Should I send save the dates? Is it worth the money to send them? While this stationery piece isn’t traditionally ‘required,’ it does serve a valuable purpose in communicating with your guests. Whether you should send them or not depends on the timing of your wedding and if your guests need advance notice.
We love save the dates as they are typically your guests first experience with your wedding and they can really make it start to feel real for you as the couple! Save the dates kick off the celebration of your wedding! Furthermore, it is especially thoughtful to let your guests know of wedding details before they receive their invitation. Take a look at some of the benefits:
Benefits of Sending Save the Dates
Early notice let’s your guests know they will be invited and it shares the date and city so they can mark it on their calendars and plan accordingly.
Share the excitement! It’s your guest’s first interaction with your wedding and they’ll be so happy to receive their save the date!
It’s our favorite way to use and share engagement photos! They don’t have to perfectly match your wedding theme or colors (you may not even have these decided yet) so you can feel free to have fun with them.
It’s a great way to get to know your Stationer, how they work, and to make sure that you would like to use them for your invitations, too.
Out-of-Town Guests or Destination Weddings
If your wedding is a destination wedding or even a few hours drive away from where the majority of your guests live, yes, you should send a save the date. It is considerate to give your guests time to plan for any necessary travel or accommodations and ask off work if needed. This way they can ensure that the date is reserved and they can properly plan to come.
The same is true for out-of-town guests and relatives that will be traveling to your wedding. It is a courtesy to let them know ahead of time, and it increases the likelihood that they will be able to make it.
Local Wedding
Save the Dates aren’t as necessary if you’re having a local wedding, unless your date falls on a major holiday or during the week. You may still want to consider save the dates as a fun way to kick-off the wedding excitement and make sure your guests will, literally, save the date for your big day.
When should they be sent?
If you are having a destination wedding or a holiday affair, send save the dates 9-12 months in advance. Otherwise, send them 6-9 months in advance.
If you are not going to send save the dates, consider sending your invitations a little earlier (10-12 weeks in advance instead of 8-10 weeks in advance) to give your guests time to make arrangements as needed.
Looking to save costs on Save the Dates?
Consider sending save the dates just to those who will have to travel or make accommodations to come. This way they can get proper notice and you can cut down on printing costs. Beware that if you don’t send out save the dates to all/some guests, you may risk awkward questions or hurt feelings from guests who didn’t receive a save the date.
Consider sending postcard save the dates. You’ll save on the printing (they’re smaller), the envelopes (don’t need ‘em) AND the postage (it’s only 35 cents each instead of 55 cents). That’s a win-win-win!
Look, y’all. I’m here to help you get what you need for YOUR wedding. Not everyone chooses to send save the dates and that’s totally okay. I love them as a fun, first introduction to your wedding and also as a courtesy to your guests. I do recommend save the dates to couples who have a wedding on a busy date, a holiday, or if their event is out of town or many guests will have to travel to attend.
If you’re interested in save the dates or other wedding stationery, get in touch with us here. We’re happy to price different options for you to find what is best for your wedding and needs.
