Wedding: STD & Invites

STD - Save The Dates.  These were probably the easiest, but most difficult.  I (we) couldn't decide. Your STDs are the first look into the wedding and you want it to set the tone for the rest of the stuff coming down the pipe.  But when you send them out 6 months ahead of time and you're like me, ideas change in a heart beat.  I found this invitation somewhere (didn't save that, sorry) and figured that was easy enough, clean, to the point, elegant, but still simple - all the things we knew we were going for.  I always look at something and don't say, wow I love that how much is it?  I say way that's awesome, I could make that - easy enough.  (like the wedding easy pleasy)
Here is what I found: (oddly enough they were in our colors)

And this is what I did w/ Zazzle.

 For the invitations, it was a little more difficult that just adding a few text.  I probably had 4 or 5 different designs going up until the month before we ordered all the paper.  And of course me, I was tweaking everything until I hit the print button.  Advise:  when designing your own invitations and making them, either know ahead of time that you'll be printing them from home and get a really good printer (which you'll probably use again) or make plans way ahead of time for the paper company to print them in house.  I had several, several printing companies tell me that they could print any sized cut card stock no problem, well they can't.  And I found this out the day I brought in everything to get printed!  So I ended up buying a ton of ink and printing them at the house, taking hours - but did watch several movies.  Also spray glue is by far the easiest thing to use when having to glue invitations to their mats (thanks dad), however it gets EVERYWHERE and a drop cloth is necessary.  In the summer, when its quite hot it doesn't hold up as well - some super glue, if you're lucky enough to get an assembly line going, would be best.  For the invitations, I knew I really wanted to incorporate the game weekend, but pretty.  It also had to be rustic, but elegant - clean a simple, but fun as well.  What we ended up with, worked out pretty well.  I used an online bulk paper store for all my paper goods - Cards & Pockets.  They have tons of colors and amazing quality products, plus super nice customer service.
First test:

In the midst:

Final look:

All tied up.

Since I waited way too long to send out our invitations, I decided to do the calligraphy myself - thank god I have decent handwriting and had calligraphy in high school.  Saved my butt.