When announcing your wedding, think outside the box.  Create save-the-dates with a photo of you and your fiancé.  Design a simple, flat card, or a folded card with space for a personal message inside.  Many online printing companies have caricature products, too.

Instead of a traditional announcement, create a photo magnet that your loved ones can put on their refrigerator.   Other fun products include key chains, mouse pads, and T-shirts. 

Send out fun save-the-dates for any occasion! 

If you are looking for some ideas to get you started, VistaPrint has plenty of templates that you can browse through. Try sitting down together with a pen and paper and just jot down any designs that you like–or write out a few notes stating what you like about them. This will help guide you as to whether you want to create your own or use one of ours.

Consider adding some additional text to the announcement to personalize it. You can select words that represent you as a couple or find a quote that works for you both. You can also pick out a song lyric if you like. Couples that prefer a simple look to their announcements may just want to use their names as decoration. Take a little time to choose a font that conveys the mood you are looking for.

Borders can be a nice detail on announcements, adding class and sophistication–or even a touch of fun. Scrolls, flowers or other graphics work well for this type of look. Make the border stand out by adding some color, or leave it basic to help pull the announcement together.

Adding photos is always a nice touch, and you can choose something unique here as well. You don’t have to go with the standard wedding shot–try something more artistic if you want to go for a look that is really powerful. Try shots such as a close up of your hands together with the wedding bands on, or a picture of the two of you walking into the sunset hand in hand. Take the time to plan out some photographs that you can choose from and select whatever you think would work best for the announcement.

If you or someone you know is good with photo editing, you can also turn a photograph into a painting or make it look like a sketch. You can change the photo’s color to black and white or sepia and add splashes of color or give the picture a fuzzy, “dreamlike” look. There are many different techniques that can be done with photos to give them a specific feel, so you may want to check into that if you like the idea.

Customize your wedding announcements to capture your essence as a couple. You can have fun coming up with the perfect idea, and get your order in quickly once you decide what is for you. Once you pick a direction and get the basics together you have all the tools you need at VistaPrint.

You can regularly keep a blog on your wedding site to keep guests posted on your progress in preparing for the wedding. It’s surprising how many people find wedding planning interesting. Plus you may even get some helpful advice. Leave room for comments to encourage communication.

Surveys and Quizzes

Fun surveys and light-hearted quizzes can help keep the tone of your wedding website friendly. Use your imagination to create little quizzes and polls that suit your website as well as your friends and family.

Wedding Party Bios

Ask the people in your wedding party to write a short bio for your wedding website. This is a great way to introduce them to far away family and friends that may not know them. It also involves your wedding party in your website.

Photo Album

You don’t have to have a website photo album that’s only for wedding pictures. Guests can upload their photos and you can include your engagement party, shower, wedding and honeymoon photos. A wide array of pictures helps facilitate discussions on your message board too.

Message Board

Having a message board on your wedding website is a great way for your family and friends all over the world to connect, discuss and anticipate your wedding. For those not able to make the wedding, at least they can communicate with you and family and friends as well as view photos and other information. Start off your message board with a message from the wedding couple!

Wedding Countdown Clock

A countdown clock added to your homepage or blog is the perfect addition to your wedding website. You can find a ticker décor to blend with the style and tone of your website whether it’s whimsical or elegant, formal or informal. A wedding countdown clock ticks down the hours, minutes and seconds to the big event and helps keep everyone aware of how much time is left to prepare and look forward to the wedding.

Interactive Music Section

Including an interactive music section on your wedding website can let guests help you decide which music to have at your wedding. This can be a fun feature that many family members and friends will want to participate in. You can share what your special wedding couple dance song will be or ask for votes from your guests.

Online Gift Registry

This is great feature for wedding guests because it eliminates the often frustrating guesswork of what gift to buy. Gift registries are usually very much appreciated by family and friends. Plus you can enjoy selecting wish list items from your favorite store to add to your online gift registry. Just remember to choose smaller lower priced accent pieces as well as larger gift items so that guests of all budgets and incomes can choose from your gift options.

Family Trees

Family trees for the bride and groom can be an interesting graphic on a wedding website. Choose a style that compliments the rest of your site. There are both elegant and whimsical family tree templates available. You may have to do some research to fill in the trees accurately, but knowing the ancestry of your own family and that of your soon to be spouse is probably something you’re interested in knowing anyway – especially if you plan on starting your own family soon.