukee....well rather, Elm Grove (more about Paper Envy as we roll along). These were a little more expensive, but by having our friend design them and buying our deliciously shiny paper in bulk, we really did save quite a lot.

Save the Date cards are necessary. More impotantly, they're exciting! Have fun with them! Announce your wedding with a bang!