If you are planning a luxury wedding, every detail should be carefully considered and the save the date cards are no exception. While it’s tempting to just throw a photo on a postcard and send it in the mail quickly, it’s important to remember that the save the date is the very first thing your guests will see and tells them quite a lot about the type of wedding you’re hosting. Make it count!
Designing save the date cards for weddings is something we’ve been doing here at Dodeline for 15+ years. While we’re always happy to do something quick and easy, ideally we prefer to start working out the design aesthetic with the save the date so that everything comes together cohesively — all the way down to the place card. That level of thoughtfulness and detail is one of the main things that sets luxury wedding invitations apart from the crowd.
So, how do you design an elegant save the date card to announce the date? Let’s begin!
1. When and where?
We will often get calls from excited fellow paper loving couples before they have even settled on the date and venue. While we love to chat and brainstorm, it’s pretty important to have that piece locked in before we begin the save the date. Even if you think your design aesthetic will be the same regardless, being sure of the venue, time of year, etc. will quite possibly influence the design.
Once you have the date and venue locked in, we can more reliably discuss the décor, color scheme, and more.
2. Who is invited?
One of the biggest holdups in the save the date phase of wedding stationery is the guest list. You have to generate it from scratch most likely and that takes a lot more time than you would think. Plus, it’s not just gathering addresses — it’s determining who is actually getting invited, what your venue can accommodate, what your budget will allow, and more.
We can design the most beautiful luxury wedding invitations in the world, but if you don’t have your addresses ready, they’re not much use. So work on that address list pronto!
3. How formal will the wedding be?
Getting a sense from the beginning of how formal the wedding will be will really help steer the design direction. A luxury wedding is typically going to be on the more formal side, but not always. You could certainly throw a coastal grandmother inspired linen and rattan seaside affair if that’s what you’re going for! Knowing if the wedding is black tie formal in a ballroom or barefoot on the beach will help ensure the save the date cards for wedding support the vibe.
4. Now, what’s your aesthetic?
With the key information decided, we can look at mood boards and imagery to get the aesthetic right. Some of the ways we like to start conveying the wedding vibe include with the save the dates include:
- Using one of the wedding colors as the envelope color (stands out in the mailbox!)
- Designing a crest or monogram to be used throughout the wedding stationery and debuting it on the save the date
- Celebrating the wedding destination city and/or venue with custom artwork
- Using wedding colors as ink colors for type and design elements
- Selecting typography that we know we will be able to use all the way to the place card
- Elevating the print by using a higher end, luxury printing method like letterpress, engraving, thermography and more
5. Don’t forget the addressing!
After all that time and effort, don’t compromise the beauty and thoughtfulness of your save the date design by throwing a run-of-the-mill label on the envelope. Typically, your stationer can provide elegant invitation addressing to match the font, color, and style of the save the date inside the envelope. We at Dodeline certainly can ! 😊
From Save the Date to Luxury Wedding Invitations
Once your save the date cards for wedding are in the mail, sit back and enjoy the compliments and excitement. Hopefully, you got them sent off at least 6 to 8 months before the wedding, because it won’t be long after that that it’s time to turn your attention to your luxury wedding invitations.
Here at Dodeline, we’ve been designing high end wedding invitation cards for over 15 years. We offer everything from flat printing to blind embossing, engraving, letterpress, custom laser cuts and more. Let’s set up a time to discuss your elegant, personalized wedding stationery! Reach out to us here.
Happy wedding planning!
Xoxo
Sarah and the Dodeline Design Team
Leave a Reply