The Cheapest Save the Dates Ever!
September 17th, 2008 @ 1:49 pm by Miss Fondue
We originally weren’t going to send out save-the-dates. We weren’t getting married on a holiday weekend. Most of our guests live in-state, and the ones that didn’t knew about the wedding already. It would have been better to spend the money on parts of the wedding that were more important to us.
That is, until the idea of emailing the save-the-dates came to me. As our invitations cater to the more formal side of our wedding, why not use the save-the-dates to display the quirkiness of it?
So we broke out our digital camera and took pictures of our Miis from our Nintendo Wii. Then we used Photoshop to create a graphical file, which we posted in an HTML email and sent out to our guests.
Voila! These were completely free save-the-dates! Granted, a few people didn’t get them because of their lack of internet access, but they were all immediate family who know about the wedding anyway.
Have any of you sent out email save-the-dates?
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38 Responses to “The Cheapest Save the Dates Ever!”
I just have to tell you, this is THE best idea ever! My fiance is a gamer and would love this!!!
thanks a ton for the inspiration!!
I looove this idea!
how did you turn it into a html email?
Yes, can you post a how to for us non tech-savvy people?
those are so cute!
Those are adorable! Have you seen the custom Mii cake toppers? They are seriously tempting me.
Adorable! Something my video game obssessed other half will like!
Awesome! We’re doing the mii cake toppers - the artist is super nice.
[...] September 17, 2008 Talk about customized. This is the cutest Save the Date I’ve seen. This couple used a picture of their Miis from their Nintendo Wii game! Found on Weddingbee. [...]
I think that if you dont NEED to send out the Save the Dates - then what you did is the PERFECT way to go! Not everyone gets email or didn’t really get the mii - so what? It was free and fun! (and green!) Rock on chicka Fondue - rock on.
Aww, cute! I love how Miis so often really look like the ppl they’re modeled after. XD Nice touch with the “Wii are getting married!”
So cute!
I was just wondering where you got the background and how you used it in Photoshop!
Thanks! 
this was a great idea! this total read chic geek!! and i think it was a perfect touch to email them. my fiance and I are video game geeks and i designed a pacman and mrs. pacman “the kiss” for our save-the-dates magnets. I posted them my blog stop by when you get a sec…
@Me and @yelli: Sure! Most email programs have an option to send as HTML (or Rich Text). It’s hard to do an exact tutorial without knowing what email client you use, but in Thunderbird 2.0, it’s under the Options menu when you are composing a message under Format. In Outlook 2003, there is a dropdown on the toolbar where you can choose HTML, Rich Text, or Plain Text.
@lulubelle and @Trebuchet: We’re also doing the Mii toppers. 
@StrawberryBaby: It’s actually the image of a stamp I got from Impress Rubber Stamps that I’m using my various paper products. I turned it into a pattern and then used the Fill tool to fill the background in with a pattern. I can post a tutorial about this, if you’d like!
I love your save the date email — so cute and full of personality. And environmentally friendly to boot.
So adorable, personal, and just all around fantastic!
Holy crap this is the coolest idea ever!! I almost wish we hadn’t already sent ours out. But we have a lot of elderly and non-tech savvy people coming and I can already hear them asking “Who are these people things on your Save the Date? What is a Wii??” My grandmother didn’t even figure out our StD had a magnet on the back until I told her that the big black heart on the back was a magnet. She thought it was just for decoration!
a-dorable!
Our plan is to send out save the date emails as well (something that needs to get done pronto)!
But I’m a little worried about friends/family inadvertently forwarding the email to people that aren’t invited. I know it’s a big no no to send a save the date to someone who won’t be getting an invitation, so how does one make sure that forwarding won’t happen?
PS. LOVE the design!
we bought Mii wedding cake toppers from Paul Pape. Click here to get more info. I bought the mid-grade toppers, but they’re much larger than I thought they would be. I suggest buying the highest grade ones, b/c they’re a little smaller and supposed to fit on the cake better. VERY cool, though if you’re a video game nerd.
SUPER CUTE!
AMAZING! and i love that you’re getting the mii toppers. that’s brilliant. i love the wii.
I just showed my fiance and he wants to do save the dates now. He previously eliminated them to cut costs. We’ll see what we can come up with. Thanks!
That is so super cute and original.
We’re using pingg. No need to kill any extra trees here. (Although I do have a fabulous idea for a killer Save the Date, but I’ll just have to share it with someone else)
sooo cute!
This is such a great, personal idea Bravo!
those are awesome!
we did post card save the dates through snail mail, but i just wanted to tell you that your miis look just like our miis!
Awesome save the dates!
We moved to another state a few months before the wedding and our friends threw us a going away party/couples shower. The invites were Miis of us and they had a super cute banner w/ our Miis, too. We loved it!
I have a DW, so I made a few phone calls to make sure the date was ok, then emailed the details as the “save the date.” Everyone pretty much knew it was happening (only 30 guests total) but it save the paper/postage cost and minimized the questions people asked. Since I’m not crafty, I asked a designer at my work do to the template and gave her a $20 Target gift card for her troubles.
I have a little secret tho…I work for an email software company so I have tracking capabilities to see if people actually read the email!
[...] had a few people ask how I made our save the dates, so I thought I would provide some tutorials. First up is how to put the image together in [...]
Miss Fondue, Nashville
Age and Occupation: 27, Technical Analyst
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Network Admin Student/Senior Game Advisor
Engagement Date: December 25, 2007
Wedding Date: May 2009
Blogging Since: September 14, 2008
Venue: Ravenwood Golf Club
About Me: I’m your average computer geek marrying a gaming geek and trying to find a good balance of elegance and geek chic in our wedding. I adore The Sims, Nintendo, cosplay, (good) music, TiVo, theme parks, and our two crazy felines.
super cute! we did save the date emails too and it was convenient. Urs looks fabulous.