Save The Date Cards – Why, What, And How
Sending out save the date cards is a perfect way to give your guests heads up about the forthcoming big day. This is the first time when you’re officially announcing that the wedding is going to happen.
We believe that many of your guests already have the information. Yet for some, this may be a pleasant surprise.
On the other hand, many mistakes are made with improper save the dates. The most common mistake is sending them too late, or not sending them at all.
In this article, we’ll cover everything from A to Z about save the date cards. You’ll get to know how to create them, what to write inside and why are they so important.
Should you send save the date cards at all?
In some moments, the wedding planning to-do list may seem neverending. The more you work on it, the more tasks appear. You’ve just finished with the major ones, yet there are too many details.
The good thing is that the wedding planner is helping you a lot, as well as many tips and tricks found online. You’ve found many shortcuts and already cut some of the unnecessary business.
Yet with save the date cards, we will need to disappoint you. This is not a task that you can easily remove from the list.
They are not mandatory, yet sending save the date cards is strongly recommended.
There are many benefits of informing your wedding guests about the wedding date. And it is not only about sending out cards with the information.
Sending save the date wedding cards is a part of proper wedding etiquette and gives the extra value. Read on to find out why are these as important as the formal invitations.
Before sending save the date cards
Save the date cards come in the first batch of tasks. Yet before creating them, there are three things that you need to finish:
- Find a venue
The key information on save the dates, except the date, is the wedding location. There’s no point in inviting guests when you’re uncertain about the wedding venue.
- Set the dates
As the name says, cards are meant to “save the date.” So if you want to send them out, you need to have the final date, confirmed with the venue.
- Complete the guest list
Don’t send save the date cards until you make the final version of the guest list. Once you forward the cards, you can’t uninvite some guests.
For this reason, make sure to finish the budgeting as well. Cutting the costs by reducing the number of guests isn’t the option once you invite them. If you happen to run out of money, try cutting on drinks or avoidable vendors.
The importance of save the date cards
The true importance of save the date cards lies in good timing. They are sent quite a while before the formal wedding invitation. This will give your invitees extra time for solid preparation.
Also, it’s a (semi) formal way to introduce the final dates of your wedding and give more information.
This additional information may include a link to your wedding website. As you should only include essential on the card, a website may give all the required information.
This comes especially hand if you’re organizing a destination wedding or a wedding with a huge guest list.
The website can contain everything related to the trip or the wedding day. This includes hotel, venue, flight options, and other wedding announcements.
When to send save the date cards
The perfect time to send out save the date cards is 6 to 12 months before the nuptials. Compare it with the official wedding invites. Official invites are usually sent only 2 months before the wedding.
For some, 2 months isn’t enough to properly organize and prepare everything. If you’re expecting many out of town guests, save the date card is mandatory. The same applies if you’re having a destination wedding.
One can’t book flights, take days off from work, and organize child care in a month or two.
Save the date cards shortcuts
When it comes to designing (and sending) save the date cards, you’re not alone.
There are many companies within the US that design, create, and ship save the date cards.
All you have to do is to pick the desired color combination and provide the necessary information. There is a wide range of different designs and templates. You can choose from watercolor or matte cards. You can also find lots of nature-inspired ones, such as greenery or floral save the date cards.
For those who prefer fancy looking cards, you can personalize them with materials such as gold foil or rose gold letters. These aren’t so popular option, yet they truly stand out.
Needless to say, but the options are unlimited. Different calligraphy and typography fonts, letterpress printing, you name it.
And if you need extra inspiration, steal some ideas from thank you cards, greeting cards, holiday cards, or even business cards.
If you’re concerned about the paper type and print quality, they offer free samples as well.
Once the sample photo cards pass the test, you can opt for a whole invitation suite. Taking the whole package can ease your wedding planning journey.
At one place you can get save the date postcards, save the date magnets, RSVP cards, and wedding enclosure cards.
As a bonus, the whole wedding stationery will follow the same design, colors, and vibe. Within the package, you can also include birth announcements, baby shower, and bridal shower invitations.
There’s much more besides the regular cards and invitations. You can get creative and design celebration stickers, or even a poster for the engagement party.
Don’t like the pre-made? Make DIY save the dates
Creating save the date cards on your own certainly isn’t the popular option. However, it’s still an option and some newlyweds are happy to write these on their own.
Of course, this isn’t the case if you’re organizing a huge wedding. Yet it’s doable if your guest list consists of close friends and family.
DIY save the date cards are the opportunity for you and your fiance to demonstrate creativity. Introduce your wedding day with the unique and characteristic DIY cards.
Which information to include in save the date cards?
Save the date cards are meant to communicate only the essential information. Yet couples frequently overlook that and make a postcard out of it.
Three essentials should be included in every save the date card, and that is the date, venue (or the location), and names of guests (including plus ones).
People often make a mistake with listing guests, since sometimes it’s not obvious who are you inviting. Do you count kids as well? And what about plus-ones? These are the necessities every save the date card should have.
Optionally you can include information about the hotel and accommodation.
If you’re inviting a lot of out of town guests, for sure you need to organize one. Once you make a deal with the hotel, mention the address in save the dates. Your guests will feel safe and sound if they know everything’s properly organized.
