Firstly, let me just say, it’s 2020 (or later, depending when you read this!) aaaand it’s your wedding and you can do whatever you want!
But, if you’re after a touch of guidance in the arena of wedding stationery (and whether you even need it) you’re in the right place.
Save the Dates can be incredibly helpful if you’re having a destination wedding, or perhaps you have guests who are travelling to attend and need plenty of notice.
Save the Dates give you the opportunity to let guests know when the wedding is happening, so they can make sure they’re free and not working or on holiday (the worst!).
You can also use this opportunity to give your guests a sneak peek into your wedding day, your vibe and get them excited about the big event - Save the Dates are also an excellent place to showcase a venue illustration or even an illustration of you the couple!
Here are a few basic guides - as I mentioned, there are no rules, but this might be helpful as a guide for when to send Save the Dates.
Destination wedding, send save the dates between 8 to 12 months in advance.
Local wedding, send save the dates approx 6 months in advance
There are also a few reasons you may not want to send Save the Dates.
Firstly, if you only have a few guests coming from afar, you may prefer to speak to them directly to give them the exciting news, and a heads up about the date and location of the wedding.
If you’re having a local wedding with only local guests who won’t need to travel far, a Save the Date isn’t super necessary.
Another option is to send your main wedding invitations several months in advance, rather than sending a Save the Date and an invitation.
I hope you’ve found this helpful, and as I said, there are no hard rules - do what suits you and your situation!
I’ve also created a free guide to help you understand wedding stationery design terminology and jargon, check it out below.