Save-The-Date Sending Guide For Friday Weddings

Save-the-date cards are a fun and practical way to tell your friends and family that they are invited to your wedding. They are typically sent out six to 12 months before your wedding day, with the top end of this range being preferable as it gives your guests more time to prepare. For a Friday wedding, it is important to give guests ample notice, especially if they need to take time off work. Sending out save-the-date cards eight months to a year in advance is ideal. This will help ensure that your loved ones will be able to join you on your big day.

Send save-the-date cards 6-12 months before the wedding

Sending out save-the-date cards is one of the first tasks of wedding planning. It's an exciting way to announce your wedding date to your guests and get them excited about your special day. Save-the-date cards are typically sent out 6-12 months before the wedding, giving your guests ample time to plan and make any necessary arrangements. Here are some reasons why sending save-the-date cards 6-12 months in advance is a good idea:

Excite Your Guests

Save-the-date cards are a great way to build anticipation for your wedding. Sending them out early will get your guests talking about your upcoming nuptials and create a buzz around the event. It's also an opportunity to include a link to your wedding website, where guests can find more information and stay updated on your wedding plans.

Allow Time for Planning

By sending save-the-date cards 6-12 months in advance, you give your guests, especially those who live out of town or are travelling from another country, enough time to plan their travel arrangements, book accommodations, and request time off work. This is crucial for destination weddings or weddings during busy holiday periods.

Avoid Double Bookings

Sending save-the-date cards early increases the chances of your guests being available to attend your wedding. It gives them a heads-up to block off that date on their calendar and avoid any potential double bookings or scheduling conflicts.

First Dibs on the Date

If you're planning to get married during a popular time of year, such as summer or a holiday weekend, sending save-the-date cards early increases the likelihood of your guests being available. It also gives you first dibs on your chosen date, ensuring that your loved ones are committed to your wedding first if there are multiple events on the same day.

Smooth Guest Experience

Giving your guests a longer lead time to plan will result in a smoother guest experience, especially for those travelling from out of town. They will have more time to save money, make travel plans, and take care of other arrangements, such as childcare or pet-sitting, ensuring they can fully enjoy your wedding without last-minute stresses.

Etiquette and Politeness

Sending save-the-date cards is both practical and polite. It shows consideration for your guests' schedules and helps ensure that as many of your loved ones as possible can celebrate with you. It's a way to give them a heads-up without the full details of a formal invitation, which can be sent closer to the wedding date.

Send invitations 8 weeks before the wedding

Sending out your wedding invitations is a crucial step in the wedding planning process. It's essential to give your guests enough notice, especially if they need to make travel arrangements or take time off work. So, when is the best time to send them out?

The general rule of thumb is to send your wedding invitations out six to eight weeks before your wedding. This gives your guests plenty of time to clear their schedules, make any necessary arrangements, and RSVP. It also allows you to get a final headcount and complete your seating chart before the last-minute crunch.

However, if you're inviting many out-of-town guests or hosting a destination wedding, it's a good idea to send invitations even earlier—up to 12 weeks in advance. This gives them more time to book their travel and accommodations.

On the other hand, if you're having a local wedding with mostly local guests, you can send your invitations out a bit later—four to six weeks before the wedding.

No matter the timing, it's essential to give your guests enough notice to plan their attendance while not sending the invitations so early that they forget about the date.

So, mark your calendars, and happy planning!

Include the date, location, and couple's names on save-the-date cards

Save-the-date cards are an exciting first step in the wedding planning process. They are a fun and practical way to let your friends and family know that they are invited to your wedding. It is customary to send out save-the-date cards six to twelve months in advance of your wedding date, with eight to twelve months being ideal. This gives your guests ample time to prepare, especially if they need to make travel arrangements.

Date of the Wedding

The magical date is set, and this is the most important piece of information to include on your save-the-date cards. Let your guests mark the big day on their calendars. If you are planning a destination wedding or a celebration that lasts more than a single day, indicate the entire weekend so your guests can block off their calendars and arrange their travel plans accordingly.

Location of the Wedding

Whether you are planning a destination wedding or a local celebration, your guests will need to know the location of your wedding to prepare for their attendance. Even some of your local guests might want to reserve a room at a nearby hotel instead of driving home at the end of the night. As a general rule, include the city and state (and country if applicable) of your wedding venue on your save-the-date cards.

Names of the Couple

Full names are preferred, but first names are also acceptable, especially for casual and informal weddings. You can include just your first names on the save-the-date cards, as they are generally less formal than the wedding invitations. If you are having a very formal wedding, full names might be more appropriate, depending on the design style you select. Use the name combination that feels right for your event.

"Invitation to Follow"

Save-the-date cards are not official invitations, so it is important to include a note such as "Invitation to follow" or "Formal invitation to follow" to let your guests know that more details will be sent out soon. This will avoid any potential confusion and ensure your guests understand that the save-the-date is not the final invitation.

Optional Information

While not required, you may want to include some optional information on your save-the-date cards to be extra helpful to your guests:

• Wedding website: If you have created a custom wedding website with fun and helpful information about the festivities, be sure to include the URL on your save-the-date card. This is a great way to provide additional details that may not fit on the card or invitation.
• Hotel information: If you are planning a destination wedding or expecting many out-of-town guests, you can include important information about accommodation options and travel details, especially if you have reserved a block of rooms with a discount rate.
• RSVP information: If you have a tight budget or a small venue, you may want to include a polite note such as, "We'd love to have you, but please let us know if you are unable to attend." This way, you can get a head start on planning and won't have to worry about late RSVPs.

Send save-the-dates early for a destination wedding

Planning a destination wedding? It's time to start thinking about sending out your save-the-dates. This is one of the first wedding planning tasks you'll face, and it's an important one as it will be your guests' first glimpse of your wedding and their first opportunity to start making plans.

Destination weddings require more notice than local weddings because they require more planning. Guests may need to buy plane tickets, arrange babysitters, ask for time off work, and more. For this reason, it's best to send out your save-the-dates for a destination wedding about 12 months before your wedding date. Aim to get them in the mail no later than 9 months before the big day. This will give your guests plenty of time to book travel and accommodation, and you'll be more likely to have first dibs on guests who know other couples getting married on the same day.

It's a good idea to treat your save-the-date as a pre-invitation and include an information packet with more details than you would for a local wedding. This could include a timeline for the weekend's events, from the welcome party to any group activities you've planned. You should also include hotel information, especially if you've already secured a room block. That way, guests can figure out which days to take off work and reserve their hotel room. You can also ask guests to RSVP as part of your save-the-date to get a headcount early on.

Be sure to include all the essential information on your save-the-date card, such as the date and location of your wedding, as well as your names. You may also want to include your wedding website and a note that a formal invitation will follow.

Send save-the-dates to everyone on the guest list

Save-the-dates are an essential part of wedding planning. They are a polite way to give your guests a heads-up about your wedding date and location, and ensure they are free to attend. They are especially important if your wedding is at a far-flung location or over a holiday weekend.

Save-the-dates should be sent to everyone on your guest list who will receive a wedding invitation. This includes your bridal party and family members. It is important to note that once save-the-dates are sent, you are obligated to send a wedding invitation to those guests. It is also advisable to avoid sending save-the-dates to guests who are only invited to the evening reception, as this can be misleading.

The general rule of thumb is to send save-the-dates for a local wedding 6 to 8 months in advance. For a destination wedding, it is recommended to send them out 9 months to a year in advance. This gives your guests ample time to plan and make travel arrangements.

Save-the-dates should include the date of the wedding, the city or country of the event, and the names of the couple. You may also include a line that a formal invitation will follow, and your wedding website. It is best to avoid including details such as start times, dress code, and your wedding theme, as these may change.

Frequently asked questions