The early stages of the wedding planning process are dominated by a number of vital tasks. Sending out “save the dates” is one of the most pressing, since it guarantees your guest list. Unlike official invitations, sending save the date cards is optional but their benefits are obvious – couples can use them to announce their engagement and reveal a few hints about what the wedding will be like.
In this blog post, we take a closer look at the advantages of save the dates and the right time to send this very important wedding mail.
The benefits of sending save the dates
Planning a wedding is an experience that will stick in your mind for years to come, long after your wedding day has been and gone. Sending save the dates harnesses a number of benefits, but first and foremost it kick-starts the planning experience and makes your impending wedding date all the more real. Sending save the date cards is about more than just sharing the date with your lucky guests, as EmmalineBride describes:
“Sure, these cards tell guests when the wedding date is, but save the dates do so much more: they get guests amped up for the big day! You’d be surprised how exciting it is to receive a save the date when you’re a guest. For instance, I received a save the date recently and while I was already excited about the wedding, seeing their picture together and the date in print made me even that much giddier. Oh, and those adorable save the date postcards or magnets? Love them! I have the postcard tacked to my bulletin board and I smile when I look at it – those adorable lovebirds!”
Sending save the date cards serves so many purposes, from communicating the wedding date and venue with guests and giving them more time to prepare for your big day. It’s also a chance to introduce your wedding theme, showcase pictures from your recent engagement shoot and create a buzz.
The perfect time to send your cards
The official pre-invitation, save the dates are sent before formal invitations. The latter tends to be mailed as the wedding date draws near, whilst save the dates are sent to guests well in advance, once the date and venue of your wedding are confirmed. Save the dates have become popular parts of the modern day wedding, particularly for couples enjoying long engagements of six months or more.
One of the mistakes you can make when sending save the date cards is to send them too late. However, sending them too early causes problems too. How can you ensure that your save the dates are mailed to guests at just the right time? We recommend that you design, order and send out your save the dates at least six to 12 months before your wedding date. This time frame will give out of town guests plenty of time to prepare, keep your special event fresh in the minds of everyone on your guest list and give you the time you need to plan your wedding to perfection.