After Matt and I picked our date, confirmed our ceremony and reception locations, and created a Web site, we decided it was time to tell our guests what was going on. Save-the-date cards have become an important part of wedding stationery because they tell guests—especially ones who have to travel—the important details.
As I mentioned in my last post, Matt and I dedicated minimal funds to stationery because we planned to go the DIY route. But last time, I forgot to tell you my DIY rule: It’s only worthwhile if I’ll actually save money. Why go through all the effort of DIY if it might not save us anything?
I started our save-the-date search at the DIY bride’s best friend—Michaels. This store has everything you’d need for DIY wedding stationery. It’s a great bargain, especially if you use the 40-percent-off coupon from the Sunday paper. I estimated that we could send out DIY save-the-dates for less than $50, before postage.
Before we started the project, I tested my DIY rule to make sure this was the least expensive way to go. I Googled “cheap save-the-dates” and found multiple online print shops that sold wedding stationery. One company, Vistaprint, caught my eye because I had used it a long time ago for a college project. I calculated the price of Vistaprint’s save-the-dates to be $39.10, including shipping, for 130 notecards with envelopes.
For Matt and me, it wasn’t a tough choice between DIY and Vistaprint. If the cost would be about the same, we figured it would be much easier to use Vistaprint. Plus, it offered a lot of cute designs that would have been difficult to create ourselves. We were really happy with the save-the-date we chose. It was cute and, more important, provided the necessary information for guests.
Stationery Lessons From Bride On a Budget:
• If you plan to use an online print shop for any wedding stationery, request a sample of its wedding products. Most companies will let you order specific samples for free or send you a wedding-stationery packet—that’s what Vistaprint did. It’s the best way to see the quality of the product you’re ordering.
• If you’re on a tight budget, stationery is a great place to save money, especially with save-the-dates. They’re parked on guests’ fridges for a few months, so don’t stress about the quality of the paper. Just make sure it provides all the necessary information.
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