Snail mail is time-consuming, expensive and takes up
space. Timing is critical with Save the Dates. Collecting addresses
can take weeks, while printing, shipping and addressing envelopes
adds to the backlog. For those planning
with less than 6-months notice, Save the Dates can end up arriving just weeks
earlier than the actual invitations.
Digital printing is almost always the most cost-effective
approach to printed invitations. Online vendors
that have become popular by specializing in just that, such as Wedding Paper Divas and
Minted, have Save the Dates beginning at $0.94 and $1.08 respectively for
small postcards – though that's for a minimum of 125 cards and before custom
colors or edging, not to mention postage and calligraphy. While Save the Dates differ greatly in style,
size and formality, expect to spend at least $1-$1.50 per printed piece. Postage will be $.33 at minimum – for post
cards – or $.46 for a regular-sized card with envelope. And note: there is only one USPS $.33 stamp, which now features apples (much more appealing than the Hawaiian shirts
before.) Custom stamps from Zazzle – albeit
adorable – will run you an additional
$.75 per stamp, give or take.
And when was the last time you preserved anything you received in the mail anyway? With the onslaught
of seasonal wedding announcements, your fridge would be an overflowing sea of
white and calligraphy if you saved longer than one wedding season.
A great modern alternative (that’s also eco-concious):
emailed announcements. Yes, many years
ago this would have been a faux pas – email was restricted to stationary PCs,
older family members didn’t even have email and the designs available were lackluster
at best. But these days you can send
stunning (no exaggeration) invitations online, while young and
old alike are so glued to their phones and laptops they’ll add your date to their google calendar from an email long before a sealed invitation
reaches them. Another bonus: you are far
more likely to have their email than complete mailing address; in fact, you’ll
be emailing half of your guests to ask for their mailing address (negating the need for a mailed announcement anyway.)
