Saving Your Date

Tips for crafting the perfect Save the Date card for you and your man

Oh, the classic “Save the Date” cards. Deciding the date that will mark the beginning of you and your husband’s lives together sits at the top of nearly every wedding planning list ever. Soon afterward, you have to let your guests in on that future anniversary date, and pretty far in advance.

The lower-key brides out there may be tempted to hand out Post-its with the date, or simply tell your BFF, “Okay, it’s June 3rd, pass it on.” (Or is that just me…?)

Well, as a future low-key bride, I’m here to tell you that Save the Dates can be just as crucial as the wedding invite itself. You and your future hubby get the opportunity to express your personalities and show who you are as a couple. What are your tastes? What do you like to do for fun? Here is your chance to display your interests for everyone to see, including family members who may or may not be extremely acquainted with the coolest, most awesome couple ever (that’s y’all!).

Do yourselves a favor and back away from some of the more common Save the Date lines: “He stole my heart, so I stole his last name, ” or “I/She said Yes!” While these expressions are perfectly acceptable and succeed in getting the whole marriage idea across, they do little to set you and your man apart from the thousands of other brides who chose the same catchphrase from their Pinterest board. Here are my (completely unprofessional and unofficial) tips for crafting the absolutely perfect Save the Date card for you and your main dude.

- Sponsors -

BE YOURSELF
Do something that just screams YOU! Don’t feel confined by convention or family expectations. Your Save the Dates should be fun, quirky, pretty, witty, colorful, dignified, sophisticated, satirical, whimsical….whichever combination of adjectives describes you best.

GET INSPIRED
As much as you want your Save the Dates to be original, don’t be afraid to browse a bit for inspiration. After all, there’s no need to reinvent the wheel if someone online has already figured out the perfect idea for you. But instead of lifting ideas and templates straight from the Web, use it as a tool to find color palettes, graphics and styles you love. Then, combine and alter ideas you like to suit your individual tastes.

TEST OUT THEMES
What’s the style of your wedding? Vintage? Modern? Beachy? Try incorporating that theme into your Save the Dates. Take your engagement photos (see below) and go the simple,  elegant route by pairing those photos with colors, fonts and motifs that complement the overall feel of your big day.

TAKE GREAT PICTURES
Find a photographer you trust and feel comfortable with. Whether it’s your cousin with a decent camera lens or a professional with glowing recommendations, the person capturing these wonderful, vulnerable, important moments of togetherness should make you feel not only like a star, but like you’re hanging out with a friend. You’ll feel more comfortable trying things on a whim or just letting go and looking as radiant as you are without the pressure of churning out “picture perfect” photos. Being yourself is the most surefire way to get the best photos of you with your fiancé.

FORGET THE RULES
And, lastly, forget all the rules. If you want to go the Post-it route, who am I to say that’s not the best way? The only rule is to do what you and your man like. Pick photos that make you both feel comfortable; choose a theme that makes you both smile and laugh; stay true to who you are as a couple. After all, that’s what this is all about, right?

For ideas and inspiration for your Save the Dates, check out our Pinterest board!

Get the best of Mobile delivered to your inbox

Be the first to know about local events, home tours, restaurant reviews and more!