DO WE HAVE TO SEND SAVE THE DATES?

While most of your friends and family have already heard about your engagement and maybe even know where and when the wedding will be, this pre-invitation notification is still essential. Plus, save-the-dates are a fun way to give your guests preliminary information about the wedding! If you’re having a destination wedding—especially during busy travel dates, such as a three-day holiday weekend, summer in a resort town, or peak season in the Caribbean—then sending a save-the-date as far in advance as possible is ideal since many of your guests will have to make travel and hotel arrangements. Giving people a heads-up that there is travel involved is courteous. One function of save-the-dates is to give your guests a glimpse of the wedding to come. So the more formal the wedding, the more likely a printed card will set the tone you want your wedding to have.

WHEN DO WE SEND THEM?

As a general rule of thumb, it’s recommended to mail the save-the-dates four to six months before the wedding—or even earlier if you’re planning a destination wedding that may require more extensive travel arrangements. In general, giving your guests an advance head’s-up increases the likelihood that they’ll be able to attend.

WHO SHOULD RECEIVE ONE?

Save-the-date notifications should only be sent to those you plan on inviting to the wedding. Don’t make the save-the-date any more public beyond the actual guest list you have. Once they’re in the mail, there’s no turning back, so be sure you’ve compiled an accurate guest list before sending them off. And even if you’ve already received verbal confirmation from some guests, you still need to send them a save-the-date—that includes everyone in the bridal party, key wedding participants, and immediate family members, of course.

CAN WE SEND OUR SAVE THE DATES VIA EMAIL?

These days, sending your save-the-date announcement via email is perfectly appropriate. Just be aware of a few potential bumps along the road, like the fact that your e-card may get filtered into guests’ spam folders. While convenient and budget-friendly, delivery is not 100 percent guaranteed, so you’ll want to follow up to ensure delivery.

WHAT INFORMATION SHOULD WE INCLUDE?

Provide any details that will help guests plan for your big day, the most important being your wedding date and location (though it doesn’t have to be a specific location yet). And, of course, don’t forget to include your wedding website URL, where your guests can find all sorts of additional information. You don’t have to name your wedding and reception venue(s) just yet—save that detailed information for your actual wedding invitation. Simply naming the town or city and state (or destination wedding location) works for this early announcement.

Photos by:

1. Emma Lauren Photo ↩︎
2. Jess Living Photo ↩︎
3. Anya Kernes Photography ↩︎
4. Morgan Hydinger ↩︎
5. Garrett Richardson ↩︎
6. Parada Studios ↩︎
7. Pauline Conway ↩︎
8. Emry Photography ↩︎
9. Schaelynne DeHaan Photography ↩︎
10. Kami Olavarria ↩︎