You’re engaged! The bubbly has popped, the rings are on, and the excitement is buzzing.
Now that you’re officially embarking on your journey to “I do,” it’s time to shift gears from celebrating the engagement to diving into the wonderful world of wedding planning.
One of the first things you’ll do as part of your planning process is let loved ones know about your big day.
But the big question here is, how?
Are save-the-dates still the best practice for letting people know about your wedding? When’s the best time to send them? Digital or paper? Or is it best to do both?
The good news is we’ve got you covered here at Rosen Weddings, where our expertise on all things from planning to partying extends deep down into every nitty gritty detail of the wedding planning process.
Breath out a sigh of relief – and excitement – as you tick this next task off your list using our do’s and don’ts of save-the-date etiquette guide.
DO send save-the-dates
You may already be dishing out all your wedding details to close family and friends, it’s important to give all your guests advance notice of your nuptials. Even if you’ve mentioned your wedding date in person, it’s likely you’ll be getting a, “what’s the date again?” message more than once if they don’t have it written down somewhere.
Save yourself from answering the same question repeatedly by sending out a save-the-date.
DON’T worry about your design too much
If you’re not someone who’s been dreaming up every detail of your wedding day since you were young, then perhaps you don’t have your wedding color scheme or theme finalized yet. That’s okay!
Your save-the-dates don’t have to match your invitations perfectly. If you have a rough idea of the colors or design elements you’d like for your wedding then you can pull one detail or one color from your palette to use for your save-the-date. For example, using sunflowers you know you’ll incorporate into your wedding even if you dont’ have a final color scheme yet.
If you truly have no clue what your design or aesthetic will end up being, keep it very minimal – white background, black text, standard fonts.
The truth is no one is going to fixate – or likely remember – your save-the-date design. What matters is they’re notified of your date so they can make plans accordingly.
Focus on getting your guests the relevant information in a tasteful, timely way versus having the most extravagant or perfectly themed s.
DO send them early
While there are varying opinions on when to send your save-the-date, the sweet spot seems to be anywhere between six to eight months in advance.
If you’re hosting a multi-day affair, a destination wedding, or having your big day around a popular holiday, your timeline should increase to eight to twelve months in advance. This gives your guests adequate time to request the time off work and make travel arrangements.
Sending them more than a year in advance runs the risk that people will forget they ever received one. ending them close to the big day risks people being unable to attend.
DON’T go with the flow for your guest list
Even though a save-the-date isn’t a formal invitation, it is confirmation that you will be inviting that person to your wedding.
Make sure you’re sending these announcements exclusively to your guest list, which you’ve taken the time to intentionally select, and avoid any awkward “you’re uninvited” conversations in the future.
Create an A-list to begin with of people who you 100% know for certain you want to be there on your special day and go from there. This is also a sticking within your budget in the long-run. It’s okay to have a secondary list for additional guests you’d like to invite, but aren’t a 100% must to start with.
Want additional help with your guest list? Check out these tips for writing your ideal guest list.
DO know you can expand your guest list over time
Maybe you sent your save-the-dates ten months in advance to give potential attendees ample time to plan accordingly, and then suddenly you meet or bond with new friends over the next couple of months who you’d love to include in your wedding day.
Remember, your save-the-dates list is not your be-all-end-all guest list.
Yes, you DO want to be 100% intentional with who you send a save-the-date to, but the beauty of that is you can still add people to your official invite list AFTER sending your first round of announcements.
Keep in mind there may be pricing changes if you requested quotes on an original number and have now added guests.
Avoid inviting people after the final cut-off date for catering and other purposes, as you may not be able to guarantee those guests a seat or meal.
The remaining domino effect can still be quite substantial, though, if you’re adding guests after the fact – table assignments will need to change, party favors will need to be added, and so on.
While you can add to your guest list later in the planning process, proceed with caution!
DON’T overcomplicate the details
A save-the-date can be a simple way to let your guests know when your big day will be and where, even though you don’t have to specify your wedding venue or times yet.
Month, day, year, and general city or state will suffice for this first round of announcements.
A great idea would be to create a wedding website for your nuptials and include the URL on your save-the-date so potential guests and attendees can get real time updates.
Even though you’ll be sending an official invitation in the future, you can give guests the chance to RSVP early via your wedding website if you choose to include it on your save-the-date.
Extra details, like plus ones, special requests, dietary requirements, and more can be reserved for your invitations.
And on that note…
DO consider digital options
In the digital age we live in, it’s absolutely acceptable to send a save-the-date via email as a cost-efficient, sustainable, and convenient option.
Keep in mind that email isn’t perfect though, as it’s possible your message will get filtered into some invitees’ spam folders or that they may not have access to the account you sent the E-vite to.
A great way to ensure everyone on your guest list gets your announcement is by requesting a response to your save-the-date, having a follow-up plan in place, or by sending both a digital and print option.
DON’T send more than one per household
You can bundle spouses or members who live under the same roof into one save-the-date as long as it’s addressed appropriately.
“The Connor family,” “Mr. and Mrs. Johnson,” or “Dorris and Delilah Smith” with a corresponding address will suffice.
DO mention a formal invitation will follow
Although you may consider it common knowledge, some people may still need the reminder that an invitation will follow with extra details and formalities.
This simple mention will save you from having to answer questions about your wedding details to guests who may have assumed your save-the-date announcement was all the information they were going to receive.
DON’T stress about your save-the-dates
It can be easy to get wrapped up in the details when it comes to your wedding, but rest assured, save-the-dates are simple.
Take a sigh of relief and let this guide help you streamline your process. Above all, go with your gut and what you and your partner feel is best for your special day.
Let Rosen Weddings Make Your Special Day Unique
Whether you choose paper or digital, colorful or minimal, or whether you include an RSVP option, sending your save-the-dates is one exciting step closer to the most magical day.
At Rosen Weddings, we are ready to help your wedding dreams come true. We’ll help streamline the process and tailor our Orlando wedding packages to fit your unique taste and vision.
If you’re ready to take the next steps in having the wedding of your dreams, our Rosen Weddings team is ready to help you.
