While it is easy to get bogged down in the wedding planning, you can’t forget about one of the most important parts of the big day: your guests. You want to make sure that as many of your loved ones as possible are there to participate in your big day. In order to do so, you need to inform your guests about the wedding as soon as possible. How do you do that? With a Save the Date.
Save the Date cards are pre-invitation cards that you mail to your guests in order to give your guests more information about the celebration. Save the Date cards became popular in the mid-2000s and have since become a more of a staple in the wedding planning process. They are a great way to tell your guests to keep your wedding date open and the location of the wedding, and can direct them to your wedding website.
While Save the Dates have become more popular, in recent years, they aren’t a necessity. There is no rule that demands that you send out Save the Dates. But, generally, they are considered a good heads-up for your guests. With people’s busy schedules and traveling, sending Save the Dates increases the chances that your guests will attend. They are especially important if you are having a destination wedding, or getting married on a popular weekend.
If you do decide to send out Save the Dates, you want to make sure that you send them out at the right time. The exact time depends on what type of wedding you are having. If you are having an out of town wedding or getting married on a holiday, most say that you should send them out about eight months before the big day. If you aren’t planning a destination wedding or to get married during high travel times, then about six months out is a good time frame. This gives your guests plenty of time to take time off work, make their travel plans, and save a bit of cash. Any earlier than this, and they might just toss it aside, but, if it is any later, it might as well be an invitation.
Common Mistakes
Not Making Them Personal
While invitations are generally more formal and traditional, your Save the Date cards can be anything that you want them to be. They don’t have to match your theme or color scheme of the wedding. You might not even have those nailed down yet. You want your Save the Dates to represent you and your significant other. Whether they are formal or extremely unique, it doesn’t matter as long as they are personal to you. However, while they give you the opportunity to be creative and fun, you don’t want your Save the Dates to be too obscure. The most important thing is that you give your guests all the information that they need. If you don’t include that, then there is no point in sending them.
Sending Them Too Late
You want to make sure that your Save the Dates give your guests enough time to plan accordingly for the wedding. If they are going to attend your wedding, they are probably going to need to make arrangements. If you send them out too late, it really doesn’t do much good, and it’s just a waste of time and money. If there isn’t enough time in between when you get engaged and the date you decide on, don’t push Save the Dates.
Not Including the Location
You might not have all the details locked down by the time that you send out Save the Dates, and that’s okay. You don’t have to include the exact venue on the card. However, you should have a location decided on so that you can make this known to your guests. This is especially important if your wedding is going to be out of town. If you send out a save the date without a location on it, people are going to assume that you are getting married in your hometown, especially if you have always lived in that town.
