Saving Our Date

Ohh…the Save the Dates. Before getting engaged I always loved receiving couples' Save the Dates in the mail. I love stationary and seeing what other couples’ chose to represent themselves and their future wedding was so fun and exciting! Well then it was time for us to figure out Save the Dates and boy, did the fun kind of get lost in the shuffle. First finding the style was an issue in itself, my fiance and I just couldn’t agree. Then it was the guest list and finally the addressing, stamping, labeling, and sealing of 115 envelopes is where I almost lost it. Those cute, exciting announcements almost caused a mini meltdown. Especially when I was on my last page of labels and I accidentally printed the wrong addresses. Ugh anyways, enough with my rant. Since I love stationary, I looked at lots of options from Internet stores, brick and mortar, and DIY options. We ended up choosing something from PaperSource which we both agreed fit our style the best. Here are a few of my very favorites that we didn't end up choosing:

Source: Pretty Chic SF via Etsy

Source: Ladyfingers Letterpress

Source: Minted

Saving the Date {paperlessly}

This week I have been checking things off the list! We are about to sign a contract with our caterer (post to come), I went dress shopping again and went to Paper Source to look at different invitation styles. We also decided to do e-Save-the-Dates and have them almost ready to send out. It's getting real!

Like I've mentioned before, I love paper! My first choice would have been to do a crafty and unique Save the Date, but we decided to go the 'e' route for a couple reasons - cost: by going through a website we were able to get a really cute design for almost free. Time: we were able to get our Save the Dates picked out and ready to go in a matter of a few hours. Logistics: we needed to get people to our website where they could get more info on accommodations. By creating a save the date that will come through email to our guests, our wedding website is just a click away. I was pleasantly surprised to find a ton of super cute designs on sites like Paperless Post and cocodot. Many of the designs are free and the rest are very reasonably priced.

Sources: Paperless Post and cocodo

Did you or would you consider doing an e-Save the Date?

Save the Date! {Paper Inspiration}

This weekend my goal was to send out our save the dates. With my job, I design invitations to all kinds of events all the time, however it was very fun to finally get to design something that was entirely for me and JB. This has probably been the most daunting job for me simply because of the inspiration overload that I keep talking about. From letterpress, to printed balloons and magnets to film strips, here are some of my very favorites.

one, two, three, four, five, six

JB and I have been together for almost six years (2.5 of which were in high school), because of this we have done a TON of monumental things together from attending senior prom to venturing abroad to moving in to college dorms. I wanted a way to remind people of all the things we've done together in a simple, concise and adorable way...enter, the punch card.

We are punch card fanatics, if your restaurant has a punch card, you better bet that we'll fill that card for the free froyo, sandwich...So we decided to combine our love of punch cards with a list of the things we've done together and there you have it, a *hand-punched* punch card ending with an un-punched "Vow I do."

Kraft envelopes are my favorite and with my mom's swirly handwriting they are the perfect amount of whimsy and handmade. The one thing I wish I could have done was to use antique stamps on the envelopes (like number six above), but when I really looked at my budget, it just wasn't something I chose to do. I ordered the rubber stamps with our return address and the heart with "JB and Taylor" from  RubberStamps.net and even though it said 7-10 days, they had it to me in 5. Plus on this site, you can easily upload any .jpg image, see a preview and order a stamp (aka you can use your own handwriting for a stamp to make everything look perfectly handmade).

Next, on to the invitations! I want something more elegant for the invites, but still modern and fun. My mom is an incredible artist, so I would love to use her work. What do you think, hand painting, watercolor, more with the modern typography like the save the dates, what's your pick?

Save the Date...with Personality!

This weekend, Dan and I took our engagement photos! I thought it was going to be awkward, but it really wasn’t. It turned out to be a lot of fun, and really, quite romantic! During our shoot, we took some photos that we are hoping to use in our Save the Dates. That got me thinking about how much fun Save the Dates can be, and can be a great way to show your personality, and set the tone for the wedding. And, since there isn’t as much tradition associated with Save the Dates as there are with formal invitations, it gives you a lot of leeway to do something really creative, unique, funny, quirky—or whatever fits you!

Here are some interesting ideas I found.

These are really unique and out-of-the-box ideas.

Sources: Balloons, 3D, Ribbon

Lots of people use engagement photos for save the dates, but these are a few ways to put a unique twist on that idea.

Source: Tree, Fun Slide, Dog, Grass, Traveler

And I'm a sucker for something a little geek-chic :)

Sources: Mac, Infographic, Scrabble

Finally, never under estimate the power of something simple and beautifully designed. How gorgeous and simple are these?

Sources: Letter, Illustration, Date

I think we are going to go a little quirky and tongue-in-cheek, but still simple. One of my bridesmaids is doing a fabulous stop-motion animation video for her wedding, that hopefully she'll let me share with you all when it's ready :) Do you guys have any other unique save the date ideas? Anyone going crazy with their save the dates? Send your ideas!

Chalkboards Add Instant Vintage

Source: Sarah Hearts, Vintage Amethyst, Little White Book, Get Married, Joy De Vivre, Elizabeth Anne, Wedding Paper Divas, I have a serious obsession with chalkboards. I plan to use these a lot in my wedding plans to add a touch of vintage to the space. There are so many different ways to display chalkboards, and the how-to is incredibly easy!

Recently, people have been using chalkboard tape to add a little something extra to containers. Then there are more traditional chalkboards which can be made using regular picture frames or old windows. Having the cute frame around the chalkboard makes it that much more presentable.

The how-to to turn anything into a chalkboard is pretty easy. Most hobby and craft stores have chalkboard spray which you simply spray over the area. It's so easy to change anything into a chalkboard and add instant vintage!

Love Print Your Party

Some of the newest work from Print Your Party!

The major reason why I love Print Your Party is because you can get all the little paper items that you wanted, but for less money! Printing it yourself saves so much money you would be spending, and the designs as fantastic and innovative!

We used them for our engagement party and for our invitations! They were able to make them how I wanted which was really awesome!These new designs just make my head whirl with new bright ideas for my wedding parties :)