After photographing couples for their engagement photos I often receive subsequent messages about ordering save the dates. The number one question I'm asked....
Where is the best place to order save the date cards?
Here's the thing - there isn't a one-size-fits-all answer for this. What I can delve are my own experiences.
When I was engaged in 2012, the wedding industry was a different space. There were fewer options for customized save the dates and fewer vendors who sold them. I had a friend in public relations (thanks Britny!) who designed our save the date postcards because the exact vision I was seeking simply wasn't available online. The process was tedious and the production was difficult to proof. I leveraged a professional printer contact in my network for the printing so that I could see the end result in person without wasting money blindly signing off on a proof online.
The Best Save The Date Cards
Times have changed and the wedding industry has evolved since 2012. Now my clients can download their images from their online gallery and immediately upload a high resolution photograph to a platform like https://www.basicinvite.com. What took me weeks to accomplish can be done in minutes. That is, assuming you can narrow down a favorite template!
Unique save the dates are best. By 'unique' I mean, true to your story as a couple. If your significant other proposed in a sunflower field, a sunflower save the date would make your love story that much sweeter. Those sort of subtle details really help tether guests to your event and establish a brand (or theme). What will make your engagement and wedding memorable to your guests will be how you personalize your story - not a bottomless budget.
Basic Invite Does It All
I spend a great deal of time ushering my clients toward tools that work for them. I don't share about products that are hard to use or cookie cutter. Here are some perks to ordering through Basic Invite:
Free Wedding Websites - Their easy-to-use wedding websites (which are also mobile friendly) are completely customizable! Your palette comes with 180 custom colors and you can design your online presence to (this is my favorite part) match your printed wedding materials. You can easily share all of your wedding details, upload engagement photos, and add convenient maps and directions for your wedding festivities.
Almost Unlimited Colors - Basic Invite offers nearly unlimited color options with instant previews online. You can change the color of each element on a project, with more than 180 different color options. The card can be customized down to the tiniest detail. This makes the experience with Basic Invite unique to other online stationery companies.
Custom Samples - There's just something about holding a product in your hand and knowing what you're getting before you commit to a huge order. Basic Invite allows you to order printed samples of products with your personalized details. Check print colors, paper quality, and product sizing before making any final decisions.
Over 40 Different Colors of Envelopes - The envelopes that pair with stationary are just as colorful. You can choose from more than 40 different envelope colors so that Basic Invite can make an invitation stand out even before it is opened. All envelopes are peel and seal, friends.
900+ Wedding Invitation Sets - Every wedding invitation is part of a set (think save the dates, wedding invitations, enclosure cards, wedding menus, wedding programs, and even matching thank you cards). Forget hunting for hours on various other websites trying to eyeball a close match.
Free Address Collection Service - Use a free address collection service to request all addresses with just three simple steps. Share a link via social media or email, collect addresses, and get free envelope printing.
Seal & Send Wedding Invitations - Basic Invite's seal and send wedding invitations are an all-in-one wedding invitation with a tear-off RSVP postcard included. The Seal & Send is their newest collection. For many reasons, brides LOVE them. There are more than 30 designs - including foil options. What's special about Seal & Sends are that guest's addresses are printed on the front of each invitation so no envelope is necessary! All you have to do is share a link, collect guest addresses, and upload them onto your design. Once you receive your order all you have to do is add postage, fold your invites, and secure them with a sticker!
This special time is about YOU and the love story that you are creating with your significant other. Take your time choosing a product, material, and color scheme that matches your love story best. Above all, remember that at the end of the day you get to wed your better half and the decisions in between get you one step closer!
Learn more about @basicinvite
Meanwhile, if you liked what you read here, be sure to explore more wedding-related posts on my blog.