Your feedback please: Wedding Save the Date

[DG_ThenNowForever 16,733]

I haven't mentioned it on this site, but I'm engaged to be married.

We've decided on a venue within Pike Place Market, and I've decided to do save the dates (and later invitations) myself.

Taking inspiration from Pike Place Market and a general appreciation for both 60s and current flat design, I made this:

The time/date/location style is illustrated by me, liberally lifted from this:

What do people think? Too cliche? Too simple? Too cute?

[slapshot 801]

I would have "Save The Date" as the text from the sign. This way, it comes across more as a wedding invitation with a Seattle theme, rather than putting just the date and site in the sign.

Maybe even go overboard with a fish wrapped in a newspaper that lists your names and the date.

It's a fun theme that has even more potential.

[Shmee 13]

If you're getting married on May 3, the time on the clock should be 5:03! The perspective on the clock feels funky to me, though. Not quite right. Also, congrats!

[DG_ThenNowForever 16,733]

Thanks for the feedback. I went with our location/time/date (we'll start at 4:30, which will be clear in the following invite) in the graphic element so it feel more unique to us. There's any number of template save the dates and wanted to make sure ours was all-original. That said, I see what you're saying. I'll try adding our names to the sign and see how that works.

Now that you point it out, I see the issue with the clock; I rendered it straight on and skewed it after the fact. I'm no pro, so that explains how it ended up looking funky. I'll work at it.

Thanks both of you.

[DG_ThenNowForever 16,733]

Good feedback. Here's a V2:

It incorporates a bit more of market imagery, and standardizes colors a bit. Our names are blacked out, but I added them to the Pike Place Market sign. They're still below, but I'm okay with that. I wanted to switch the font to Cooper Black, but my fiance nixed that idea.

FYI, here's the basis for the fish:

[rainmaker17 112]

Congratulations

[Cosmic 6,504]

Congrats! I like the changes in the second version. Have you tried red lettering with white in the middle, to match it closer to the sign? Personally, I would just drop the clock: it looks too clip art-ish, and I don't think you need the time on the save the date card.

I don't want you reveal personal information, of course, but what is the top line? Venue name?

[Frenchie 137]

First of all, congrats!

Secondly, I will commend you for taking feedback very well as opposed to defending your ideas.

I would tell you to remember to keep it simple, and coherent in style. Unless you can make sure the fish sign and the rooftop sign (date) are using the same style/treatment, I would drop the fish.

You should research (google) tutorials to get the neon lights effect right.

One thing that made me look twice is the fact that the first name seems quite long and takes 2 lines, it first looked like it was 3 people getting married: 1st line, 2nd line AND 3rd line...

Keep up the good work.

[DG_ThenNowForever 16,733]

Thanks! Yes, I'm a hobbyist, so there's no major pride of authorship on my end. There's some good feedback to be had here if you're willing to listen, and I am.

I'm not in love with the fish either, and think it requires too much explanation. For me, it was a link back to the top element so that the market focus is clear. But maybe it's just too much.

She uses her full name and it's long (regrettably), so it makes layout a challenge. I don't mind how unbalanced it is though, I think it helps with the sentence style I'm going for.

I'll rework a few ideas tonight. It's a process for sure.

[-kj 2,410]

My real question: Why?

(No, I don't mean "why get married?" I'm not even that much of a cynic.)

But the "save the date" thing seems kinda pointless. Why not just send an invitation and cut out the redundancy? I'm sure there's some tradition surrounding it, but I tend not to care about silly things like that.

[DG_ThenNowForever 16,733]

Okay, here's a v3:

I ditched the fish, standardized the colors and improved the neon effect. It's not perfect, but it's about what I'm able to do.

Save the Dates are sent farther in advance than invitations (which are normally more involved to produce) and help give people advance warning to take time off, schedule flights, etc. Some people send STDs a year in advance; we're giving people about seven months notice. We'll get invites out around January, which wouldn't be enough time for some people to make arrangements.

[Shumway 2,352]

First off, congrats.

I love the idea and theme here, and I think you're on the right track. I really, really dig the photo in your initial post and think the dark blue/neon red really work well together. I think you might be able to create a "scene" of sorts using the imagery in that picture with "Save the Date" in the sign/sky and the rest of the copy underneath on the silhouetted building. Basically, taking what you have now and just pushing the market building concept a little bit further. I'm not sure how married (no pun intended) you are to the color scheme you're using, but the nighttime/neon look could look really, really nice.

[Cosmic 6,504]

Pay attention to the way your letters are positioned on the sign compared to the picture, especially the commas. You may be able to improve the look by moving the letters. Also, is the top line on the sign necessary? It seems like you have everything you need for a Save the Date card: people, date, city. Is it possible to ditch the dashed line around the clock?

[Saintsfan 21]

Congrats.

I'd say version 3 is pretty much spot on. Simple striking, giving a sense of what guests might expect from a theme.

[-kj 2,410]

Some people send STDs a year in advance

*childish giggle*

[AndrewPF 96]

Maybe change the bottom to read "Formal Invitation to Follow".

[Cosmic 6,504]

Maybe change the bottom to read "Formal Invitation to Follow".

I think most people are aware of the Save the Date/Invitation standard.

[DG_ThenNowForever 16,733]

So I think I'm about done.

Here's the final (or what will be after I sleep on it):

I tried the nightime scene idea, but I couldn't make it not cheesy. I was just rendering all of Pike Place Market and it looked like a bad postcard; a more skilled designer could make it work.

I also tried a gradient version, but yuck:

Thanks everyone for the helpful feedback. I think it definitely improved the overall design, especially compared to the initial draft.

[Cosmic 6,504]

Think about maybe dropping the commas from the sign: the one on the date is floating out there in space. Other than that, the neon looks really good in the top version from your latest post. The background color really makes it pop.

[DG_ThenNowForever 16,733]

Think about maybe dropping the commas from the sign: the one on the date is floating out there in space. Other than that, the neon looks really good in the top version from your latest post. The background color really makes it pop.

I don't mind the floating comma so much, but you're probably right. I'll give it another go. Thanks for the suggestion.