The Inquirer and Mirror

Claudia Kronenberg Photography Mailing out save-the-date cards is becoming as important as the table decorations and cake in ensuring the perfect island wedding.

“The important thing is getting the date out there before friends and family make other plans,” says Heidi Girvin, owner of Parchment Fine Papers at 11 Washington St. Girvin attributes the past five-year surge of Save the Dates to the substantial rise in destination weddings that require advance planning. Ideally the cards are sent out six to 12 months ahead of the wedding date.

“But, because it’s Nantucket, things book up so quickly,” says Girvin, who advises getting them in the mail nine to 12 months before the big day. Along with securing accommodations, it’s crucial that guests make their plane flights very early to avoid fares that resemble a trip to Europe. The wedding invitation sent out six to eight weeks prior to the date will refresh memories.

Along with giving guests a heads-up for when to take off work, and perhaps the opportunity to plan a vacation around the wedding, Save the Date cards are helpful to the bride. Via e- mail or phone conversations, she’ll most likely get an idea of who from her closer circle of friends is able to attend and therefore can start planning the seating arrangements. It’s never too soon to start figuring out where to sit that “comedic” uncle.

While there are a variety of styles of Save the Date cards to choose from, the following information should always be included:

• Obviously, the date and place of the wedding will be the feature of the card (along with names of the lovebirds tying the knot, of course). Different phrasing can be used, ranging from the straight-forward “Please save the date. . .” and “. . . are getting married!” to the more flowery “Love is in the air” and “. . . will exchange vows on the sands of. . .”
• Since Nantucket will be a destination wedding for most people, a brief wedding weekend itinerary is helpful so that guests know when to arrive and depart the island. For example, many brides enjoy holding a farewell Sunday morning brunch, so guests should arrange departure flights later in the afternoon accordingly.
• While many brides choose to include a website address on their Save the Date card which includes information about accommodations, a separate accommodations enclosure card is much more personal. Also, remember that some guests may not be so tech savvy. Include on the accommodations enclosure how to get to the island (this can be quite befuddling to newcomers) along with a few different-priced hotel options (if there are choices) where rooms are booked, and the date when guests should reserve their rooms by.

With a slew of choices out there, Save the Date cards enable the bride to dabble in a bit of whimsy and style, even if the wedding invites adhere to traditional designs (or her mother wants a traditional engraved Crane wedding invitation, for that matter).

b.t. elements is a fun stationary line that Girvin deems a “little more contemporary.” What’s neat about b.t. elements is that by mixing and matching an array of colors for the cards, text, envelopes and ribbons, a layering effect is created. With snappy color choices like blue lagoon, cosmopolitan, grape daiquiri and papaya, choosing stationary has never been such fun. To further personalize and jazz up the card, you can also supply your own black and white art work via jpeg, tiff, or eps, or choose from a selection of modern floral screen prints. Another neat feature is that b.t. elements also makes cute packaging for wedding favors. So whether your party colors are blue lagoon and sage or strawberry and periwinkle, b.t. elements has the colors to coordinate.