Google makes it clear: "What goes on a Save the Date" is one of the most searched questions regarding wedding stationery.
Let's break it allll down and see what goes into the first piece of your wedding stationery. Today, we're dissecting the anatomy of a Save the Date Card. Read on to see must-haves, optional details, and our unfiltered opinions on some commonly asked questions.
Read Time: 4 Minutes
Part I: The MUST-HAVES.
Names
Your guests need to know who's getting married, after all. Usually, the bride's name will go first. It's up to you if you'd like to use your full names. These are on the more casual side though, so most of our clients have gone with first names only.
Wedding Location
Don't share the venue just yet! All you need is the city and state—include the country for destination weddings. If you're having your reception and ceremony in two different places, list the ceremony location. (More on this later).
Date
The meat and potatoes of the whole thing—have fun with this! Here's a few ways we love to style dates:
1) Spelled out: "The Fifth of January, Two thousand Twenty Four"
2) Minimal, with periods: 01.05.24
3) European: 05 JAN 24
Future Invitation
"Formal invite to follow" usually comes after all the information. Make sure to include this if you plan on sending out wedding invitations a few months later.
Part II: The Extras—Optional, but useful!
Website
Providing a website will give your guests a first look at important details, such as a secondary location if your ceremony and venue site are at different locations. This can be added with a simple: "Details at: (insert wedding website here)" and don't forget to add your password if you have one!
Note: During the height of the pandemic, Save the Dates functioned as a hybrid between standard save the dates and full invitation suites. Including the websites gave all the guests real-time updates with the ever-changing covid protocols.
Including the website is also very helpful for destination weddings so your guests can plan accommodations and flights early.
Photo
Your favorite engagement shot is a beautiful addition to your Save the Date Cards. In recent years, most couples have opted for this over using text alone.
FAQs
After 6 years of custom invitation designs, we still get asked these questions the most.
When do I send out Save the Dates?
- Domestic Weddings: 6 Months
- Destination Weddings: 8 Months
Do my Save the Dates need to match my wedding invitations?
We believe that your Save the Dates are the first teaser of the big day and should flow into the design of your future wedding invitations.
Imagine this: it's your wedding day and you're excited to do a "first look" with your partner. Palms sweaty, hearts racing, you finally see each other and your jaws drop in awe at how amazing you both look. You can't get over the feeling of finally getting to marry your person!
Cut to—that big moment. The doors swing open for the ceremony to start, and as the distance from the end of the aisle to the front closes in...you realize that your partner is in a COMPLETELY different outfit! You'd feel a little thrown off too, right?
Don't get us wrong here, this doesn't mean that your Save the Dates and Invitations have to look exactly the same, or that they have to be "boring." It's more the concept that one will inspire the other.
A few examples:
- Historic hotel wedding: Use custom vintage hotel keychains as your Save the Date!
- Beach Wedding: Wavy-shaped Save the Dates
- Garden Wedding: Using wax seals with dried florals
- Rooftop Wedding: Custom coasters
If I have an A and B List, do I send out Save the Dates to both?
Sending a Save the Date to someone on your B list, and having to uninvite them later is the equivalent of saying "You can sit with us" then "Nevermind, you actually can't" 😂 Spare yourself the awkwardness and hard conversations. Only send these to those who you KNOW will be on your list.
We hope this breakdown has been helpful! Now you know exactly what should be on a Save the Date, when to send them, who to send them to, and how you can incorporate a little fun in the design process.
To us, Save the Dates are a minimalist's dream because it takes all of your wedding information and boils it down to a few, simple (beautiful) lines.
And now...we're THRILLED to let you in on a little (okay, BIG) secret:
We're adding Save the Dates to our lineup in February!
Join the waitlist now to be the first in line when pre-sales open.
Expect editorial, fashion-inspired designs that don't look like the dozens of generic styles you've seen plastered across your search results. We're also dishing out some surprises and deep discounts for those who will be among the first.
See you there? We'll hold your spot in line for ya ;)