Save the Date Proofs, AKA "Oh My Gosh, It's Really Happening!"

Today I finally had my "It's really happening!!" moment, and it was so exciting.

Etsy, as you know, has become a friend to brides everywhere with unique (and a lot of times very affordable) homemade products; from hair accessories to invitations! Sometimes even wedding dresses.

I just received in an Etsy conversation a proof of our Save the Dates:



The date is not our date, obviously. I hadn't sent her our updated date of November 7, 2009, so she used a placeholder that will be changed out.

An update about our wedding; our colors are red, brown, and white, with slight hints of green (when necessary). For months we had been perusing invitations on professional sites, as well as those done by designers on Etsy.

Either he didn't like them or I didn't like them... or we both liked them, but decided they were too generic.

Then we found PasaiiPaperie, and we fell in love with her cardinals. Mr. JeffMemorial and I are not ones who dig "cutesy" stuff, especially when it comes to our printed items for the wedding, but these little guys just spoke to us.

In addition, I have to say she's been wonderful. She's actually going to be making custom items, in addition to the cardinal-themed invitations and save the dates, including programs or perhaps a food menu listing, placecards. our guestbook, and favor tags.

Not only that, the prices are super reasonable for a gorgeous product. Ours will be on flecked heavy linen cardstock.

One of the things I was worried about with such a limited budget was tying the room and our wedding together aesthetically as a whole, and designers like PasiiPaperie really make that easy.

It's worth looking into if you're using an Etsy designer. Would that person be willing to make custom pieces?

Ours, for example also does placecards, menus, wedding programs, etc.

It's worth looking into if you want a seamless theme, or looking for ways to stay within a budget and have a together look.

What's funny is that, as I mentioned, we moved the wedding to Old Town. Quite by coincidence we fell in love with the cardinals... and days later it suddenly dawned on me that the Cardinal is the state bird of Virginia, which we thought was kind of neat.

Anyway, I'm so excited! It is finally real. I saw our names on the digital proof, and got that happy feeling that it's really happening. Life is good.