Paint the Perfect Save-the-Date

We can’t believe that there are only a few months to go until our wedding! We're sure you've heard it a million times, but time really does fly when you're engaged. There's still so much do to and so many plans to finalize.

rigo and claudia

When we had our consultation with David Tutera, one of the areas that we really wanted his help was with our save-the-date announcement. We knew what type of  “feeling” we were trying to capture — unique, happy, and playful — but had no definite way of going about it. Ideally, we wanted to incorporate the outdoors and make it seem as if the moment was being captured live. 

After he asked a few more questions, David processed the information and came up with a wonderful idea that would incorporate all of our requests. We were beyond excited with the idea. 

The next thing to do was to meet with our photographer, Stephen of Stephen Martin Photography.

During the late fall, we met with Stephen, and he was more than willing to help. He had never done a save-the-date of this kind, but he knew the perfect location. With our plan starting to take shape, we wrote a list of supplies and were off to the store.

Six feet of canvas paper, check. A few bottles of washable paints, check. A couple of white long sleeve shirts, already had those. We were surprised that for under 20 dollars, we could make this happen.

The first thing to do was to pre-make the banner. We thought about doing it the same day, but were concerned that it wouldn't dry correctly or that we'd make a mistake. Instead, we made the banner the night before the shoot and hung it to dry. This allowed the ink to drip and appear freshly painted. We found the perfect spot to hang it for the shoot and got ready to have some fun!

creative save the date idea

Next, we each grabbed a few bottles of paint and went at it — that was the best part of the day! People in the park were watching and smiling as we covered each other in purple and blue paint. Our photographer also encouraged us to act as if we were actually painting the banner. He would later incorporate the action shots in a timeline sequence.

creative save the date idea

After a series of poses, all that was left to do was put it together. We decided on a backing that states “Paint the Future Bright,” with the same colors that we used for the banner. This was a very simple and very fun experience. We were very pleased with the outcome and have recently sent them out to our guests.

creative save the date idea

Thank you to Bridal Guide for this experience, to David Tutera for the idea and guidance, and to our amazing photographer, Stephen. Wedding invites are next, and we hope they will be just as memorable. We will be sure to keep you all posted!

—Rigo Garcia and Claudia Hernandez



Meet the winners of our Pin to Win a Dream Wedding Design by David Tutera Contest, Rigo Garcia and Claudia Hernandez! Claudia is a registered nurse in the surgery department, which is where she met her fiancé Rigo Garcia, a nurse anesthetist. They became best friends and fell in love with very little effort, a trend that continues today. They will be married at Meyers Castle in Indiana on June 8, 2013. They are planning a fabulous wedding filled with traditions, entertainment, surprises, and many unique ideas inspired, in part, by David Tutera.