Save the date cards are simply the announcement that you are getting married on the given date, and you’re asking your friends and family to keep that date free in an etiquette manner. You are setting the tone of your wedding and letting people plan ahead to keep that date reserved so that they can attend your wedding and be there for your special day.
According to our expert Esmee, ‘Save the dates are important because it puts that little needed pressure on the couple to get the things done and dusted on time, as well as clearly notifying and giving time for your guests to be prepared and ready.’
- Save the date cards are especially important if it’s a destination wedding, you want to give your guests as much notice as possible in advance so that they can be prepared and keep them dates free as destination weddings require planning from your guests also.
- During the wedding season, your guests might have to attend lots of weddings, so it might be a good idea that you send your save the dates’ card sooner because the sooner, the better.
When should you send your save the date cards?
Once you have reserved your wedding date and venue, you can send the save the date cards out as soon as feasible. The most common period to send save the date cards is 6 to 8 months before your wedding day. However, if it’s a destination wedding, our expert advises sending it out 12- 18 months in advance.
What should you include in save the dates?
Keep in mind that “less is more” when sending save the dates. Keep in mind that this is not an invitation, so you should only include the information that is required to make the guests ready for your wedding. The few things that you should put on the save the date cards are:
- The date of the wedding
- Your wedding website (if any)
- Your wedding venue (You don’t have to include the venue name if you don’t want to)
- Notify about the invitations. (For example, invitation to follow)
How many dates you want your guests to save?
Couples must decide whether to use the “save the date”, “save the dates” or “save the weekend” because they have quite different meanings. You might want a few guests to attend every event, or sometimes only selected events or ceremonies. If that’s the case, you have to word it carefully so that it doesn’t get confusing for the attendees.
Don’t include wedding registry information on your save the dates cards
It’s advisable for the couple not to include the wedding registry information on save the date cards, as it is way too soon to give such information and feels against the wedding etiquette. As mentioned earlier in this blog, when it comes to sending out save the date cards, little information is the key.
Do you send out RSVP with save the date cards?
RSVP cards are not required to be sent with your Save the Dates. They are usually sent out with the wedding invitations. But if you have already mailed out your save the date cards and your guests already know that they cannot make it on that particular date, then they will usually let you know.
I don’t know the theme colour of my wedding yet.
It’s perfectly fine even if you don’t know the primary colour that you’re going to use in the wedding. You could just go for a neutral colours which are very much in this year 2022/ 2023 or the colour that represents your personality as a couple. If you want your wedding invite suite to be matching, you could have a look at our options, or we could create the whole matching wedding stationery suite that have some elements of save the date cards as well.