Weddingbee Blog

So… you want to be an expert procrastinator like me?

Here’s my 12-step plan for sending out wedding save the dates:

Step 1: Look online for ready-made save the dates. Decide none of them will work. Inform your fiance that you’re going to make your own!

Step 2: Look online for inspiration on making your own save the dates. Repeat this step frequently until you’re completely confused about what you want your save the dates to look like. Remember: If you’re only partially confused, you’re not quite done with this step.

Step 3: Ask your fiance what he thinks. When he’s given you an answer, wait until the next day and ask him again. You know, just in case he may have changed his mind since you last asked.

Step 4: Download a free program from the internet for use in designing your save the dates. Lament the fact that you don’t own Photoshop. Contemplate whether it would be worth it to buy Photoshop just for wedding purposes. Get this idea shot down by aforementioned fiance. Wonder if this is payback for asking him too often what he thinks about save the date designs.

Step 5: Try to make a design that will fit on a 2″ x 3.5″ magnet. Decide that it is much too hard to get all the information you need on something that small. Change your design to be 4″ x 6″.

Step 6: After working on it for what seems like forever, finally complete save the date design #1. Decide you absolutely hate it. Consider buying ready-made save the dates. Realize that you are too stubborn to cave. You’re going to make your own save the dates even if you’re not done by the time the wedding rolls around.

Step 7: Decide that it would be nice to include pictures of you and your fiance in your save the date design. Have trouble finding a nice picture of the two of you together. Curse the fact that because you are such a good procrastinator you have not yet managed to take your engagement pictures.

Step 8: Resort to using separate pictures of the two of you. Use Picnik to give your pictures sepia tones and rounded edges.

Step 9: Finally come up with a save the date design you like. Decide that 4″ x 6″ is too big for magnets. Get them printed as postcards at Overnight Prints. Realize that they were not completely honest about the overnight part of their name. Place orders for envelopes and a return address stamp at the same time.

Picture this on a shiny, rounded cornered postcard.

Step 10: Wait impatiently for the printed save the dates to arrive. When they arrive, make sure you’re really busy so that they have time to sit in a box on your kitchen counter for awhile.

Step 11: Decide you want to address the envelopes using gold ink and labels with edges that absolutely will not stay down. Wonder if it’s time to buy a Xyron. Realize belatedly that you are flying out in the morning to meet your new niece and nephew. Grudgingly give in to your fiance’s much saner idea of using regular stick on labels.

Step 12: Run out of time to finish typing addresses into the label template. Rush out the door to catch your flight. Find out several days later that your fiance has finished labeling and mailing all the save the dates. Tell everyone who cares to listen that he is your hero.

(Yes, Mr. DD is awesome. Yes, I try to remember to tell him this often.)

The finished product, courtesy of Mr. DD

And now for confession time. What wedding planning detail did you procrastinate most about? Did your fiance come to your rescue?