Weddings are expensive. Just how expensive? Averages in recent years come in anywhere between $27,000 and $35,000 depending on your area of the country. Those are staggering numbers. Those numbers equal a new car, or a down payment on a house!I like to live life on the frugal side, and I've been very intentional about being as conservative as possible when planning my wedding which can be extremely difficult with a glamorous, southern theme. Looking at Save the Date and invitation suite ideas quickly became overwhelming regarding my budget. While I loved the beautiful pieces at some of the well-known invitation sites, I couldn't stand the price tag. We would be needing at least 150 complete suites, and some of the designs ran upwards of $1,000 for all the necessary pieces! Factor in postage, and my budget was blown.
So I began to consider other options. I'm not even sure how I initially stumbled upon Vistaprint, but I quickly realized that financially, this was the way to go. Vistaprint has a large selection of Save the Date and wedding invitation designs, some of which can be magnets or cards, and all in a variety of styles and sizes to fit your budget.
I was really particular about what Save the Date design I wanted. I knew this would set the tone for our big day. I also really wanted a vertical picture design for a magnet which ended up being harder to find than I could have ever expected! Luckily, Vistaprint also has a design option that I was able to utilize. I located a free Save the Date template that we both loved which I uploaded to the designer. Two steps, and I was done! The price {which ended up being less than a dollar a piece, thanks to a promotion running at that time} included the large magnet and matching envelopes, and more than fit into my budget.
My only issue with the Vistaprint process is that the freebie included envelopes are incredibly thin. For me, it wasn't a big deal to use them for the Save the Date mailings, and the inner envelope of the wedding invitation suite. But the amazingly quick production and shipping times easily make up for that small inconvenience. I received a lot of positive feedback about the magnets, which are not too thick or thin {just the right weight for a regular 49 cent stamp!}. I think everyone loved the vertical look as it really stands out on their refrigerator.
Christopher and I went back and forth about the best design for our wedding invitation. We're very traditional, so we tend to lean towards classic designs, but sometimes the invitation suite is the best place to throw in something a little trendier. Ultimately we decided on this customizable design from Vistaprint. There are a few popular color choices, and the pale pink was perfect for our wedding palette. There were also a few different paper weights and materials, to really customize each look to your liking.
Because I think the traditional two envelopes is important, I ordered matching pink envelopes from a different vendor. I loved how the paper shimmered in the light. I addressed everything with two different sized gold calligraphy pens from Hobby Lobby. The suite is wrapped up in a satin ribbon, with a gold wax seal featuring an 'M'. The wax seal was probably the coolest part, even though it took me forever. It's actual made to fit in the glue gun! Anyone who knows me knows that the idea of dripping wax neatly onto a specific spot was just not going to happen.
I’ve received a ton of wedding invitations in the last year or so, and I know a lot of friends who have planned weddings recently. With that being said—one of the biggest dilemmas facing brides and guests alike {myself included} is who to invite. For some, it's adults only. For others, no invitation is sent and it's just featured in the local newspaper. We found ourselves in an interesting mix with a very specific guest list.
In an effort to be clear from the beginning, and not hurt any feelings after assumptions were made, we created two RSVP cards. One was the traditional format, seen below, and the other was identical with the exception of a brief line stating "The bride & groom have reserved ___ seats for you." While addressing the inner envelope in theory should clearly identify who specifically is invited, this is not always the case. I have been invited to a few weddings where my long standing fiance was not included on the invitation. Of course spouses, fiance/fiancee's, and long-term significant others that we knew were included, but we felt that while we could not accommodate every sweet child or plus one, this would be the best way to communicate our inclusions.
We also decided to omit the traditional "M" on the RSVP response line, as neither of us are huge fans of it, and because it is becoming increasingly accepted and popular to remove the confusing "M!"
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P.S. Don't forget to number the backs of the RSVP cards in case a few are returned without names on them! This has been a lifesaver. Also, find a good tracking system to keep all addresses, names of invitees, and responses in one place. I've used this one, and it's been great!
