What Does a Save the Date Need to Say
It's happening! Your wedding date is set and the party planning starts now. With your guest list complete, save the date cards are a fun and practical way to tell your friends and family they're VIP—officially on the guest list for your wedding day. There's proper etiquette for save the dates wedding stationery so that as the countdown begins, guests know to reserve the date or weekend for your big celebration and start planning accordingly. Get started with picking out the best save the date cards that best matches the style and theme of your wedding and learn how to properly address for your wedding guests.
This to-the-point wording and save the dates etiquette guide outlines when to order and send save the date wedding cards, how to address them to guests and wording examples for casual, formal, religious, and funny save the dates. During the early stages of your wedding planning, it's best to find the best save the date cards that you and your spouse likes the best. From a simple elopement to traditional weddings, save the date cards are perfect for any occasion. Don't forget to browse our great selection of wedding stationary that will be look great for your wedding.
Read on or jump to sections with the links below:
- When to Send Save the Dates
- What to Include on a Save the Date Card
- Save the Date Wording Examples
- How to Address Save the Date Cards
- Save the Date Designs
The Timeline: When to Send Save the Dates?
Whether you're planning a destination wedding or a local affair, your guests need ample time to prepare for your big day. How much time you need depends on when you start the planning process and the location of your wedding.
When to Order Save the Dates: 6 to 12 Months Before the Wedding
So when should save the date cards be sent? And how does a destination wedding affect the timeline? In general, order, design, and send out save the date cards at least 6 to 12 months in advance of your wedding date. If you miss the 6 to 12 month period, try sending and ordering your save the date cards as soon as possible.
Why so much time? Giving your guests a year or more to plan will generate excitement and ensure a smooth guest experience, especially for out-of-towners.
When to Send Save the Dates for Destination Weddings: 6 to 12 Months Before the Wedding
Planning a destination wedding? Perhaps no other type of wedding requires more planning than a destination wedding.
With destination experts around the world, including Mexico, London, Italy, and France, the importance of giving wedding guests enough time to plan and save up for such events. It's recommended sending out cards at least six months to a year in advance.
A timely save the date card that announces not only the date of your big day, but also the faraway place you plan to tie the knot is the proper way to invite your guests to your destination wedding.
When to Send Save the Dates for Local Weddings: 4 to 6 Months Before the Wedding
Your ceremony and reception venues are in your hometown, and most of your guests are local. For a local wedding, give your guests at least four to six months advance notice of your wedding date, and follow up with your invitations as soon as possible.
Expert Wedding Planning Tip: It is important to think about large seasonal events that may impact the receipt of a save the date, if possible do not send save the dates during the peak of the Christmas holiday season, as they can get lost with all of the other mail that arrives during that time of the year.
In summary, here's a basic timeline for when to send save the dates:
- Choose your location and set the date. These two items are intertwined. You may fall in love with a location and select from available dates. Or you may choose a special date and a venue in your preferred location later down the line. The location can be approximate – a city will do.
- Take your engagement photos. You can schedule your engagement photo shoot any time after the proposal.
- Design your save the dates cards. Use your engagement photos in your design for the ultimate personal touch.
- Mail your save the dates. The basic rule of thumb is to send save the dates 6 months before the wedding. For a destination wedding, it is customary to mail save the dates 8 to 12 months in advance. For a local affair, send save the dates 4 months in advance.
- Follow your save the dates with your formal invitations about 8 weeks before the wedding.
Can you send a digital save the date? Modern etiquette allows for electronic correspondence in the age of the Internet, but there's nothing more polished and personal than a save the date sent through snail mail with love. With the variety of customizable designs available with just a few clicks, it's easier than ever to find a beautiful and true-to-you option for every budget, color and style.
What to Include on a Save the Date Card
What key information should you include on your save the date cards? Your save the date card should include three main pieces of information:
- The date of the wedding, or the weekend of the wedding celebration. The magical date is set and this is the date you include in your card, allowing your guests to mark the big day on their calendars.
If you're planning a destination wedding or a celebration that lasts more than a single day, indicate the entire weekend so your guests can block off the weekend and arrange their travel plans.
- The city of the event. Whether you're planning a destination wedding or one in your hometown, your guests will need to know the location of your wedding to prepare ahead of time. Even some of your local guests might want to reserve a room at a nearby hotel instead of driving home at the end of the night.
- The name of the couple. Full names are preferred, but first names are just as proper for casual and informal wedding celebrations. And you never know, a save the date card might be the first time some of your guests learn the name of your fiancé.
Though not required, the following optional information might be extremely helpful to your guests:
- Formal invitation to follow. Save the date cards are relatively new to the wedding stationery suite, so some of your guests might not know what they are. Make it clear that they're just that, save the dates, by adding an extra line that says a formal invitation is on its way.
- The wedding website. Today's couples love creating custom wedding websites with fun and helpful information about the festivities. If you're launching your own site or page, don't forget to include it in your save the date card. This is also a great way to point your guests to a place with more information that you might not be able to fit in the card or invitation.
- Save the date with hotel information. If you're planning a destination wedding or a celebration with many guests from out of town, you can include important information about the location, travel information, and accommodations, especially if you've reserved a block of rooms with a discount rate.
Formal, Religious, Funny and Cute Save the Date Wording Examples
The following examples show the proper wording for casual, formal, religious, and funny save the date cards.
Casual Save the Date Wording
Save the Date!
Ben and Laura
September 15, 2017
San Francisco, CA
www.benandlaura.com
Formal Save the Date Wording
Ben Smith and Laura White
Are getting married in San Francisco
September 15, 2017
Formal Invitation to Follow
Religious Save the Date Wording
Save the Date
For the Wedding of Ben Smith and Laura White
September 15, 2017
San Francisco, CA
"Therefore, what God has joined together let no man separate." Mark 10:9
Formal Invitation to Follow
Fun Save the Date Wording
Two Fewer Fish in the Sea
Kimberly and Ryan
San Francisco, CA
September 15, 2017
Invitation to Follow
Save the Date with Hotel Information
Ben Smith and Laura White
Are getting married in San Francisco, CA
September 15, 2017
Formal Invitation to Follow
A block of rooms have been reserved at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square Hotel
Use the group code WEDDING
For more information, please visit our website www.benandlaura.com
How to Address Save the Date Cards
A save the date card should go to every guest invited to your wedding, including members of your wedding party and family members. Using the same etiquette rules for how to address wedding invitations, we've provided the following guidelines for how to address your save the date cards with your guests in mind:
To a single guest, use the appropriate titles, "Mr.", "Mrs." or "Ms."
Mrs. Jones
43 Goodlett Place
San Francisco, CA 14002
To a married couple, use titles "Mr. and Mrs." and the couple's last name.
Mr. and Mrs. Jones
43 Goodlett Place
San Francisco, CA 14002
To an unmarried couple, use the titles "Mr. and Ms." and spell out first and last names.
Mr. Peter Jones and Ms. Stacey Marshall
43 Goodlett Place
San Francisco, CA 14002
To a married couple with children, include the first names of the children on the second line underneath the parents.
Mr. and Mrs. Jones
Owen and Julian
43 Goodlett Place
San Francisco, CA 14002
Save the Date with a plus one, use the title Mr. or Ms. with the last name of the primary guest and write "and guest."
Mr. Jones and Guest
43 Goodlett Place
San Francisco, CA 14002
Save the Date Design
As part of the complete wedding stationery suite, save the dates often reflect a couple's wedding day design scheme. But, they don't have to. Some examples of creative and fun save the dates include photo save the dates, magnet save the dates, and even a box with items that represent the location of the wedding.
Shutterfly Save the Dates
Create personalized and stylish save the date cards with Shutterfly. Our easy-to-use templates allow you to design your save the dates with your selected photographs and important nuptial details. We can even address, stamp and send your cards! Make sure to keep a copy of your save the dates to save for a wedding photo book.
As you consider your save the date ideas, explore countless pages of inspiration with wedding ideas for themes and dream wedding looks—from going for a holiday look for a Christmas wedding or choosing a bright and summery theme. Get inspired to design elegant wedding stationery that reflects your unique love story and visions of your big day.
Wrapping Up
As you go on with your wedding planning, you will realize that sending out save the date cards will not only get you excited but get your guests excited for your big day. Your save the dates will give your guests an idea of what type of wedding you plan on having and with that they will get you the best gifts to celebrate your wedding day.
Additional Resources:
- Wedding Announcement & Engagement Cards
- Personalized Wedding Invitations
- Wedding Thank You Cards
- The Wedding Shop by Shutterfly
What Does a Save the Date Need to Say
Source: https://www.shutterfly.com/ideas/how-to-address-and-send-save-the-dates/
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