The love of your life proposed and now you’re engaged! Hooray! You celebrated your engagement amongst your nearest and dearest, the planning is well underway, and now it’s time to announce your wedding with your very first wedding stationery piece: Save the dates or pre-invitations that officially announce you’re getting married! If you’re not sure where to start, what to include, when to send or who to even send them to, Lace and Belle is answering your questions before you share the details on paper.

Is it necessary to send save the dates?

Although save the dates are an optional, I highly recommend them. Especially if you intend to marry on or around a holiday, or if you’re hosting a destination wedding. Guests will appreciate the advanced notice to take time off from work for travel-related reasons. Not to mention, your goal is to get guests excited for your wedding day. There’s no better way to do so than by sending a save the date!

What information should I include?

Since save the dates are an informal pre-wedding invitation, you only need a few straightforward specifics, so there’s no need to worry if you don’t have times finalized yet. Include your names, wedding date, location (city where your ceremony will be held), and the phrase “[formal] invitation to follow”. If you have a wedding website, you can also include it to guide guests in finding additional information about your wedding day.

When should we send save the dates to guests?

You should send save the dates approximately six to nine months in advance. If you’re having a destination wedding, then I suggest sending them out earlier; nine to twelve months in advance. This will allow family and friends to begin making necessary arrangements, such as requesting time off from work and obtaining a passport, if necessary.

Do we send save the dates to everyone on our guest list?

Only send a save the date to guests you are absolutely certain you want to invite to your wedding. There’s no going back once you extend a save the date.

What about the design? Do they need to match our wedding invitation suite?

Not unless you want it too. Save the date cards are informal and give you an opportunity to have some fun with the design. Feel free to choose a favorite engagement photo and get creative with the verbiage and overall style. Photo save the dates are the most popular style choice as it’s a wonderful way to show off a few images from your engagement session. Other favorites include magnet-style save the dates or non-photo save the date cards.

Are you ready to get begin your wedding paper journey? Let’s chat! Lace and Belle offers a variety of save the date styles that are sure to get your guests excited for your wedding day.