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Mrs. Cola, Mountain View, CA Age and Occupation: 27, Product Communications and Promotions Fiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Managing Partner and Senior Designer Engagement Date: March 5, 2009 Wedding Date: June 2010 Venue: The Mountain Terrace, Woodside, CA About Me: I’m a Washington State native, enjoying life in Silicon Valley California with my fiancé, our three kitties and one leopard gecko. I like reading wedding blogs, Photoshopping wedding design mock ups, making lists, and planning, planning, planning! I’m a bit of an anomaly, on one side I’m a very girlie girl, I collect shoes, I lay out my outfits 4-6 weeks in advance, and I’d never leave the house without my hair curled and makeup on. But on the other side, I’m a total tomboy, I love to go camping and hiking, play drinking games (hey, I’m Irish!) and most of my closest friends are guys. My fiancé and I are planning a DIY-focused wedding with a balance between easygoing (what he wants) and chic and stylish (what I want), and are tying it all together with elements in lavender, sage, butter cream and chocolate.
About Mrs. Cola

These babies are stamped and sent!

Saving The Date, Part 4: Stamped, Sent and Spent :  wedding budget diy save the dates Img 310

Saving The Date, Part 4: Stamped, Sent and Spent :  wedding budget diy save the dates Img 30902  I just dropped them in the mailbox this morning:

Saving The Date, Part 4: Stamped, Sent and Spent :  wedding budget diy save the dates Img 31001  Now, before we dive into the cost breakdown, let’s have one last look at the entire suite:

Saving The Date, Part 4: Stamped, Sent and Spent :  wedding budget diy save the dates Img 31002

Alright, now on to the not-so-fun stuff, the cost of these STDs. I didn’t include the corner rounder, flower punch, X-Acto knife or cutting mat in this, because I will be using them for other projects. I also didn’t include the price for the full pack of paper, etc. I did it by the cost per sheet of paper used, because I will also be using the leftovers for other things.

So, here is what I spent on these: $3.54 each before postage (click the chart for a clearer image).

Saving The Date, Part 4: Stamped, Sent and Spent :  wedding budget diy save the dates Budget  Perhaps this is a tad on the expensive side for STDs, as I think this is more along the lines of the cost of the real invitations for most people, but oh well! I said from the beginning that I wasn’t DIYing things just to save money, and I’m still super happy I did these Save The Dates the way I did. They’re all me, baby! I love the fact that none of our guests will have ever seen STDs like these before, so the cost is well worth it in my opinion! Also, I should note that the guy at the post office didn’t point out until I was swiping my debit card that the stamps he was having me buy were $0.20 over what I needed. So, there was an extra cost there, but oh well.

Did you overspend on a wedding item, but were happy with the decision?

Tags: budget, diy, save-the-dates |
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35 Responses to “Saving The Date, Part 4: Stamped, Sent and Spent”

1 2 

1.
Guest Icon
Guest
guest

They are cute yes, but kind of repetitive…how many times do you need to tell them to save the date? If I got that in the mail I’d be thinking, “JEEZ…I get it, I get it, June 12!” lol

 
2.
bridgetjones2010
Member
bridgetjones2010 (message)  167 posts, Blushing bee

Very cute! I like the way the stamps look clustered together like that. I’m a bit confused about your cost breakdown though. I thought you said you had to purchase 250 magnets? Are you using the magnets for other projects? If not, all 250 should probably be included in the total price to give anyone who might want to replicate the project a clearer understanding of what it might cost. Bravo on finishing and getting them in the mail!

 
3.
Guest Icon
Guest
Miss bliss

This save the date looks lovely. But I am curious about what you included in the packaging… A magnet and a paper announcement plus information??? Your first comment from a “guest” seems harsh, but I’m more curious about why you felt that so much information was necessary. I understand that “save the dates” are sent to give guests a heads up about wedding dates especially out of town guests, but the extra information card seems to be lengthy. Are you planning a destination wedding or wedding in a tourist location in which serious preplanning makes complete sense?

 
4.
Miss Nachos
Bee
Miss Nachos (message)  1,733 posts, Bumble bee

I think they turned out gorgeous! I disagree with the above posts - I think the info card makes sense…for anyone that needs to book a hotel, all the info is there plus I think it’s nice to give everyone a heads up on pricing in case they need to plan or want to book early. Great job!

 
5.
Miss Cardigan
Bee
Miss Cardigan (message)  8,645 posts, Bee Keeper

They are SO gorgeous! I think it’s great how detailed you made them. :-)

 
6.
Bee Icon
Bee
Miss Guinea Pig (message)  1,377 posts, Bumble bee

I am so impressed with your Save the Dates! They are definitely beautiful, and if I were a guest I would feel pretty special opening them. I think including the Info card was a smart move because we only put hotel information on our website - several people have called to ask us about hotels because they didn’t bother going to the website!

 
7.
Miss Elephant
Bee
Miss Elephant (message)  6,177 posts, Bee Keeper

I think they look beautiful! And I’m including the hotel information in our save the date in order to give our out of guest a heads up on our wedding blocks so I think that’s a smart addition to your STD.

 
8.
Bee Icon
Bee
Miss Lamb (message)  970 posts, Busy bee

They’re lovely my dear! I think for out of town guests that having all this information up front is essential! It’s too late by the time the invitations come out for most people to make flight reservations and book hotels. The suite turned out so nicely and your guests will appreciate all the thought and care you put into it!

 
9.
Guest Icon
Guest
Elizabeth

I also think these SVDs ROCK! And, I agree with Miss Nachos that the information makes sense. As someone planning a local wedding with a LOT of guests from out of the city/state I can say that my SVDs AND invitations are going to have a lot of information. It is helpful for people not familiar with the area. Even for those on our list from our city, I think the extra info is handy because 1) it tells them something about the places my fiance and I like 2) it gives them ideas if they’re having people from out of town and 3) (this is just me but) who doesn’t love getting a fat letter/invitation/package in the mail??!!?!

They are awesome! You did an amazing job!I’m also really happy to see how much you spent because I actually spend a lot on my SVDs as well and it is nice to see I’m not alone! As far as I’m concerned, it is money well spent!

 
10.
Bee Icon
Bee
Miss Cola (message)  2,868 posts, Sugar bee

Thanks for the kind comments! I completely know that these STDs are overly excessive, but that’s just how I roll. I get inspired to do something, and just can’t stop! :) But it’s really a good thing we included a ton of info, because with half our guest list and our whole wedding party out of state, people are already booking their hotel and flight.

 
11.
Member Icon
Member
Miss Chocolate Chip (message)  197 posts, Blushing bee

I politely disagree. While you did an amazing job designing these, I’m not sure I would consider these “save the dates”. They look more like invitations. The purpose of the STD is to ensure that our guests can set aside the date (in case of vacations and such), not to give them the entire low-down on the event. Personally, if I received this, I would assume this was an informal looking invitation. And let’s be honest-it doesn’t matter how much information we put on our STD’s/invitations, you will always have guests asking you the same old questions :)

Please don’t get me wrong, they are fantastic, but I think this is a prime example of being a over-zealous bride and taking things just a little bit too far.

 
12.
Mrs. Tiramisu
Bee
Mrs. Tiramisu (message)  1,098 posts, Bumble bee

Hello rude commenters! Miss Cola said herself that her save-the-dates are extravagant, and she also said “I’m still super happy I did these Save The Dates the way I did. They’re all me, baby!”

There are plenty of other wedding websites where you can make mean-spirited comments all you want- and this isn’t one of them- go away!

 
13.
Mrs. Star
Bee
Mrs. Star (message)  2,057 posts, Buzzing bee

These are GORGEOUS! I can’t wait to see what you can pull off for invitations if these are your STD’s! I’m super impressed.

 
14.
Bee Icon
Bee
Miss Spaniel (message)  6,792 posts, Bee Keeper

These are absolutely gorgeous. I think you did a brilliant job! And I totally get why you put all the extra info… I just put a URL on our magnets, and the only people who’ve checked the website are our parents. ;) People keep calling me to ask about the hotel!

 
15.
eileen marie
Member
eileen marie (message)  1,662 posts, Bumble bee

Really beautiful (I like that the first STD is for “Eileen” -that’s my name! but Steve is my ex. :)) Yeah, they were a tad expensive, but if you are happy with them, then that’s all that counts! I really like the way the 4 stamps look on the envelope stacked that way. I think the recipients will be really wowed. You must be so relieved to have them in the mail!

 
16.
andreaandchinelo
Member
andreaandchinelo (message)  535 posts, Busy bee

WOW…those are gorgeous!!!!!!!! I would have loved to have the time, money or energy to put into something like this…very beautiful…

I would also like to point out that the sidebar says Miss Cola works in product communications and promotions…aka marketing…so i’m sure everything she sees or does on a regular basis has to look absolutely perfect…just because you wouldn’t do something as extravagant doesn’t mean someone else isn’t entitled to…anybody ever watch platinum weddings?

 
17.
Bee Icon
Bee
Mrs. Avocado (message)  1,543 posts, Bumble bee

Cola I think people are getting confused because they think that every single item in the photo you posted is being sent out, meaning they think the suite consists of… I don’t know, like 12 pieces! It took me a second to figure out as well. The comment was still uncalled for but I think that’s where the confusion came in!

Don’t ever be afraid to be yourself on here. There will always be the few that feel the need to try to bring you down, but the majority of us (myself included) think you’re the coolest ev-ah so it doesn’t matter what the naysayers think!

 
18.
Bee Icon
Bee
Miss Snow (message)  916 posts, Busy bee

Cola, I think you’ve got a future in stationary/paper goods! These are really gorgeous!!! I wish we’d included a little more info on our Save the Date (like, our last names…duh!), so I love that you’ve prepped your guests for hotel rooms, etc.

Can’t wait to see your invites!!!

 
19.
teaparty
Member
teaparty (message)  233 posts, Helper bee

Miss Cola, these are seriously awesome. I guess they might be a bit repetitive but honestly, making sure that people remember the date is the whole point of the Save the Date, right? So no harm, no foul! Plus it really hammers home the theme. I think these are so inspirational for both STDs and invites and I seriously can’t wait to see what you come up with for your invitations! I’m also wondering where you got your stamp because I would love to incorporate something like that into our STDs or invites.

One thing I tend to disagree with in the comments so far, though, is that while one or two of the comments so far were a bit harsh, I think it’s kind of mean to tell people to “go away.” Wedding Bee is supposed to be inclusive, and yes, supportive, but do we have to tell people to “go away” for not spewing sunshine and rainbows? Just my humble opinion and I don’t mean to derail this comment thread either, so my apologies.

 
20.
tea
Member
tea (message)  7,263 posts, Bee Keeper

your spreadsheet for your cost breakdown looks like mine! oh i heart you!

 
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Mrs. Cola
Mrs. Cola

Mrs. Cola, Mountain View, CA Age and Occupation: 27, Product Communications and Promotions Fiance's Age and Occupation: 28, Managing Partner and Senior Designer Engagement Date: March 5, 2009 Wedding Date: June 2010 Venue: The Mountain Terrace, Woodside, CA About Me: I’m a Washington State native, enjoying life in Silicon Valley California with my fiancé, our three kitties and one leopard gecko. I like reading wedding blogs, Photoshopping wedding design mock ups, making lists, and planning, planning, planning! I’m a bit of an anomaly, on one side I’m a very girlie girl, I collect shoes, I lay out my outfits 4-6 weeks in advance, and I’d never leave the house without my hair curled and makeup on. But on the other side, I’m a total tomboy, I love to go camping and hiking, play drinking games (hey, I’m Irish!) and most of my closest friends are guys. My fiancé and I are planning a DIY-focused wedding with a balance between easygoing (what he wants) and chic and stylish (what I want), and are tying it all together with elements in lavender, sage, butter cream and chocolate.

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