Save the Date cards are a great way to let friends and family know when and where your wedding will be long before they receive your formal invitation. The main goal of Save the Date cards is to make sure as many of your guests as possible make it to your wedding, by giving them plenty of notice to make travel arrangements, take time off work, or simply turn down other invitations for that day.
Reasons to send Save the Date cards
Whether or not you choose to send Save the Date cards depends on when you are getting married, the type of wedding you are having, and the location of your guests. Here are some common reasons for sending Save the Date cards in addition to formal invitations:
- You are having a destination wedding
- You have a lot of out of town guests
- You are getting married in peak wedding season
- You are getting married on a weekday
- Your wedding is on a significant day such as Valentines Day
What to include on your Save the Date card
Save the Date cards are usually sent out six to eight months before your wedding, but the sooner you send them the more effective they are, so some couples post them a year in advance. Don’t worry if you haven’t finally confirmed all your wedding arrangements when you send out your Save the Dates; the information on them should be kept simple and as long as you have your venue booked you can go ahead and send them out.
The only two pieces of information that you need to include on your Save the Date card are the date and general location of the wedding. You can reveal the name of the venue, or your can simply write a city name if you prefer. The only time you may want to include more information on your Save the Date cards is if you are having a destination wedding, and you want to give your guests details of flights and hotels.
The two things you definitely won’t want to include with your Save the Dates are an RSVP, and details of your gift registry. Most couples put something like ‘formal invitation to follow’ on their Save the Dates, otherwise guests may start calling them up asking for more information, thinking they already have their invitation.
What do Save the Date cards look like?
Despite their name, Save the Date cards don’t have to be actual cards and the most effective ones are usually more creative. A Save the Date can be less formal than a wedding invitation, so it’s a good chance to have some fun and send something your guests will really enjoy.
Many couples choose to send a happy photo of themselves, perhaps holding up a sign with the wedding date written on it. Others have colourful fridge magnets made, or print the wedding details on wrappers for cookies or chocolate bars.
If you haven’t finalised your wedding colour scheme or theme when you send your Save the Date cards, you don’t have to match them to your other stationery.
However, if you already know what your wedding theme will be you can use your Save the Date as a taster of what the wedding will be like. If you are having a beach themed wedding, send postcards from the beach with your wedding date on, or have it printed on a mini surf board. If you are having a garden wedding, your wedding details could be printed on a packet of seeds.
