When thinking about your save the date cards, try to think creatively and give your guests something wonderful to open and inform them that you are about to be married.  Maybe even include a gift with your save the date card – a small novelty gift or something edible will make your guest feel special for very little cost.  If you have a large wedding in mind, you might want to do these special save the date cards for a select number in your wedding party to keep costs down.

Within your save the date cards, include details of a website or blog which you have set up to keep your guests informed of your wedding plans along the way – this is a great way to make everyone feel involved in your wedding and is a real talking point when everybody gets together on the actual day.

Embellish your save the date cards with a design of your own – maybe add a particular symbol or signature to each card to give it a real personal touch.  Include a photograph of you and your partner – or even of you and the particular guest that you are sending the save the date card to.

Whatever you decide to do for your save the date cards, we are sure they’ll look amazing and give you a very special reminder of your wedding day in the years to come.

And to add something a little bit special to make your save the date cards stand out from the crowd, choose a design which symbolises the location of your big day – whether it be a beach in the sun or a quaint country manor, here’s a few ideas to help you pick the right save the date cards to reflect your wedding venue…

Sunshine Vows – more couples than ever are choosing somewhere hot and tropical to have their wedding day.  Choosing save the date cards with a beach scene, or something symbolic like wedding rings on the sand is a great way to show off your upcoming overseas adventure.

The traditional English country house wedding is lovely.  With the manicured lawns, gorgeous landscaping, and marquees galore, this is a firm favourite for couples about to tie the knot.  In order to reflect this, save the date cards adorned with flowers are just perfect.

The religious affair – still the most popular venue for traditional weddings, a church venue offers a ceremony in the house of God.  Some people just couldn’t imagine their wedding any other way, and love everything about it – from walking down the aisle to the confetti on the church steps afterwards.  Save the date cards for this style of wedding should match the traditional spirit, perhaps featuring a couple at the church, confetti or some religious symbolism.

Contemporary weddings and becoming increasingly popular for younger couples who want to do something a little different.  From the registry office to the Las Vegas strip, there are no limits and save the date cards for these events are a free-for-all.  From the funky and fabulous to the deliberately secretive, go with what fits your theme best for this type of wedding.

The Internet has paved the way for save the date cards to become much more mainstream than a few years ago and many brides and grooms-to-be now decide to turn to the world wide web when it comes to choosing their perfect save the date cards.

The choice that you get when you push the power button is so vast that it can be hard to make a decision on the right wedding stationery for you.  What we feel is important is that you choose a company who are able to offer matching stationery across the whole range of stationery that you will need for your wedding.  From those initial save the date cards through to the thank you cards for after your special day, keeping a single theme and design will make your wedding look polished and chic.

The people who you decide you want to witness your marriage and subsequent celebration is very important so you should treat the guest list as a priority and pay it due attention.  As well as being one of the most important things you have to decide on for your wedding day, it can also be one of the most difficult too.  Wedding save the date cards obviously need to be sent to immediate family in most cases but deciding on the remainder of the guests is another matter.

The best thing to do is to make an initial list of people on both sides who factor in your lives.  Don’t neglect anyone who has recently become a part of your lives – you don’t have to have known someone for years for them to be special to you.  As well as your individual friends, don’t neglect shared friends too.  Once you have a list of everyone, split it into two columns of who you want to attend the ceremony and those guests who will be invited to the reception.  Consider your budget and the balance of people you are inviting.

You will have to make some difficult decisions, let down certain people and maybe even cause a few arguments too.  What you need to remember is that this is your day and you have the right to send save the date cards to whoever you choose.  It’s not always easy but persevere and you will be surrounded by special people on your wedding day and have the most amazing time with those that you love.

The bride’s head will be full of things that need doing, deadlines, budgets, colours, dresses…the list is endless.  So, if you are a bridesmaid, you can play a big part in helping to keep the bride calm and organised in preparation for her wedding day.

First up, act like a bride yourself and know what needs to be sorted.  This usually means that save the date cards will need to be one of the first things that are organised, so that everyone is informed of the intended wedding date and can make sure that they keep it free.

Next up, ask the bride what you can do to make her life easier.  She won’t want you to make decisions for her, but phoning round and getting quotes on her behalf will be a huge weight off her shoulder.  Offer to go with her to any appointments and view potential venues, dresses, accessories and anything else that she can think of – especially if the groom-to-be is unable to make any appointments.

One the save the date cards are in the bag and people know when and where the wedding is going to be, you can get on with the very important task of organising a hen do!  Take hints from the bride, speak to the other girls who will be taking part and organise something truly memorable.

I have seen many different designs over the years- flowers, ribbons, palm trees, animals, kids…  and all of them have really reflected the couple that have sent them out.  A friend recently went through weeks and weeks of looking for something that was very ‘them’ but really couldn’t come up with anything (she’s a designer by trade so was always going to be hard to please!)

She eventually resigned herself to designing her own and used small squares of mirror with the details etched upon them.  They cost her a small fortune in materials and then they all had to be either hand delivered or packaged very carefully before sending!  But, the end result was that she adored her save the date cards / mirrors, and that’s what’s important.  Whether you buy them, make them, beg, steal or borrow them, you know when you’ve got the right ones and can get down to the business of writing to all of your guests with your happy news!

On average, 50-60% of a wedding budget is spent on the food and drink alone, so don’t feel pressured into providing what is ‘expected’ but instead focus on what you truly want from your food and drink.  A good way to keep costs down and to have a more informal affair is to include on your save the date cards that you plan on having a dessert reception.

By including it on your save the date cards (and following up on your formal invitations), you are letting your reception guests know that you’ll feed them with cake but not with a main meal.  This also means that you can have a vast array of different desserts to choose from – which is a plus in my book!  Kids will also be over the moon and your reception will officially be known as the best wedding of the year to any children attending the event!

Your save the date cards will often be one of your very first purchases if you are planning a wedding and the company that you choose to use really does matter.  Word of mouth and referrals have traditionally been  a significant source of business for companies in the wedding stationery industry.  This is because people trust recommendations from others – especially if it comes from friends and family.  People planning for their wedding day are surrounded by the wedding business all the time and they talk about it with others, sharing both the positives and negatives of the experiences that they have had.  A solid reputation amongst customers can help to drive success for a wedding stationer for many years to  come.

When you are thinking about which company to trust with your wedding stationery needs, have a look for online testimonials and forum feedback on the company you are considering to do business with.  When you are confident is which one you want to go with you can relax, gets those save the date cards ordered and get on with planning your wedding.

You can purchase packs of blank cards from many craft stores and have a go using a theme which is personal to you and your new bride or groom.  If he is into golf, then try making a golf-inspired card, or use green as your base colour.  If she loves everything pink and fluffy then take this into account and make your save the date cards accordingly.

If you are not up to the challenge of creating them from scratch but still want something very personal, head to TheCardGallery.co.uk where you can use their card designer to personalise some beautiful save the date cards which will impress your guests.

If you are looking for save the date cards, take a look at their lovely ‘ring’ designs.  They also do many differrn types of flowers so whether you are a Lily fan or just adore traditional roses, there’s something for everyone.  Don’t forget to check out their monochrome designs also, which are simply stunning.  If colourful designs are more your thing, they have bright gerbera designs or pastel perfect save the date cards.

Take a look online now and see if there’s something just perfect for your wedding.