You got engaged, you’ve booked your wedding venue, and now it’s time to “formally” let everyone know about it!

The next step in your wedding planning is the Save The Dates!

Save The Dates can be a daunting first task, but it shouldn’t be. Save The Dates are meant to be an exciting time and putting in the effort to make them unique can really set the tone for your special day.

First things first, let’s understand what save the dates are and the important information you should be including on them.

Save the date meaning

Save the dates act as an official announcement of the date and location of your wedding.

Importantly, they are also the first official notification your guests will get that they are invited to your big day. So exciting!

Is save the date only for weddings?

No, save the dates are not only for weddings.

Many people use save the dates for other special occasions that are worth celebrating such as baby showers, engagements, bar mitzvahs, anniversaries, and more.

Save the date vs wedding invitation

What’s the difference between a save the date and an invitation?

Save The Date

A save the date and a wedding invitation might be confusing to some.

While they are related to each other, they are actually quite different.

A Save The Date is meant to be sent out between 6 to 8 months before your wedding day, letting your guests know of the date and location of your wedding or special event.

It’s to let your guests be aware of the date of your wedding and mark it on the calendars so remind them.

Wedding Invitation

A formal wedding invitation is sent out 6 to 8 weeks before your actual wedding day. The wedding invitation is meant to include much more information about the special day, including date, location, dress code, parking information, RSVPs, and more.

For some, you don’t have to send out save the dates for your wedding, you could just leave it for a formal wedding invitation for a later date.

While this would save you some money, it creates a risk that your guests could become busy on your special day, since formal wedding invites are only sent several weeks before your big day, and Save The Dates are months prior.

What to say on save the dates?

The format of your save the dates is largely up to you, but there is some important information you need to include.

What to include on your Save The Date:

• The name of the couple
• The Date of the event
• The Location of the event
• It is important to let your guests know that a formal invitation will follow later
• You can include the time of the wedding, but this can also be left for the formal invite
• If you have a wedding website, you should add its website URL to the save the date as well

Your save the dates should always include some sort of “save the date” wording on them.

If you are sending out save the dates to a native Spanish guest, consider adding save the date in Spanish: “reserva”.

Does the bride name go first on Save the dates?

How do you word save the dates?

Save the dates can be worded however you like, but you should learn how to address save the dates in a formal tone.

You can choose to be formal or more conversational with your tone of voice, depending on the theme and dress code of your event.

It is up to you, there is no right or wrong way to word a save the date invitation.

For example, a simple save the date invitation with a formal tone would be written like this:

Save The Date
Sam and Courtney – February 22, 2022
Palm Springs, California
Formal Invite To Follow

Does save the date mean you’re invited?

Generally, if you are sent a save the date card to an event then you can assume you are invited to the event.

However, in reality, the save the date card doesn’t necessarily mean that you get to go to the event.

The save the date cards are meant as a proposed guest list and as unfortunate as it sounds, guest lists can change a lot in the several months leading up to the wedding.

When to send save the dates

Save the dates are typically sent out 6-8 months before the wedding date to give guests ample time to plan and make arrangements to attend the event.

When should save-the-dates go out for a destination wedding?

If you are planning a destination wedding or a wedding during a busy time of year, you may want to send save the dates out even earlier, around 9-12 months in advance.

When should formal wedding invitation be sent

For formal wedding invitations, you can send them up to 3 or 4 months before your wedding day.

This is especially important if your guests need to plan travel and hotel arrangements at an early stage to avoid late price hikes.

Formal wedding invites also offer an important first glimpse of the style of your wedding.

How late is too late for save-the-dates?

If you are planning an event where most of your guests are local, you can get away with sending out save the dates 4 months prior to the event.

However, if you are planning an event and there are more than a few out of town guests, then I’d recommend sending out save the dates at least 6-8 months in advance.

How to send a save the date online

There are a few different ways you can send a save the date online:

Email your Save the dates

You can create an email with the save the date information and send it to your guests.

This is a quick and easy option, but keep in mind that some people may not check their emails regularly or may not see the message in their inbox.

Create a wedding website

If you have created a wedding website, you can include a save the date page or section on the site and share the link with your guests.

This allows them to easily access all of the important information and details about your wedding.

Use Social media to send your save the dates

If you have a large number of guests who are active on social media, you can post your save the date on your personal or wedding-specific social media account(s).

This can be a great way to share the news with a large group of people quickly, but be sure to also follow up with more traditional save the dates for those who may not use social media.

Use an online invitation service for your save the dates

There are a number of online invitation services that allow you to create and send electronic save the dates.

These services often offer a variety of templates and customization options to help you create a save the date that reflects your style and personality.

Regardless of which method you choose, be sure to include all of the necessary information in your save the date:

• the names of the couple
• the date and location of the wedding
• the phrase “save the date

You may also want to include a wedding website or other contact information in case guests have any questions.

If you are interested in a wedding website, reach out to Sparklight Solutions as they can create a beautiful wedding website for you!

When should save the date pictures be sent for engagement?

There are no set times to send your save the dates, but generally, they are sent out six to eight months in advance of your wedding.

With this in mind, you should be looking at arranging a photoshoot around 10 months in advance of your wedding.

This will avoid any last-minute panics over any editing that needs to be made on the pictures or the style of the save the date.

How many extra save-the-dates should I order?

Honestly, couples can order however many extra save-the-date cards they want. Depending on if they want keepsakes for themselves or for their wedding book.

However, I would recommend ordering at least 5-10 more cards (or save the date items if you choose to do a keepsake) just in case

What material should Save The Dates be printed on?

Save the dates photo cards can vary in material from cardstock to glossy photo paper.

If you go for the photo card look, a popular design is Terrazzo. Terrazzo is a stone material with confetti-like patterns.

It’s currently taking the interior design world by storm and is making its way into wedding stationery. Using it in your save the date can make a real statement!

However, not all save the dates are in card form. Here are some unique and creative save-the-date ideas that you might want to consider!

Now that we understand the types of details to include on our save-the-dates, it’s time to start thinking of the photoshoot!

There are endless choices for your Save The Date, so make sure to check out these funny, unique, and memorable Save The Date photoshoot ideas or these cute DIY Save The Date Keepsakes.

Until next time…

Cheers Lovelies!