Save The Date: Timing For An August Wedding

Save the dates are a great way to let your wedding guests know about your wedding date in advance so they can plan accordingly. For an August wedding, it is recommended to send out save the dates between 4 to 12 months in advance, i.e., between October to April. If your wedding is a destination wedding or falls on a holiday weekend, it is best to send out the save the dates around 8 to 12 months in advance, i.e., between February to June.

Destination weddings: 8-12 months in advance

Planning a destination wedding? You're in for a fun and unique experience! But it's important to start planning early, especially if you're tying the knot far from home. Here are some essential tasks to complete 8-12 months in advance to ensure your big day goes smoothly:

• Budgeting and Research: Finalise your wedding budget, including travel expenses like airfare and accommodations. Research your chosen destination, taking into account factors such as weather conditions and marriage license requirements.
• Guest List and Save-the-Dates: Create a rough guest list to estimate venue requirements and costs. For destination weddings, it's advisable to send out your save-the-dates 9 months to a year in advance. This gives your guests ample time to make travel arrangements and accommodations.
• Venue and Vendors: Secure your wedding venue and set a date. Start vetting and booking vendors, including photographers, caterers, and entertainment.
• Travel and Accommodations: Book your travel and reserve accommodations for your wedding party and guests. Research and negotiate group discounts or blocks of hotel rooms.
• Wedding Party and Attire: Choose your wedding party and ensure they have the necessary travel documents and arrangements. Start shopping for your wedding attire, keeping the destination's climate and conditions in mind.
• Website and Registry: Create a wedding website to share details and updates with your guests. This will be a valuable resource for guests to refer to when planning their travel and accommodations. You can also start creating your gift registry.

Stay organised and give yourself plenty of time to plan by creating a detailed wedding checklist. With careful planning and preparation, your destination wedding is sure to be a memorable and enjoyable experience for you and your guests!

Local weddings: 4-8 months in advance

For local weddings, it is recommended to send out your save-the-date cards between four and eight months in advance of your wedding. Sending them too early can backfire as people are likely to forget about them, and sending them too late will not give your guests enough time to plan.

The purpose of save-the-date cards is to give your guests a heads-up about your wedding date so that they can plan accordingly. This is especially important if your wedding is taking place over a holiday weekend or if a good portion of your guests are travelling to your event. In these cases, it is a good idea to send out your save-the-date cards around eight months in advance. However, if most of your guests are local, four to six months ahead of time is generally considered acceptable.

It is important to note that you should only send save-the-date cards to those guests you definitely want to be present on your wedding day. Once you have sent them out, you are obligated to send those guests a wedding invitation.

Save-the-date cards should include the following information:

• Your and your partner's names
• Your wedding date
• The location of your venue (city and state)
• Your wedding website (optional)

It is also a good idea to mention that a formal invitation will follow so that guests don't mistake the save-the-date card for the actual invitation.

Include your wedding website

Your wedding website is a great way to give guests more in-depth information about your big day. It's a good idea to include your wedding website on your save-the-date cards, especially if you have guests travelling in from out of town or if your wedding is a destination wedding. This will give your guests a sense of the type of celebration you'll be having and other pertinent information, like the dress code, travel and accommodation recommendations, and the wedding registry.

While you can include your wedding website URL on your save-the-date cards, it's not necessary to have your website 100% perfect when you send them out. It is, however, a good idea to have a nice homepage with some basic information that guests can refer back to. You can always add more details later, but it's helpful to have some key pages in place, such as an FAQ page and travel info.

If you don't want to include your wedding website URL on your save-the-date cards, you can opt to include it on an enclosure card with your formal invitation. This is an additional piece of your invitation suite used to communicate extra details to your guests. You can also include a QR code on your save-the-date cards that links directly to your wedding website.

If you're collecting RSVPs through your wedding website, it's a good idea to include the website URL on your save-the-date cards. This will make it easy for guests to RSVP and give you an easy way to manage your guest list and keep track of responses.

Don't include registry information

Save-the-date cards are a great way to let your guests know about your wedding date in advance so they can plan their attendance. They are usually sent 6-12 months before the wedding, and it's best to send them only to people you definitely want to invite.

Now, when it comes to the content of your save-the-date cards, it's essential to remember that they should not include registry information. While it's okay to keep the information simple and high-level, as specific details may change, there are a few things that should be left off as a matter of courtesy and etiquette.

• Courtesy and Etiquette: Including registry information on save-the-date cards is generally considered inappropriate. It is seen as a direct ask for gifts, which may not be well-received by your guests.
• Provide Only Essential Information: Save-the-date cards should include crucial details such as the names of the couple, the wedding date, and the location (city and state). Providing only this essential information gives your guests a placeholder for the wedding day and allows for flexibility in other aspects that may change.
• Avoid Overwhelming Guests: While it's important to inform your guests about the wedding, you don't want to overwhelm them with too many details at this early stage. Keep the save-the-date cards concise and straightforward, focusing on the must-know information.
• Registry Information Belongs on the Wedding Website: Your wedding website is the best place to share registry details. Guests who are interested in this information can easily find it on your website, and it allows you to provide a more subtle hint by simply including the website URL on your save-the-date cards.
• Respect Your Guests' Preferences: Not all guests will appreciate receiving a direct request for gifts. By excluding registry information, you respect their preferences and allow them to choose whether to inquire about registry details from you, your family, or friends.
• Avoid Unnecessary Pressure: Including registry information may unintentionally pressure your guests to purchase gifts from a specific list. By omitting this information, you give them the freedom to choose how they want to celebrate and honour your special day.

In summary, while it's important to keep your guests informed, save-the-date cards are not the appropriate place to include registry information. Focus on providing essential details, and if your guests are curious about gift preferences, they can always refer to your wedding website or reach out to you directly.

Send to everyone you're sure will be invited

Save-the-date cards are typically sent 6 to 12 months before the wedding. For a local wedding, send them 4 to 6 months in advance. For a destination wedding or a wedding over a holiday weekend, it's best to send them 8 to 12 months in advance.

It's important to only send save-the-date cards to those you're sure will be invited to the wedding. Once they receive a save-the-date card, you're obligated to send them a wedding invitation. Sending a save-the-date card too early can backfire as people may forget about it or it may be too early for them to plan.

Save-the-date cards should include the date of the wedding, the location, and the names of the couple. They may also include a note that a formal invitation will follow and the wedding website.

Frequently asked questions