At this point, you might be thinking that rubber stamping sounds good... BUT... you’re no Martha Stewart! You don’t have a clue how to use rubber stamps, and besides who has the time to stamp things when you’re preparing for a wedding?

While we cannot pretend to include every possibility for rubber stamping or utilizing your time, we can get you started with some ideas.

Let’s look at issues of time first. Here are some ideas for fun ways to delegate the work to othersor keep a hand in it yourself.

• Many brides have some type of party, girl’s night or the like to make rice bags, address envelopes, or make other wedding preparations. Consider having a stamping party. Get all you stamping done in one night. You get to put your personal touch on it, while having lots of help at the same time. Who knows, you’ll probably have enough time to get the rice bags made too! (If you do decide to plan such a party, be sure to order multiple copies of the same stamp so that more than one person can stamp at a time. Multiple stamps also pay off when you can send tasks home with your sister, best friend, or mother without having to send the only stamp you own with them!)
• Most bridal showers have some types of games or activities included for fun. Ask the hostess of one of your showers to include a stamping activity to help you get the work done. It’ll be fun and your friends will feel like they had an important part in your special day.
• Delegate the stamping to the person or persons planning each part of your special day. For example, if your future mother-in-law is following the tradition of hosting the rehearsal dinner, ask her to stamp all the stationary, place cards and so on for that dinner. If your mom is mailing out the ceremony invitations, have her in charge of stamping for the ceremony and so on. You’ll end up having to do very little by yourself.
• If you have an event for your bridesmaids, such as a Bridesmaids Brunch, have a short and fun stamping activity during the event. Afterall, the traditional purpose of the wedding party was NOT just to have a place of honor during the ceremony, but to HELP the bride prepare for the big day.
• Get your family involved. Believe it or not, one of the biggest complaints from family is that they feel like they don’t have a part in plans for your day. Get the whole family involved in stamping. Create memories now that will last a lifetime.

These are just some ideas for utilizing time while preparing for your big day. Many brides get overloaded, overwhelmed, and stressed out while planning a wedding because there is so much that must get done. But you can see from this idea list that there are many ways to enlist the help of friends and family without being a workhorse. These ideas do not only apply to stamping, but can be altered and used throughout the wedding planning process. Remember... this is your day. Don’t arrive at it so stressed and tired that you cannot enjoy it. Get help and have fun!

The second big question when beginning to consider rubber stamps as a way to save a budget is: “How do you actually use a rubber stamp without looking cheesy?” Like time savers, there is no way to give you a complete course in using rubber stamps here, but there are some tips you need to know to get started. Let’s look at a few.

• If a local community college, Women’s group, or YMCA gives a one-day rubber stamping class, this is your best bet to get started. These classes are probably offered somewhere in your area unless you’re really far from civilization. They are usually very cheap and you can learn the basics in one day. Another real plus to taking a class is that it will serve as a fun distraction from all the wedding planning. This is a must-do idea.
• Practice on scrap paper first. Learn how to position the stamp, how forcefully to press down, how much ink to use, etc. on surfaces that don’t count. If you only ordered five extra envelopes for your invitations, don’t start there. You could easily go through five pieces of paper in a few minutes. Remember... practice makes perfect.
• Practice on each KIND of paper you will be using. Inks will react differently to different kinds of paper, and you should practice on each kind before doing the “real deal”.
• If you realize during your practice sessions that you just don’t have the knack for positioning things correctly, consider investing in a “stamp positioner”. They’re not expensive and worth the cost.
• When storing your inkpads, place them upside down (i.e. pad side down) in zip-lock bags or plastic containers. Zip lock bags are best because you can actually press most of the air out of the baggies when closing. Keep them out of direct sunlight and store at room temperature. Make sure the pads are level (not tipped to one side or the other) when stored.
• You want to store and clean stamps properly so that they may be used again and again. Particularly with wedding stamps and last initial insignias, you can use these over and over. Anniversaries, family events, thank-you notes and so on will look very professional when done with the same kind of design that adorned your wedding stationary. To keep them in good condition, clean stamps thoroughly. You may see many cleaners on the market, but the truth is that in most cases, good ole water works fine. (Hint: Non-alcoholic baby wipes work great too and are an easy clean up. But make sure they are alcohol free.)