Traditionally wedding invitations aren’t sent out until about 3 months before the wedding. However, in this day and age, with busy lives, and long lists of commitments, many couples are choosing to send word to their guests much sooner (up to a year before the wedding but most often 6-8 months before)

Asking guests to “save the date” is particularly important if you are having a wedding on a busy weekend, or special date (boxing day, new years eve, thanksgiving weekend). It is also important to send save the date’s if you are having a destination wedding or if the majority of your guests are from away and need to travel to your wedding.

Save the dates can also be a great way for you to really show off your true colors. Where often people opt for more formal, traditional wedding invites, save the dates can be e-vites, postcards, party favours are more.

Here are just a few ideas for save the dates:

Some of my favorite save the date cards show the bride and groom to be in a collage of images holding the words “save” “the” “date” and then the wedding date. If you are having engagement photos done, have them done as soon as you book your photographer and ask if you can incorporate these types of elements. At the same time you could also do photos holding “thank you” that you can create matching thank you cards with.

Having a destination wedding? Mock up fake airline tickets, or make custom luggage tags with the information.

Make it a mystery. Send a save the date with cryptic clues or images that give a little bit (but not too much) of your wedding plans away.

And yes, if you want to save the trees, and some postage, you can send save the date’s via email. Have them custom designed (Here are some great ones I found on ETSY ) or send through a site like MyPunchbowl

Basically have fun with them but as with anything wedding related there are a few “rules”:

– do not send out save the dates until you have your information written in stone, once things are sent out vie mail or email its hard to take em back!
– only send save the dates to guests you will be inviting to the wedding, asking a guest to save the date is as good as inviting them to the wedding…so make sure your guest list is complete.

That’s all I’ve got for tonight!

Sleep tight!

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