Sending Save the Dates is an important step in wedding planning that provides your potential wedding guests with the information they need to determine whether or not they can attend. In addition, these cards are easy to create, allowing you to send them out to your guest list as soon as you confirm the date and location of your big day. While the wording for these cards is fairly straightforward, there is simple Save the Date etiquette to follow as you write them.
Save the Date wording etiquette
Keep it short. Your Save the Dates should be simple, to-the-point cards that answer the who, where, and when of your wedding (we already know the why!) If you have a wedding website, include the link for those that would like to dive into the specifics ASAP.
Consider what actions you want the Save the Dates to prompt. When guests receive your card, the actions you likely want them to take include confirming they’re available on your wedding date, inserting your wedding info into their calendar, and beginning to consider what they need to do to prep for the celebration. So, make sure the information on your cards will prompt these activities.
For a destination wedding, this card can also point guests in the direction of the information they need to get a head start on travel plans.
Let recipients know an invitation will follow. Ensure guests don’t confuse the Save the Date for your official invite by making a note at the bottom of the card that the official invitation will follow.
Send them at the right time. It’s ideal to send save-the-dates about six months before the wedding. For a destination wedding you want to get the cards out 10 – 12 months in advance, as people need plenty of time to plan for time off and book travel and accommodations.
Select a design that reflects the style of your wedding. As the Save the Date will be the first piece of correspondence about your wedding, be sure it emulates the general style you think you’ll opt for on the big day.
Only send to people you’re sure you want at your wedding. Save the Dates should be sent only to those you’re sure you want at your wedding. Even though these aren’t the official invites, they deliver the message that the recipients are invited.
Proofread. Before you order or email your Save the Date cards, read over the information multiple times, and have one or two other people proofread, to help ensure nothing is misspelled, and all the information is there. When handwriting save the dates, create a template to use as a guide, and be sure all the info on that template is correct.
Consider online Save the Dates. Make the sending of Save the Dates as easy as possible by sending digital cards. Sites like Joy allow you to send online Save the Dates for free, and provide an assortment of unique designs to choose from.
Optional extras. If you’re not into creating DIY cards, but still want to make your cards more unique, you can add extras like an engagement photo, poem, favorite quote, or other feature that expresses your personality. However, resist the temptation to add too much, as this can clutter the card.
To make the creation of your Save the Date as simple as possible, here are some wording ideas to get you started.
Save the Date template
While most Save the Date cards provide the following information, there’s quite a bit of wiggle room with how traditional or casual you get with the wording.
Invitation to save the date
Your names (for traditional cards it’s customary to include your full names)
Date of the wedding
Location of the wedding
Wedding website link
Note that a formal invite will follow
Traditional wording examples
Please save the date
to celebrate the marriage of
George Miller and Kelly Brown
September 20, 2022
Austin, Texas
https://withjoy.com/GeorgeandKelly
Formal invitation will follow
Jamie Morrow and Samantha Cohen
Will be married
June 8, 2021
Park City, Utah
Formal invitation to follow
Save the Date
Brady Jones and Lizzy Wilson
request your presence at their wedding
on Saturday, June Twenty-Sixth
Two Thousand Twenty-One
At the Plaza Hotel in New York, New York
Formal invitation to come
Please save the date
To celebrate the union of
Jason Hernandez
and
Mark Smith
October 10, 2021
New York, New York
Formal invitation to follow
Save the Date
the tenth of April
two thousand twenty-one
Avery Garcia
and
David Moore
San Francisco, CA
https://withjoy.com/AveryandDavid
Formal invitation to follow
Casual wording examples
Save the date because…
Holly Smith and Connor Williams
are getting married in San Francisco!
May 25, 2021
https://withjoy.com/HollyandConnor
Formal invitation to follow
Save the Date!
Yvonne and Neal are getting hitched
in Miami, Florida
May 25, 2021
Invitation to follow
It’s finally happening!
Josh and Kyle are taking the plunge.
Save the date: 9.18.21
San Diego, California
Keep an eye out for your formal invitation
Dan proposed…
Elizabeth said yes!
Join us on November 30, 2021
as we tie the knot
in Portland, Oregon
Invitation to follow
Please save the date!
Jessica and Hillary are tying the knot
On January 20, 2021
in Portland, Oregon
https://withjoy.com/JessicaandHillary
Look out for your formal invite
Destination wedding Save the Date template
As save the date cards for a destination wedding will be the jumping off point for travel planning, it’s wise to let guests know where they can find key travel information.
Tip: Amp us guests’ excitement by selecting a card design that conveys the essence of your destination.
Invitation to save “the date,” or for many destination weddings, “the dates”
Your names
Date, or date range for the festivities
Location (you don’t have to include the venue at this point)
Wedding website link (you can make a note that this is where travel details can be found)
Note that a formal invite will follow
Destination wedding wording examples
Save the Date for Merriment on the Beach
Robert & James
Are getting hitched!
March 15, 2021
Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa
Maui, Hawaii
Get all the travel deets at https://withjoy.com/RobertandJames
Keep an eye out for the formal invite
Alicia & Megan’s Adventure Begins
May 24-26, 2021
Puntarenas, Costa Rica
Go here for the travel details: https://withjoy.com/AliciaandMegan
Formal invite to follow
Please join us in Colorado
For the wedding of Sarah and Liam
December 4-6, 2021
Keystone Ski Resort
Travel information at https://withjoy.com/SarahandLiam
Invite to follow
Save the Dates & Book Your Flight!
Cassie and Eric
June 25-28, 2021
Paris, France
More information at https://withjoy.com/CassieandEric
Invitation to follow
Pack your bags…
Because Jeremy and Sophia are walking down the aisle!
August 10, 2021
Jamaica
Travel details: https://withjoy.com/JeremyandSophia
Invite to come
Up Next:
Get beautiful online save the dates with matching prints.
Heres’s how to create and send free paperless save the dates and order matching paper stationery!
