Like the first chapter of a binge worthy book or episode one of Outlander (anyone else as excited as I am about the next season?), your wedding stationery is the first look into an unforgettable experience. How exciting is it to think that your save-the-dates are the first step in sharing your wedding with the people you’re most excited to celebrate with?!

You may be wondering when to send save the dates. How do you know it’s the right time? I’m breaking down when to send and source your save the dates. Let’s talk paper.

 

But before we get too far,

what makes a great save the date?

A memorable save the date is one that spotlights your upcoming wedding and previews what is to come in the wedding invitation. These precursors to a formal invitation share something about your relationship, a detail or two about your wedding aesthetic, and key facts for guests, including the wedding date, location, and your wedding website.

To continue with the book metaphor, it’s like those blurbs on the back of a bestseller. It draws you in, gives you a sneak peak, and leaves you wanting more.

 

Why are save the dates important?

If you’re here at DTE, it’s fair to assume that you’re at least somewhat excited about sending save the dates because it means you’re that much closer to getting married. Your guests are already thrilled for you, so now is the time to lean into that joy!

The real reason we send these ahead of the formal invitation is because people are busy. You want to be 100% sure your friends, family, coworkers, or other guests can actually attend because you put the date on their radar well in advance. Plus, where travel is involved, your guests will need extra time to book accommodations and plan time off work.

 

When to send save the dates?

We’re always getting the question of when to send save the dates. Couples are usually curious about the best time to send save the dates because they’re excited to inform their guests about their upcoming wedding. As excited as I know couples are, you’ll want to have a few things in place before your save the dates are in the mail:

Wedding Date
Wedding Venue
Hotel Blocks
Wedding Website

In order for guests to save the date, they’ll need these key details to determine plans. Your wedding website will act as one of the ways for guests to stay in the know about your wedding day, beyond the wedding stationery you mail out. Don’t forget: make sure your site is up and running before your save the dates are in the mail. We don’t want any 404s over here!

For domestic weddings, send your save-the-date 6-10 months out to make sure that your favorite people can, ya know, save the date. For destination weddings where all of the guests are traveling out of state or even out of the country, there is no such thing as sending your save the date out too early! A year in advance is never too soon if you want your guests to travel far for your special day!

For info on when to send wedding invitations, read up here.

 

Where To Find Inspiration For Save The Dates

In terms of choosing elements to inspire the look and feel of your save the date, look no further than your wedding venue and desired wedding style. Both will provide plenty of inspiration! The couples I work with also love to use their engagement photos as part of their save the dates. There are few things family and friends love seeing more than photos!

 

Where to source save the dates?

Because most of my couples love custom wedding stationery, we’ll source save-the-dates from a wedding stationery designer. When you work with a designer, they keep cohesion in mind, so your save-the-dates, invitations, and wedding day stationery will all have the same look and feel.

If you’re in a rush or would rather source save-the-dates online, look no further than Minted, which has plenty of beautiful premade designs to choose from directly on their website.

Now that you know when to send save the dates, What additional questions do you have about save-the-dates? I love talking about wedding details, so leave your questions in the comments or send me a note!