~ Photo Save-The-Dates Tackyyy?????~

kmiller1090

Okay so I'm almost at the time to send out my save-the-dates but i kinda feel like photo std's are a little tacky. We are having a cocktail-style reception so it is FORMAL and I feel like photo cards will down-play the event. When I think about photo cards I think about party flyers from back when I was in high school. Everywhere i look their idea of formal is a photo card. Am I just being picky or is there another way around this? What do you think?

QueerFemme

the save the date isn't necessarily an indication of the formality of the event.  The invitation will take care of that.

We did photo save the dates, just because they were a cute style we liked. But, there are plenty on vistaprint that are not photos styles.

LeiselEB

We used our engagement photos in save the dates, and they were not nearly as formal as our wedding invitations. No one was confused. People will sense the formality from your invitations, not from your save the dates. You can certainly make them look a little more formal and still use photos. 

ETA: don't use a postcard, use heavy cardstock and not shiny photo paper, choose nice fonts, etc. and you can tone down the cheap look that some photo cards can have.

larelle3

Photo cards can take on a much more elegant feel when you have the right design, finish, and details. My friend ordered photo cards from Exclamation Studio, for his vowel renewal. If you work with a stationery business to customize your STD, I don't see why you couldn't pull off a formal photo card that fits your needs. 

www.studioexclamation.com

Summer2011Bride

A couple things:
STDs do not need to match the formality of the wedding. The actual invitations should, but many people don't even have those details ironed out yet when they send STDs.

Also, you can make STDs more "formal" looking if it bothers you by using some of the suggestions PPs gave. If you got e-pics done, this is a great way to put them to use.

You can also forego photo STDs or STDs altogether if you want to as well.

ambersthebride

Your std's could be very cute - - 

but I have a pet peeve for photo cards of any type.

I got one photo thank you card last year, and 3 photos in a invite this year and to be honest - - where the heck am I going to put them? It's not as if I am going to hang them in my house or put them in my family album *(they aren't family).

Save the cash and don't print out pics for all your guests.

If they are someone who wants your pics, I'm sure they will get them wthout you forcing them upon them.

willywally5

I think if they are nicely done, photo STD's are fine. But like PP said, there are many nice designs that do not include photos. 

I don't care if people send me photos or not; If I want to keep them, I do. If not, File 13. Oh well. At least I LOOKED at it!

TurtlesAllTheWayDown

We had a traditional, sit-down dinner, evening reception and we did postcard save-the-dates. It's a way to convey information. We bought them from Vistaprint. They had the date, location, hotel block information, and closest airports listed on the back.

aragx6

We took our engagement pictures in the spring but needed to send the STDs before that, so ours wasn't a photo save the date. There's tons of non-photo options, but as a whole, I agree with PPs that the save the date isn't necessarily indicative of the formality of the event.

hoffse

I'm not a huge fan of photo save the dates either.  Maybe check out wedding paper divas - they have non-photo save the dates in a variety of styles and formality.

sperbunki

If you already think they're tacky then why are you asking opinions?! Go with what you like...and, as others have stated the Save the Date is simply an INFORMAL way to say "Hey, I'm getting hitched - don't make plans for this date!" - Nobody will run out and buy a new pair of jeans upon recieving it simply because it's got a hint of whimsy - and likewise I wouldn't go buy a formal dress after recieving a formal invitation simply because the invitation looks formal. If you want people dressing to the nines you've got to be specific! Wedding invitations are notorious for being formal when most of the time we are not. Who goes around saying "You are cordially invited" - well, even a cordial invitation isn't going to lead me to believe I'm dusting off a ball gown so again - you want formal you must indicate it on your invites. As for the Save the Date - have fun with it since your invites will proper.

April