save the dates!

If you’re going to launch into a challenging custom printing project, it helps to have an
incredibly talented graphic and web designer as a sister. Thankfully, mine fit the bill! I had
a specific save-the-date in mind ever since I first launched LK Events & Design. I fell in love with a storybook-meets-timeline idea that would give insight into our couple personality and our history together, and I tasked my sister with making that dream come true.

As an “original” type, I of course wanted to stay away from magnets and photo save-the-
dates which have become a little too cliché for someone who lives and breathes weddings.
I commissioned exactly what I envisioned. They feature a simple, but beautiful timeline that
starts with a chance meeting at a local watering hole, and includes golden moments and
milestones that are now immortalized forever. The look is simple and contemporary with
an outline of our beloved Richmond that my brilliant sister drew by HAND! Within a week of
submitting text, the perfect save-the-dates weren’t just ready, they were mailed and winging their way to our lucky guests.


Helpful Hints for Custom Printing

Not everyone is lucky enough to have a graphic designer in the family, but custom printing is
still relevant and available if you want it. Do your research and find a reliable designer with
a body of work in a style, or variety of styles, you love. Schedule a consultation in person, or
via video or phone chat, and give an honest and account of what you picture when you dream of your ideal invites. Include photos of printed products you love, textures that turn you on, and even the quirky things that made him love you and you love him. Be honest about your budget limitations, but also open-minded about services you might decide are worth the investment. Get, and check, references.

Custom printing goes way beyond a nice font treatment on traditional card stock. Today you
can print on pretty much anything that will stand still long enough. Brides are choosing strips
of delicate wood, pretty pieces of linen and even elaborate, luxurious boxes packed with
multiple layers of printed intrigue or customized antique books in place of single-panel, formal and traditional invitations. Let your imagination soar a little and you may have the next most brilliant save-the-date ever (right after mine, of course!).