Thanks for stopping by! If you didn’t catch my first wedding planning update post, you can find it here.
At this point we’ve gotten all the major and date-sensitive to-do items booked/completed:

  • Date set and venue booked
  • Wedding gown ordered and delivered
  • Bridesmaids and flower girl dresses ordered
  • Reverend booked
  • DJ & uplighting booked
  • Photographer booked
  • Videographer booked
  • Engagement photo shoot
  • Save the Date cards ordered and mailed
  • Food tasting – entrées selected
  • Invitations and seating place cards ordered
  • Had first consult with florist for the bouquets, table centerpieces and gazebo décor

Now I am focusing more on the smaller details:

  • Bridal and flower girl accessories
  • Materials for DIY flower baskets and ring bearer pillow
  • Table accents – linens and table number holders
  • Wedding favors
  • Finalize florals for the bouquets, table centerpieces and gazebo décor
  • Groom and groomsmen suits selection
  • Cake tasting and design selection
  • Select hors d’oeuvres and late-night snacks, finalize menu

Save the Date Cards

If you read my first wedding planning update post you’ll know that from the time we finalized the date and booked the venue, we were left with a total of seven months to plan and pull everything together, so we’re moving pretty quickly! I can’t believe the wedding is now less than four months away! We haven’t run into any issues with our tight timeframe with the exception of our Save the Date cards. The rule of thumb is to send out Save the Date cards 6-8 months in advance (8-10 months for a destination wedding). I sent our cards out a little less than the five-month mark – this was due to our delay in securing a wedding photographer and availability for our engagement photo shoot. I was told that many photographers offer a complimentary engagement photo shoot in their wedding services packages, so we waited to have our engagement photos done until we secured a photographer for the wedding.
So ladies, if you intend on using your engagement photos for your Save the Date cards, I suggest getting your engagement photos taken soon after your engagement so you have them available when you are ready to design your cards and can mail them within the appropriate timeframe… or if you are working with a tight timeframe, make your engagement photo shoot/securing a photographer a top priority on your checklist.

I ordered our Save the Date cards through Minted.com. I felt that although their pricing is comparable to other sites, they have more to offer. I like that Minted works with a community of independent designers from all over the globe to offer stationary designs, art and home décor. They have a section of their site dedicated to weddings offering everything from invitations and ceremony programs to favor tags and wedding décor. They also promote their designers by offering an order discount for allowing the artist’s mark printed on the back of the cards,

Here is a breakdown of why I recommend Minted and details of my experience:

  • Breadth of Designs – This was the hardest part of the process – there are so many great designs to choose from! To assist in the selection process, Minted allows you filter designs by various options including color palette, number of photos you want to include in your design, style (rustic, modern, elegant…), orientation and text placement. Many of the Save the Date card designs carry over to invitations, ceremony programs, thank you cards and table number cards to create a collection and a cohesive look for your wedding. I chose the Gilded Landscapes design. I love the dual font style and wanted to include more than one photo on our cards. I thought the portrait style and the simple banner across the center really make the photos stand out.
  • Personalization – When you select a design, you can easily upload your photos into the design template. Any photos that you upload are saved in a photo library making it easy to swap photos when finalizing your design. Once you have images loaded, if you select a new design to view, your photo(s) automatically loads into the new design template for quick reference. You can easily modify text and move text boxes. Most of the designs have several color options to choose from or you can select a custom color of your choice. There are also various fun design options for the back of the cards.
  • Recipient Addressing – Minted offers free recipient addressing. Having the addresses printed on the envelopes saved time and I loved that they offered font styles that matched the cards I chose. To load the addresses, I simply downloaded their excel template, copied/pasted the addresses from my sheet into their template and uploaded the sheet back on their site. All of your addresses are quickly saved in your account for future mailings and can be edited manually if needed. You can also print your entire address book if you need a hard copy.
  • Proofing Process – I was very impressed with the proofing process. Shortly after you place your order, you receive a link to your enlarged digital proof – front and back. They allow you to insert text boxes where edits are needed. You can also scroll through each envelope to ensure your recipient addresses are correct and make any needed changes to your address book at this time. The graphic designers are very prompt with making edits – I had a minor edit and received a second iteration for review within an hour or so. I also appreciated that with each proof, they give you an approval deadline with an estimated delivery date.
  • Fast Delivery – Because I was behind on sending out Save the Date cards, I needed my order expedited. They offered expedited shipping at a reasonable rate. My cards were delivered three business days after I placed my order. I also received an adorable wedding packet that includes design, font and paper samples and a coupon for 15% off my next Minted wedding purchase.
  • Wedding Website – As a bonus, Minted gives you a free wedding website with many designs to choose from to share your love story, introduce your wedding party and provide all pertinent information for your guests such as event, registry and travel details. You can include your personal website address on your Save the Date cards or on your invitations/enclosure cards.

If you are looking for printed materials for your wedding, or even some unique art and home décor, head over to Minted and check them out! Through Monday, June 5th, Minted is offering new customers 20% off wedding orders (code: MAYNCWED20).

Thanks for following me on our wedding planning journey! You can find more of my wedding-related posts here.