When it comes to planning a party or a wedding, there are times when invitations have to be sent out well in advance of the actual event. While this does provide guests with plenty of time to plan ahead for the occasion, it also gives them plenty of time to forget about it as well. Sending out Save the Date cards a couple of weeks before the event is a great way to remind people the event is coming. Fortunately, these cards aren’t expensive and regardless of whether you have an extensive guest list or just need a few, there are cards that are perfect for any occasion.

Share Your Proposal Story

If your Save the Date cards are for a wedding, you can make it more memorable by telling the story of how the proposal took place. Adding a photo of the location where it took place is a great way to make it even more memorable and personal.

Use Photo Postcards

Save The Date postcards with a photo of the happy couple or something representative of the party or event is a great way to remind guests. Since it’s a postcard you also get a special rate from the post office so sending them out is a lot less expensive than regular cards. They also hang well on a bulletin board or on the fridge which means your guest will be constantly reminded the event is close.

Send Personalized Messages

Hand written cards bring a nostalgic feel to any occasion. By making each card personalized to the specific guest with a mention of how you’re looking forward to seeing them but keeping the overall note simple adds a definite personal touch to them.

If you’ve got a lot of cards to send or simply have terrible handwriting, a nice script font looks great and signing the card still adds that personal touch to it. One neat idea for weddings is to have the bride and groom place their thumbs on an inkpad and use their thumbprints in the shape of a heart to “sign” the cards.

Create a Calendar

Calendar pages of the month with the date of the special event circled is a neat way to remind people the event is coming up. You can include a small calendar page in a card or simply send a large calendar page made online with a photo of the happy couple included at the top. Either way, it makes for a fun reminder for your guests.

Ideas for Save the Date cards don’t have to be expensive or hard to do. Any of these ideas are inexpensive and will fit in virtually any budget and making them fit your needs and style is a breeze. Using your mind and coming up with some creative ways to make the cards is a great way to make sure that your guests will appreciate being reminded that your special event is close and a fun card or note ensures they won’t forget.

He and his sister, Daphne, managed to lose a combined total of 50 pounds at home on their own, a feat befitting this season of no excuses. That accomplishment, combined with 14-hour workouts, positioned the two as potential front-runners in the race for the $250,000 grand prize.

But instead of “playing nice” upon their return, the pair immediately ruffled feathers. And Adrian just Would. Not. Shut. Up. Even after his teammates told him to button it. Even after Dolvett told him to shut his pie hole if he wanted to avoid elimination. He even gave Conda a run for her mouth.

So it was no surprise that Adrian was booted this week when he fell below the dreaded yellow line. But you know what is surprising? Adrian says he knew exactly what he was doing at the time, and he’d do it ALL over again.

In a media conference call Wednesday, Adrian said, “I wouldn’t change a thing” about his time on the ranch. He said he felt the vibe in the house and realized that he would probably be eliminated if his teammates had the chance. So he wasn’t going to kowtow to anyone — he was just going to be himself.

“One thing I learned early on in life is be who you are,” the Evanston, Ill., music producer and entrepreneur said. “People are going to like you or not. And the one thing that I stuck to my guns is: Adrian is the same person at home that he was on the show.”

He said he was actually insulted by the idea that he should “know his place.” “When somebody tells me to be quiet or be back … when they say pull back, it’s like you’re telling a child to be seen and not heard. I’m 34 years old,” he said.

Adrian said he went into the elimination room realizing he could be the one to go. Before he did, he wrote a letter to his sister to encourage her to go on strong. It said, in part, “Thank you for being my big sister. Thanks for being there for me. I love you. And when that confetti falls, let it fall on your head.”

The most valuable lesson he learned during his time on the ranch? “Everything that you need to lose weight is already inside of you. You just need to get off your backside and become dedicated and just lose that weight.” To anyone debating whether to take on the weight-loss journey, he says this: “It’s your life … nobody’s going to give you extra years if you don’t give them to yourself, and that’s what this weight loss journey is about, is being here for not only yourself but the people that love you.”

Although his time on the ranch was brief, it made a fashion statement. Those ascots, he said, are part of his own personal line, Ascot by Adrian. Sales are used to support his charity, Entrepreneur Endeavors, which teaches kids how to build small businesses.

Adrian is gunning for the at-home, $100,000 prize, but he said that he already feels like he has won. “I’ve already lost 100 pound. …This show is about getting your life back and adding on years.” Victory, he said, is getting to play “Head, shoulders, knees and toes” with his daughter — and keeping up. “That is the stuff that I went on the show to do. To be able to play with my daughter.”

He has a trick for staying on track. He keeps a wedding picture on his mantle showing the “old,” overweight Adrian. (He joked that it also is proof that his wife must have really loved him to marry a man that large.)

“I look at that picture often on the mantle when I wake up in the morning just to remind myself, ‘Do not go back there. You’re worth it.’ And not only that, your family’s cheering for you and you just want to be here.”