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Get creative with your Save the Date cards! If you’ve decided to send a photo save the date announcement, have fun with it. Whether you hire a professional photographer or decide to have a friend take your photo, here are some unique ways to send your save the dates.

1. Great for Save the Dates or Thank You cards, this photo just requires two plain t-shirts and stick-on vinyl lettering which you can get everywhere from Office Depot to various online stores. (MarthaStewart.com)

2. Another idea is to have your photo taken during certain holidays. Dress up in costumes as a bride and a groom, or dress up your pets (costumes from Buycostumes.com) for a funny and certainly unique Save the Date Card.

3. If you are lucky enough to have your proposal on film, use it in your save the date cards as a creative way to introduce friends and family to your engagement and your upcoming wedding.

Here are a few unique cards to ask that your guests save the date!

We adore Wedding Bee’s idea for making your own charming little drink umbrellas for your wedding reception! This way you can make your own Signature Cocktail, as Diva Dialogue blogger Tara wrote about, and decorate it with a little of your signature style as well!

If you are considering making these charming little umbrellas, we recommend using leftover wedding invitations and save the date cards. They will perfectly match the style of your wedding and your wedding colors, and they have the perfect consistency for the project. Just think how gorgeous these engagement party, shower and wedding invitations would look as accessories for your bright drinks and cocktails!

Lately it seems everyone around me is getting engaged and, true to form, all of the weddings seem to be within the same 2-month period.  Normally, this would be a really exciting time for me–I’d get to see all of my closest friends and family while celebrating at a great event.  However, living in California, I am anywhere from 500 to 3000 miles away from most of the weddings I have to attend.  This can pose quite a problem with plane fares being what they are, not to mention time off from work!  Throw in some showers, bachelorette parties and even some engagement parties, and I have quite the schedule to work out!

That’s why it’s important for every bride-to-be (and their families and friends!) to make sure they get the word out about their various events with time to spare.  Of course, they want all of the people closest to them to be present at their event.  But, depending on the date and number of out of town guests, that can be quite a challenge.

The general rule that most people should follow is to get party invitations out at least three weeks in advance, with a month being even better.  As far as wedding invitations go, anywhere from 6 to 8 weeks is best.  If you follow these rules, you’ll give all of your out of town guests time to  schedule and save on flights, take vacation time and truly get excited about your event.  If your event falls on or near a holiday, it’s best to give them as much notice as you can.

And don’t forget–Wedding Paper Divas has some great Save-the-Date cards that will let your guests start planning well before the big day.  These can be sent out anywhere from 4 to 9 months in advance, so you can assure that everyone will be available to celebrate!

An article on MSN.com caught my attention. Titled, “Biggest Wedding Regrets,” it reported various responses from newly married brides about the things they wished they had done differently. I’m listing a few of my own regrets with some from the article here. Hopefully, it’ll get those of you who are in the process of planning to realize the imperfection of all weddings, as well as help those who have already gotten married to accept your wedding’s little mistakes and dramas.

1) RECEPTION

One bride regretted having a chocolate fountain at her wedding because of the mess it caused with the flower girls and their dresses. She recommended either not having one or packing a kit filled with things like towelettes in case of this type of emergency. Another bride wished that she hadn’t relied on online maps as directions. To prevent your guests from getting lost, run through the directions at least once and then make sure to include direction cards with your invitations.

2) BRIDES

Brides regretted everything from wearing false eyelashes to not having a picture of the bustle before the actual wedding. The main theme here involves the importance of practicing beforehand. Make sure you try on everything prior to the big day.

3) WEDDING PLANNING

I wished I hired a wedding coordinator earlier in the process, and that I hired a videographer so my dad wouldn’t have felt like he was “working” during my reception. Think about whether you would rather spend a few thousand dollars for a more reputable company or for additional services.

Another bride said that she regretted doing her own invitations. Again, I think it’s important to weigh the cost of time versus money. Spending a little more money might be worth it if in return you’re getting better quality vendors and less stress from doing your own invitations. Also, I ordered my stationery online from Wedding Paper Divas (Wild Grass Save the Dates) to save money without having to sacrifice style or taste.

photo from: The Knot

I love checking out other wedding blogs, so was intrigued when I read Simply Stated: Nearly Wed recently. The blogger’s entry was a debate about save the date cards and whether they were necessary or overdone in weddings today.

According to the Wedding Report, a 2008 industry trend calls for couples to personalize their complete wedding suite, which includes Save the Date Announcements. And, while most are used specifically for destination weddings or weekend weddings, I personally think that they are a beautiful and fun way to introduce your wedding to guests early.

I’ve received several types of save the date cards in the past, from magnets to photo cards, and have always enjoyed getting them. In addition, if you have a lot of out of town guests like I did, or your wedding date is near a major holiday, and you may want to ensure that the majority of your guests will come by sending out one of these cards as a nice courtesy. Here are a few fresh save the date designs from Wedding Paper Divas that I love.

Blooming Branches

Berry Buds Ecru Save the Date Cards: Chocolate

Fern Save the Date Cards

It’s hard to believe that summer’s almost over, and with the upcoming fall season just around the corner, I thought I’d prepare you with gorgeous gowns and autumn-inspired save the dates. Enjoy my Fall Inspiration Board.

1. Guests will love you for giving them something unique that they can actually use. Modern Bride’s idea to give out burlap bags filled with apples and apple pie recipes is chic and sweet. 2. Who else but Martha Stewart could come up with those beautiful and creative boutinnieres? 3. The Knot’s Fall wedding cake is untraditionally modern. 4. This Jessica McClintock bridesmaid’s dress comes in a variety of colors, and is a steal at only $130. 50. The gorgeous orange calla lilies come from The Knot’s real weddings. 5. I love Vera Wang, and her Fall 2008 bridal runway on Brides.com is no exception! 6. I may be biased but I think Wedding Paper Divas’s Maple Leaves Ecru Save the Dates are perfect for a fall wedding.