One of the first planning question brides consider is whether or not to send save-the-date cards. To help you, we’re highlighting some of their important benefits along with situations when they might not be a good fit.
To send, or not to send?
Six of the best reasons to use Save-the-date cards:
1. They build excitement for your wedding day!
2. They are the perfect way to share your favorite engagement portraits!
3. They are a gift to your guests, a tangible souvenir of the joyous day to come!
4. The advance notice is helpful for guests making travel arrangements, especially if it’s a destination wedding.
5. If you have friends that are engaged your card can help avoid conflict over dates.
6. If your wedding is during a popular season for travel, save-the-dates are a great way to be sure guests plan other trips around your special day!
Situations where classic save-the-dates might not be for you:
• Your guest list is frequently changing
• Your wedding is less than 4 months away
• You plan to spread the news digitally
What about email?
There are plenty of beautiful email options if you plan to send your save-the-date notice electronically. However, there are a few things to keep in mind if you chose to go this route. For instance, be sure you have guests’ current email address and that your message cannot be forwarded to people you don’t plan to invite!
Also, it is polite to reach out with a phone call to any guests who may not have email, and you may need to follow up on the phone with others in case your message got filtered into their spam folder.
Finally, save-the-dates help set the tone for your day, so if your wedding will be a more formal, or black tie event, you may want to consider going with traditional printed save-the-dates.
When should they be sent?
If you are having a destination wedding, or if a large number of your guests will be traveling from out of town, it is polite to send save-the-dates eight months to a year in advance. If your special day will be a local event for most guests, save-the-dates can be sent four to six months before your wedding. Then, the formal wedding invitations are usually sent eight weeks before the wedding.
What should they say?
Be sure to include the following details on your save-the-dates:
• The city and state (or country) of your ceremony;
• The full wedding date, month, day, and year;
• A statement such as “invitation to follow” which clears up any confusion about how guests will receive the rest of your wedding details;
One optional detail you may want to include is the address of your wedding website. This is a great way for guests to stay updated on your plans and for you to provide information such as where you are registered!
Save-the-Date Style
This is where you get to have fun and select a design that matches your personality and wedding theme! Here are some of our most popular designs!
Click here to see more of our beautiful save-the-date designs! We would love to talk with you and hear about the look you want for your images and save-the-dates, contact us now to schedule your engagement session!
