Congratulations – you’re engaged! This is the happiest time of your life, Now it’s time to let everyone know about the big day! Your first step is to send a wedding Save the Date card. This pre-invitation officially announces your wedding date and lets guest know that they will be invited to share in your special day.
The Important of a Save the Date Card
Destination weddings and weddings that are three-day affairs are becoming more and more popular. Your guests need plenty of time to plan, especially if you plan to marry during a holiday weekend or high season in a beach town. The Save the Date card is just simple courtesy. Of course if you are not having one of these weddings, then you don’t have to send one, but sending a Save the Date card does give your guests, who likely have busy schedules of their own, plenty of time to plan. Therefore, they will be more likely to attend your wedding.
Timing
Generally, Save the Date cards should be sent approximately six to eight months prior to the ceremony. You may consider sending them earlier if it is a destination wedding or it falls on a holiday weekend. This gives guest plenty of time to book travels, plan for costs and days off of work.
Guest List
Send a Save the Date card to everyone you want to attend your wedding, even if you have already gotten a verbal commitment. This includes parents, siblings, and bridesmaids. But remember, only send them to those that you really want to attend. While not a formal invitation, a Save the Date card is still a pre-invitation and it would not be good manners to rescind it later.
Information to Include
At this point, you may not have all the specifics, and that is just fine. The Save the Date card should include the couple’s names, wedding date (or dates, for a wedding weekend), location (a city is helpful, even if the venue isn’t booked yet) and a notice for a formal invitation to follow. Including a wedding website is ideal, but again, not necessary. At this point an RSVP shouldn’t be expected—after all, this is the correspondence that gives guests an opportunity to figure out what their RSVP will be when the formal invitation arrives.
