Save The Dates

Now that we have a bridal party, we can finish that page on our website... just in time to send out save the dates!  Normally I don't have much use for save the dates; there are very few people whose pictures I want magnetized to my fridge for months, and they are an added and usually unnecessary expense.  There are a few exceptions, one of which is weddings that fall close to holidays (that's us).  Guests need advanced warning to make holiday and travel plans, I get that.  I've seen a few cute save the dates online, but I'd rather make my own.  You can print custom postcards on Vistaprint for very reasonable prices, so we thought we could come up with our own design, have them printed, and send them in our Christmas cards this year (Postage is one of the hidden wedding costs; if we're using a stamp, we might as well make it pull double duty!).  As I mentioned in my very first post, we already have a save the date idea.  I saw a wedding website a long time ago that has this very modern, simple, but funny and cute text format:

Lance wanted to edit out the "effing," but other than that we really liked this (and have plenty of history to fill it with!).  Plus, it shouldn't be that hard to make; it's just text, right?  WRONG.  I've been messing with it for days, and it's sneaky hard to choose workable fonts, double justify the text, and make it attractive.  So if you have any basic graphics design skills, please help!!

Table Numbers

We ordered our centerpiece candles this weekend!  It's really early, I know, but I found a sale at a candle wholesaler online, AND Lance found a coupon for them, so we jumped on it!  Which brings us to the next question... what to do for table numbers?

After my centerpieces post, both my dad and Lance's mom enthusiastically joined Team Silver Trays, so we're going to see if we can make that work.  That plan does have the advantage of keeping the setup easy, since we might have to have people set up the reception without us the morning of the wedding if the venue books a Christmas party the night before (reeeeally hoping that doesn't happen).  Going with the trays changes two things, though.  First, I think that the glass vases on silver trays might look too busy, so we held off buying candle vases until we decide what we're doing for sure.  (I also have to check with the venue to make sure that the trays qualify as "holders" for fire regulations.)

Second, it changes our thoughts about table numbers.  Part of the reason the candles on trays look so pretty is that that it's very clean looking.  Our original thought for table numbers was to use small silver photo frames with pictures of us either around the city or at other places we've traveled.  (We also entertained the idea of naming the tables after said places, but ultimately thought the numbers made more sense.)

With trays, however, picture frames are too busy, too much silver, and possibly tall enough to block the candlelight, which defeats the purpose.

So what are our other options?  Without vases, etching numbers into the vases isn't a possibility.  I've seen some lucite table numbers online, which I thought were cool:

I could always make table numbers using my die cut machine.  I just got a Sizzix Big Kick, and it can cut paper, fabric, cork, sheet plastic, and even metal.  I've seen a few nice number dies:

I could press out numbers and make little number cards, or pin them directly on a candle, or even glue them to stands and make them 3D:

Decisions, decisions... it's all in the details, right?  ;)