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So, you’re getting married? Congratulations! Now it’s time to get organised — and one of the first steps is to let your invitees know when you and your partner are tying the knot. However, there are a few things to consider when putting together your save the date cards.
Whether you’re having an intimate celebration in your back garden or an elaborate destination wedding, read on for our tips on what to include on your save the dates — along with some wording examples you can use.
Save the date etiquette
Save the dates are the first piece of wedding stationery that you’ll send out, usually around 6–8 months before the big day. If most of your guests are local, you don’t need to give as much notice. But if you’re expecting a lot of people to travel or hosting a destination wedding, send your save the dates on the earlier side.
Proper etiquette also dictates that you should always include the note ‘Invitation to follow’, to make sure people know that more details will be on their way soon.
Information you need to include
Your save the dates are not official invites, so you only need to include the information that people will need in advance — this should be fairly minimal. You should include:
- Your date. It might seem obvious, but include the full date — for example, 16/09/2023 or Saturday, 16th September 2023.
- The venue location. Include the name of the venue if you already have one booked, or if not just note the city or town where the festivities will take place.
- Your wedding website. Want to include details that won’t fit on your save the date? Direct invitees to your wedding website for more information.
Things you don’t need to include: dress code, timelines of the day or registry information. Save these details for the official invitation when you send it, and don’t forget to add them to your website.
Now that you know what to include on your save the date, here are a few more things to think about before you start writing your message.
- Firstly, how many dates do your invitees need to save? Is it an evening do, a full day or a whole weekend?
- Secondly, think about how you address your save the dates. If you know a guest well, do you know who they’ll bring as a plus one? If so, it’s polite to address the save the date to both people by name. If you’re not sure, then make it clear if a plus one is included or not.
- Lastly, consider whether you need RSVPs. Usually this isn’t needed for save the dates, but if you’re on a tight budget or have a venue with limited capacity, then you could include a note like ‘We’d love to have you, but if you know now that you won’t be able to come, please let us know’. This way, you’ll know ahead of time and won’t need to worry about RSVPs coming in late.
Once you have the information you need, it’s time to get personal with your save the date message! Depending on what kind of wedding you’re planning, you could make it traditional or informal, simple or funny. Here, get inspired with tips for writing every kind of save the date — and find some save the date wording examples, too.
Destination weddings
If you’re planning a destination wedding, it’s wise to include a little extra information on your save the date — maybe the name of the nearest airport, how to get to the destination or some hotel info. This gives people a chance to organise themselves and book any flights or hotels in advance. Destination weddings also allow you the opportunity to add some excitement for the travel aspect, for example ‘Come fly with us!’
Save the Weekend!
23rd–25th July 2022
Emma and Alex
are getting married
Costa del Sol, Spain
Please see further wedding details at
[weddingwebsite].com.au
Love is in the air…
or it will be when we travel to Tahiti for our
Destination Wedding
12.11.2022
Save the Date
Love, Sam and Jo
Invite to follow soon!
Fly with us…
as we journey to Italy for our
Destination Wedding
11/11/2022
Laura Sterne and Michael Stone
Formal invitation to follow!
VistaPrint Tip
Want to include travel details but don’t want your save the date to look cluttered? Print all that information on a separate enclosure card.
Intimate wedding settings
For an intimate setting, you may want to add an RSVP to your save the date to help with your planning. A smaller group of people also means that you can be more informal with your wording, too. For example, a simple ‘Save our date’ sounds a little more personal than ‘Save the date for the wedding of…’
We’re tying the knot!
Save Our Date
18/06/2022
Jenna and William
Melbourne
(in Jenna’s parents’ back garden!)
Invite will follow soon
See more details at
[weddingwebsite].com.au
Rescheduled weddings
If your wedding was postponed, then you’ll likely be sending a new save the date to the same set of people. Make it clear that this is a new save the date so it’s not confused with an older one. You can simply add ‘New date’ or ‘Rescheduled’. If you’re in good humour about the rescheduling, then you can inject some of that humour into your wording, for example ‘save the date — again!’ or “’This time we mean it’.
Let’s try this one more time…
Save the Date (Again!)
3rd September 2022
James and William
Sydney
Invite will follow soon
See more details at
[weddingwebsite].com.au
Informal weddings
If your wedding is more low-key in style, then funny or unique save the date wording could be a great option to set the tone for the event. ‘Yes, we finally did it…’ or ‘There will be wine!’ will bring a smile and help guests get excited for the upcoming wedding day.
He asked and she said ‘Yes!’
Zoe and James
24.07.22
Perth
Invitation to follow
A match made in heaven
Suzanne and John are
getting hitched
Save the Date
11/11/22
Brisbane
Formal invite to follow
Food, drinks, music. Need we say more?
Save the Date
Sam and Joe
09/11/22
Berry
Invite to follow soon
[weddingwebsite].co.uk
Save Our Date!
Tina and Samantha are
Getting Married (Finally!)
08/11/22
Hobart
Formal Invite to Come!
Formal save the date wording examples
If you’re having a formal or more traditional wedding, keep your save the date wording clean and classic.
Save the Date
for the wedding of
Jane Elizabeth Smith
and
John Paul Jones
Saturday, the twelfth of June
Two thousand and twenty-two
Fortitude Valley
Formal invitation to follow
Catherine O’Connor
and
William Donovan
Will be married
14th June 2022
Adelaide
Formal invitation to follow
The Eleventh of November
Twenty-Twenty-Two
Please save the date
for the wedding of
Suzanne Lees and Maria Waterstone
Formal invitation to follow
More save the date wording examples
Save the Date
Joe and Andrew
are getting married!
4th September 2022
Broome
Formal invitation to follow
A date to remember
Poppy Dickson and James Robinson
are getting married
25th August 2022
Our house
Save the Date
Invitation to follow
Mark your calendars
We’re getting married!
Save the date for
Robin and Sam
09/11/22
Sydney
Invitation arriving soon
Please see further wedding details at
[weddingwebsite].co.uk
Please save the date
to celebrate the wedding of
Sarah Cartwright
and
Anna Barnes
20th August 2022
Orange
Formal invitation to follow
