Unique Save the Date Ideas | From Birdhouse197

A save the date has a simple job: set the tone, hint at the vibe and get the date in everyone's diaries. And look stunning on a fridge or mantelpiece while it does it.

Weddings are special, and for most couples one of the biggest things they'll ever spend money on. Sending something in the post gives the day value, purpose and thought, long before it arrives. There's something really meaningful about receiving thoughtful mail (not bills, obviously). It's timeless.

We still remember how exciting it was getting our own invitations printed. There's something about seeing your own that's so special. Seeing it in print makes it real. Here are our favourite unique save the date ideas, all things we've made for real couples. See every design in one place in our unique save the dates.

1. Change the Shape

Changing the shape of the paper is a simple but really effective way of quietly saying that this wedding will be something a little different. Our circular Sun and Moon and arched Sun save the dates do exactly that, before anyone has read a word.

2. Send a Letter That Unfolds

The Victorian Folding Letter is probably our most unique save the date to receive. Not everyone has seen or opened one, and it really delivers the wow factor. It's delicate but intriguing, opening in stages until the date is revealed. Read the full story in What Is a Victorian Puzzle Purse?

3. Pull a Tarot Card

Birdhouse197 actually started with whisky bottles. George has a degree in illustration, and a friend asked him to illustrate whisky bottles as table names for her wedding. That was our doorway into the wedding world, and many whisky bottles later (then gin, then rum), we were hooked.

In 2017 we asked ourselves what save the date we'd actually want to receive, and the answer was without a doubt a tarot card. After many sketches and failed attempts, the Crystal Ball was born. Our tarot designs still feel like pulling a card from a real deck.

4. Add a Little Shine

Foil on velvet textured paper has what we call the magpie effect. At wedding fairs it draws people straight over with its glow. The Bleeding Heart foiled save the date is the heart of our designs (no pun intended). We created it for our own wedding in 2022, and it's the first card we'd hand anyone. Foil is so hard to capture in photos, so a sample pack is the best way to see it properly.

5. Give It a Story

Our Lock & Key started as Joshua's "key to my heart" idea. While we were creating it, all we could think of was The Secret Garden and the key that opens it: spooky manor, hidden garden vibes. It doesn't get as much attention as some of our designs, and in some ways that makes it more special.

Most of our designs have a story like this. Many go through a design, pause, forget, design again phase, and some are still sat in the drafts folder. George will spend days illustrating something and hating it, and Joshua helps refine it until it looks just right.

6. Match Your Colours

For our own wedding we wanted two colours to match our outfits, deep green and navy blue, so we mirrored them in our stationery. We're happy to do the same for you. Every design can be printed in your colours, and if you're torn, we can send over a few options to compare.

7. Make It Worth Keeping

Every one of our save the dates is illustrated artwork, so we hope it feels like a lovely little print to receive. Most end up on the fridge or a pinboard. Some couples and guests have even framed theirs.

“I've been dreaming of using Birdhouse197 for my save the dates since I saw their work on social media!”
Danielle L. | Read all our Google reviews

8. Hint at What's Coming

Lots of our couples get married in October, like us, and we've read some amazing plans: haunted buildings, midnight feasts, so many weddings we wish we were invited to. Your save the date is the first hint of all that. Wording like "'til death do us part", "in this life and the next" or "written in the stars" is romantic, with a nod to the dark.

A Few Practical Tips

• Order one per household, not one per person.
• Say early on if children are welcome. It saves awkward conversations later.
• If you have a wedding website, add the link or a QR code so guests can find out more.
• Think about the whole day from the start. If your save the dates, invitations and on the day stationery match, everything feels considered.

Ready to Start?

Our couples are usually ones we'd probably be friends with: couples who know what they want, and it's likely to be something different in the best way. We're a two person team, so every message comes straight to us, and we'll be with you from the first proof to the post. Even after hundreds of orders, holding the finished prints in our hands never gets old.

And once yours arrive, tag us. We love seeing them out in the wild and being part of the journey.

Explore our unique save the dates, tell us about your day, or order a sample pack to hold a few first. For every couple, and every love story.

George & Joshua