When to Send Save the Date

Save the dates are not always a necessity, but they are a great way to get people excited about your wedding. They also give your loved ones plenty of time to get their schedule organized so that they can attend your big day without other worrying. They are especially important if your guests are coming from far away and will have to make travel arrangements. This allows them to take advantage of deals on travel booking and gives them plenty of time to get time off of work if necessary. They’re also great for guests with children for making the appropriate arrangements for child care.

As for when to send save the dates, it depends on a few things. A general rule is to send them out about six months before the wedding. You should send them out about eight months ahead of the wedding if your big day falls on a holiday or is taking place at a popular travel location so that your guests are able to make arrangements to be there. Really, the best time to send save the dates is as soon as you have nailed down a date. Your guests will appreciate the heads up.

Should You Send a Save the Date to Everyone?

Surely, you should only send them to the people you want to attend your wedding. You should always send a save the date even if you’ve talked with certain guests and know that they are planning on coming. That means bridesmaids, siblings, and parents too. But, you can cut some cost by only sending them out to people who will be traveling or will likely need to make arrangements in advance. However, if you choose to send save the dates to select guests rather than all of them, make sure that you send them to everyone who will be interacting with each other. You don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings by not sending them one when the people that they know have gotten one, even if you are planning on inviting them.

Is Electronic Save the Date Acceptable?

The main reason to send electronic save the dates is the convenience. Traditional cards have to be ordered, printed, delivered, addressed, and posted. That whole process could take weeks if not more. Most online stationary stores are easy to use and you can design and order your unique save the dates with just a few clicks. There are some downfalls to electronic save the dates though. They could get stuck in your guests’ spam folders, or the email address you have for them is no longer valid. So for this question, electronic save the date is acceptable, but if possible, you'd better send a paper save-the-date.

Do I Have to Send Someone a Wedding Invitation if I Sent Them a Save the Date?

After knowing when to send save the card, you might also consider about sending wedding invitation. Everyone that received a save the date should also get an invitation. It is expected that an invitation will be following the save the date card. Not sending one is just as bad as uninviting someone. If your finances have changed since sending the save the dates, cut back in other areas, not the guest list.