Sometimes the first piece of wedding stationery isn’t the one you love the most.
When we got engaged – that’s another story for another time, and it’s a little different from the traditional proposal (I’ll give you a clue… there wasn’t one!) – the first thing we needed to do after booking our venue was let everyone know the date.
Originally, we thought we had plenty of time. We’d found a gorgeous venue and were planning to get married in 2025. Unfortunately (another story for another blog post!), that venue fell through. In hindsight, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise because we found an even more perfect venue. The only catch? We suddenly had less than a year to plan the whole wedding.
That meant there wasn’t time to carefully craft our stationery suite or perfect every little detail. We simply needed to get something into our guests’ hands—or, in our case, into their WhatsApp chats—before their calendars filled up.
At that point, we hadn’t settled on a wedding style, chosen a colour palette or even thought about what our invitations would eventually look like. We just knew we needed a Save the Date.
So, like many couples would, I opened Canva, chose a template, added a photo of us (which, looking back, wasn’t exactly the best quality!) and tweaked the wording to suit us. It was quick, easy and, most importantly, it did exactly what it needed to do.
It served its purpose
Looking back, there’s actually nothing wrong with our Save the Date.
It announced our wedding, gave guests the important details and asked them to send us their contact information ready for the invitations. It was simple, affordable and meant everyone could keep the date free while we continued planning.
At the time, it felt like a job ticked off the list.
Then everything changed
As the months went on, our wedding started to develop its own personality.
We both were drawn to wooden features, copper piping, dried botanicals, colours of burnt orange and green. Every decision became more intentional, from the invitations and menus to the table stationery and décor. Everything began to feel like it belonged together.
When I look back at our Save the Date now, it feels like it belongs to a completely different wedding.
Not because it wasn’t nice—but because it wasn’t connected to the story we eventually wanted to tell.
What I’d do differently
If I were creating our Save the Dates today, I wouldn’t necessarily wait until every single detail had been decided.
But I would spend a little more time thinking about the feeling I wanted our wedding to have.
Even something as simple as choosing a typeface, a botanical illustration or a colour that would continue throughout the rest of the stationery would have created a much more cohesive experience for our guests.
Your Save the Date is the first glimpse people get of your wedding.
It’s the beginning of the story.
The lesson I took away
Creating our wedding stationery taught me that good design isn’t about making every piece look identical.
It’s about creating a thread that runs through everything, so each piece feels connected to the next.
Ironically, it was our Save the Date that taught me that lesson.
It’s one of the reasons I now encourage couples to:-
- Think about their stationery as a collection rather than individual pieces
- Not to feel as though they need to have every detail planned from day one
- Have an idea about their vision, and how they see their special day
Final thought
Do I regret sending our Save the Dates? Not at all.
They arrived when they needed to, our guests loved receiving them and they marked the beginning of one of the most exciting chapters of our lives.
But they also remind me how much I’ve grown as a designer.
If I were creating them today, they’d tell the same story as the rest of our wedding—a story that felt completely, unmistakably us.
Before I go…
This week I’m… Getting myself ready for some annual leave from the day job, so I can work a bit more on what I’m currently designing
Currently designing: My first signature invitation suite collections… very exciting
Currently learning: That I do actually have a bit of self-belief, who knew!
Currently helping me get stuff done: Pure excitement for the future of Elle & Ink Paper Co.
Playlist on repeat: I’ve had the radio on this week
Next on my agenda: Getting my signature invitation suites designed, finished, presented and printed for my portfolio
See you in the next journal entry
