Sending save the date cards is a great way to let guests know your wedding date well in advance so that they can plan appropriately. There are some easy errors you’ll want to avoid when creating these wedding reminders. Here are the top 4 mistakes that we want everyone to think about before getting started on their designs:

Sending them too Late

As a general rule, it's best to send Save the Dates 8 to 12 months prior to your wedding (send them earlier for a destination or holiday weekend). Given enough notice, you may be surprised by the distance that family and friends will come from to be able to attend! The more time your guests have, all the more opportunity to ask for time off work, confirm travel plans, save money and organise. Any later than this and they won't have enough lead time. Given that the only information you need on your Save the Dates are your names, wedding date (or dates, if it's a weekend) and location - just the city and state - you don't even need to have your venue booked yet - it should be relatively easy to create your Save the dates. Including your wedding website is a nice touch, but not necessary.

Not being clear about who is invited (and those plus ones)

It's best to be as clear as possible about who's invited to the wedding, even this far in advance. By including the actual names of every intended guest on the envelope, you're less likely to have any assumed invitees or general confusion. If you know that you want one of your guests to bring a plus one at this stage, add this to your save the date card. It will help them to arrange hotel bookings, transport and so on, the earlier they know the better. Being clear about who is invited early on also gives parents time to plan for child care.



Sending a Save the Date Card but not an Invitation

Think carefully before sending out save the dates because they have to go to people that you are actually inviting to the wedding. You can’t send a save a date to someone who you might only invite to the wedding ceremony at a later date. Once your Save the Dates are in the mail, there's no second guessing. So only send them to those guests you definitely want to be with you on your wedding day.

Not Including all of the Details

It can be easy to get carried away with fun designs and engagement photos, but the most important thing for your Save the Dates is to include the right information for your guests. At the minimum, this should be your date, names and wedding location (City and State). Read our Save the Date wording guide for more tips and wording suggestions.

Organising your Save the Dates?

Download our Save the date wording suggestions
Read our Save the Date wording guide
Find out more about when to send your stationery, including Save the Dates

Need more tips and or specific advice for your circumstances? Get in touch - we'd love to work with you!