Before sending save the dates, don’t make these mistakes!

Once you set the date of your wedding (and tackled these things), that’s when the real planning fun begins!

Save-the-date cards are the best way to announce your wedding date to your family and friends so they mark their calendars. In addition, you’ll ensure more guests can attend when you provide plenty of advance notice.

PRO TIP: As a rule of thumb, save the dates are sent 6 to 9 months before the wedding date or up to 12 months for a destination wedding.

In this blog post, we’ll tell you how to send save the dates and what mistakes to avoid when doing so.

Plus, we’ll give you helpful details on what to include on a save the date, what to avoid, and how to send them out on time. In addition, you’ll find inspiring save the date cards and wording examples to make yours.

Let’s go!

In this guide to sending save the dates, there’s one huge thing to keep in mind. It is totally OK if you don’t have colors or a theme picked out yet. Your save-the-date does NOT have to match your wedding decor, especially if you don’t have those details nailed down quite yet.

Instead, consider a save the date separate from the invitation. It’s your first opportunity to have a little fun with styles, and colors, and begin to bring your vision to life. The design itself should reflect the season and tone of your upcoming wedding, but you’re not stuck with a particular color scheme or theme just yet.

Your save the date cards are a great way to get acquainted with colors and styles you like, so use this time to notice which patterns, colors, and themes draw you in.

Do you envision a rustic wedding?

A boho style?

Are you going with a traditional or classic theme?

Use this time to see what styles draw you in!

Before sending save the dates, follow these seven helpful hints to avoid major mistakes.

1. DO include your names, date, and location

This one is obvious but needs to be on this list. The number one thing to put on save the dates: your name, date, and location of the wedding.

Location is general — like the state of North Carolina or even more specific like Asheville, North Carolina.

If you’re getting married overseas, feel free to be more specific on your save the dates, as guests may begin to figure out travel arrangement pricing for airfare and accommodations.

Wording for Save the Date

Traditional wording for save the date cards is as follows:

Save the date
for the wedding of

Hayden Meyers
&
Easton Matthews

June 6, 2020
New York, NY

Invitation to follow

For fun and modern wording, try:

We’re tying the knot!

Hayden Meyers
&
Easton Matthews

June 6, 2020
New York, NY

Invitation to follow

It can be simple and very to the point. For ours, we did “save the date for the wedding” with our names, wedding date, and location.

2. DON’T include your venue

When sending save the dates, don’t worry so much about specifics such as venue or starting time. That will come later on your wedding invitations.

3. DON’T include registry info

Don’t include your wedding registry on wedding invitations or save-the-date cards: do this instead.

4. DO send a save the date to everyone on your guest list

Before sending save the dates, follow these important etiquette rules.

• Is the guest 100% on the list? Send a save the date.

• Is a guest on a MAYBE list? Don’t send a save the date.

And if you need help, read How to Cut Your Guest List Without Guilt.

5. DO include a photo (but you don’t have to).

It is nice to include an engagement photo or favorite picture of the two of you. A photo definitely makes a save the date more memorable.

However, a photo is not a requirement for sending save the dates; there are tons of non-photo save the date cards to work with, like these, if that’s more your thing.

5. DON’T send save the dates too early — or too late.

As important as what info to put on a save the date is when to send it out. You should send save the dates approximately 6 months before the wedding.

Ideally, most couples send save-the-date cards approximately six to seven months before the wedding date. Couples planning a destination wedding should send save the dates even earlier, eight to nine months before the big day.

6. DO make it clear on the envelope who is invited.

When you’re sending save the dates, it is very important to address them properly to guests. Be sure to include an “and guest” for those who may include a plus-one and include the names of all children if the wedding includes them.

Plus-Ones

If you’re inviting your best friend plus a date, include a “plus one” on the envelope or a name, if there’s a specific significant other.

Children

As another example, If you’re planning a child-free wedding, address the envelope clearly. Instead of “The Miller Family”, it would be “Paul and Debra Miller” on the envelope. They’ll get the idea and can arrange for childcare if needed.

If you include the entire family on the envelope, they’ll assume parents plus kids are all invited (so if you are going that route, it’s a great way to make it clear, also).

7. DO include your wedding website.

Wedding websites are becoming the norm these days as an interactive place to share the couple’s wedding info, registry, even digital RSVPs (for invitations). Before sending save the dates, get a custom wedding website so you can send the link to guests.

We recommend including the URL to your wedding website address on your card, if possible; just make sure it is updated and ready-to-view before you have it printed. Alternatively, you can turn the URL into an easy QR code for guests to scan here.

You can get a beautiful (+ free) wedding website here at Minted. You can even get matching save the dates, invitations, and stationery to coordinate with your website. Find out more here.

8. DON’T forget about save the date options

Save the date cards, postcards, and magnets are three fun ways to share the happy news. Here are a few helpful tips on each style.

Save the Date Cards

If you’re sending save the date cards, you will need to pay standard postage on each envelope. If you choose a square save the date, it will require additional postage.

Save the Date Postcards

Postcards are a fan-favorite: a postcard has everything you need, yet requires less postage and contributes less to paper waste. With save-the-date postcards, you don’t need to include an envelope and you can pay postage shipping rates. Win-win.

Save the Date Magnets

And finally, save the date magnets are probably my favorite, simply because they are functional and act as a pre-wedding favor. We sent save the date magnets and I still have mine on our fridge; in fact, I have every save the date magnet from couples who married a year or two ago still on my refrigerator.

At Minted, you can get any save-the-date design in your choice of a traditional card, postcard, or printed as a magnet.

Free Envelope Addressing

One thing to note for save the date cards: if you choose save the dates from Minted, you’ll get FREE envelope addressing, which is a serious bonus. You upload your names and addresses and everything is professionally printed on the envelopes for you.

Free Samples

Most couples don’t know about free samples for save the dates and invitations. We strongly encourage you to get a free sample before you buy; it gives you the ability to see the quality and colors/designs before you place a large order. Get a free sample kit here.

What tips would you include? What questions do you have about save-the-date cards? Also, are you sending them or skipping them altogether? Tell us in the comment box below.

Happy Planning!

xo
Emma

This is a sponsored post.