No pressure, but your save the date cards will be the first official communication with your guest, which means it’s time to get serious about your guest list! But no worries, along with sharing need-to-know details, it’s a great way to get people excited!

Below are 4 tips to keep in mind:

Send 6-8 months prior to wedding

Not only do some people have to make travel arrangements and save money, some guests will need to get time off from their jobs, arrange child care, and/or take care of other pesky chores so they can join you. If it’s a destination wedding, or a wedding over a holiday, mail them even earlier – 8 to 10 months!

 

Use a photo from your Engagement Session

This adds a personal touch. To some it may be their first real introduction to you and your fiancé as a couple, and others (picture grandma) it will be a treasured keepsake. Check out my blog post for 10 Creative Ways to Use Your Engagement Session photo’s.

Be clear about who is invited.

If this is an adults-only wedding, including that information on the wedding save the date card is important. Avoid confusion by specifying “plus guest” or “plus one” if you are extending the invitation to single friends. Once you send a save the date, you’re obligated to send them a wedding invitation too.

Short and simple

Keep it to the 5 W’s (who, what, when, where, and website). Who (you and your fiancé), what (are getting married), when (date and time), where (location), and wedding website (if applicable). Don’t forget to add a small note that says “invitation to follow”. If you’re having a destination wedding, then include information about the hotel and travel arrangements. FYI, this is not the place you want to include information about your registry, save this for the wedding invitation!

I hope these tips help to take some of the uncertainty out of creating and sending save-the-date cards, so that you can have fun with them! For a list of 30 creative save-the-date card ideas, check out this post from Bride’s Magazine!