Happy Slingshot Birds Save the Date Card

How is this for offbeat? A save the date card with two happy birds flying towards... their wedding cake.

No angry birds here! Just some good humor for those engaged couples who love the game "Angry Birds". Have fun with your wedding :-)

PS: This can be made as a fridge magnet.

Save the Date + Happy Holidays

Around this time of the year, I start to receive questions like "can I send save the dates out with my holiday cards"? and "How to I mail save the dates out with my christmas cards?"

Can you? Yes. But... you have to make sure that you send save the dates in ONLY with those family members that are sure to receive an invitation later. "Save the date for my wedding" does not equal "announcing my engagement". If you want to stick with just announcements, those were around long before save the dates were.

How do you? Well, if you are getting a save the date card and a holiday card, it's as simple as putting both in the envelope. If you are getting magnets, though, and the card isn't the same size as the magnet, you could end up with the magnet edges scratching the card in transit- doesn't look the best. Two options are to make your card so that part of it holds the magnet, or to include the magnets in their own little envelopes.

Slits or photo corners with a folded card that is printed with a holiday message would work well for a holder holiday card.

There are mini envelopes available for both the 2x3.5 inch and 2.5x4 inch magnet sizes. These smaller sizes are problematic for mailing on their own- you can't mail anything out that is smaller than 3.5x5 inches with the US postal service. But included inside another envelope? Perfect.

Save the Date Originals is preparing the holiday section right now... those who order either the 2x3.5 or 2.5x4 inch save the date magnets with holiday cards get mini envelopes for free.

No, your save the date doesn't *have* to be christmas themed either. If your wedding is actually going to be the following winter, that works out well, but otherwise, go with the colors and theme that you would normally go with.

Visit the holiday card section.

Metallic

Sometimes a customer will ask me if I can print on "glossy" paper when they are not actually looking for a smooth clear gloss. What they are looking for is that kind of paper that has a shimmer to it. This card stock or paper is called "pearlescent" or "metallic".

Personally, I love shimmery cards! White shimmer, cream shimmer, silver shimmer, you name it. Any invitation or save the date card is more awesome on pearlescent paper.

Taking care of business(es) part 7

There are a few things that a businesses can do to incorporate fridge magnets into their marketing.

The first option is obvious. A small to mid sized magnet that is essentially and advertisement for the business.

Example: 4x2.5 inch magnet for an Inn.

A second option is to put something useful on the magnet, and then to include a logo or website somewhere on the magnet. What might your customer find useful? Perhaps a local list and emergency or city phone numbers. Maybe a year calendar. Both of those options are excellent for keeping your business in a customer's mind in the short run, but after a year the calendar is no longer useful, and eventually, those phone numbers will change eventually.

Example: 8.5x11 inch calendar magnet.

A third option then is to choose some artwork, a fantastic photo, or maybe just a popular quotation about life and humor, as the focus of the magnet. This is somewhat like a "favor magnet" that just happens to have your logo or website link on it.

Here is an example of one of my own favor magnets, that includes a quote and champagne glasses. My website url is tucked right in there at the bottom.

Those are your basic options, but not the only ones. Each business might find a new way to use fridge magnets. Ziker Uniforms recently had an idea for magnets to hand out to their customers: 4x6 inch biographical magnets.

Ziker Uniforms has been around since 1917 helping businesses manage thier image and employee benefit programs.

The company recently re-routed their stops, and wanted to get the new Route Service Representative information to their customers. The bio magnets, which are different versions of the same design with the photograph and bio for each RSR, were a neat personal way to do that. The design includes the location addresses, phone number, website, logos, and RSR name, all of which are assured to "stick around" on the customer's fridge. Each RSR hands out magnets with their own photo and info.

Check out the Ziker Uniforms website.

Sports Themed Weddings

Sports themed save the dates are something I have blogged about several times. There is more to say about stationery for that theme, though, beyond save the dates! You didn't think people stopped with their save the dates, did you?

Now, as you might guess, the next thing on a couple's mind after they order their save the dates is... invitations!

I offer a larger ticket design for invitations:

But also to be added soon is this new 5.5x8.5 inch invitation design:

It is a nice clean layout with two jerseys. The red back-flap printed envelopes add the excitement factor. The envelope says "The game is on and you are invited!"

Next, we have a pocketfold invitation:

Again, a fairly simple design, all things considered, with a solid baseball sports theme.

Beyond the invitations, you start to get into stationery for the wedding itself. There is a post about sports themed table #'s somewhere on this blog. This photo, however, is of ticket escort cards:

*Escort cards are a little different than place cards. Place cards are placed *at* the tables, and people wander until they find their place cards. Escort cards are on a table near the entrance. A guest picks up their escort card, and this card tells the guest which table number to go to.*

In this case, the envelopes are written with the guest's name. They pull out their ticket, which tells them where to go.

These new sporty ideas are all due to customers coming to me and asking about a new idea.

Now, what about after the wedding? Well, I have no photographs of a sports themed thank you card for you yet, but, you know they will come along to this blog sooner or later.

Save the Dates focused on your state

As the bride and groom start to consider their options for a save the date card or magnet, a lot of couples will find that they not have a set "theme" for their wedding yet. There are a *lot* of options, and for such cases, there are two simple options I might suggest. One is to incorporate the silhouette/skyline of the city where the wedding will take place. Another is to include the outline of the state where the wedding will take place.

Check out this 3.5x5 inch magnet example. This design incorporates the outline of Cape Cod (the easternmost portion of the state of Massachusetts). This outline was custom drawn for the project. The green and blue are suggestive of your typical map, and a starfish denotes the wedding location.

Each couple could get their own state on a save the date design. Perhaps a simple outline with a heart at the location. As always, it's up to the couple!

Fireworks + Disney

A number of young couples get engaged at Disney World, so it is not surprising that a few of them want to reflect that on their save the date cards or magnets.

Have you been to Disney World lately? Apparently there are special 2x3.5 inch tickets called "fast passes" that are specific for one ride.

One of my customers just asked me about making a small save the date magnet that looks like a fast pass. I couldn't replicate it exactly, because I do have minimum font sizes and bleed/safety margins to factor in, but, I did have an idea for her.

Check it out:


The word "wedding" replaces the name of a ride, and how could I resist adding in some fireworks?

This design uses the absolutely smallest text size I could allow on a design.

And there you have is. Small, simple, disney themed save the date.

__________________________

August 3rd 2014:

I received a submission on the website asking about this design.  It didn't make it onto the website, but is on file and is available.  Send angela@savethedateoriginals.com an email if you are interested.

Added note in case that person returns to the post: the email address used for that submitted question returns an error message when I tried to reply.