Remember to Save the Date

As another part of the homework these days, we're researching save-the-dates. A save-the-date, according to the wedding magazines, can be a more fun, funny card, with pictures and doodles and quotables; whereas the wedding invitation itself is generally more formal. I like the idea of adding some color and funkiness to the cards. So, again, I turn to my favorite, most accessible resource: the World Wide Web. There, as you google "save-the-date" hundreds of sites showcasing various examples of these cards pop up. Some include a picture of the soon-to-be married couple, some (against the advice of the magazines) are more fancy and could almost be mistaken for a wedding invitation itself, some are floral, some incorporate polka-dots or a month calendar with the said date circled in a bright shade. What surprised me the most during my research was what other parties now require a save-the-date. A drawing of a young teen reading from the Torah asked for you to remember his upcoming Bar Mitzvah. A fire engine red card with the outlines of white hearts announced an adolescent girl's 16th birthday. I was shocked. Beforehand, I was even slightly considering not sending save-the-dates, feeling I could rely on two more powerful communications systems: word of mouth and e-mail. But with flight prices soaring, we decided to add snail mail as another way to spread the word. So, the card search continues...