Save-the-date cards have always been a great tool for couples to keep their guests informed, but they’re playing a bigger role in 2020. As in times past, they’re not substitutes for full-blown invitations. But they’re incredibly useful, especially for couples forced to postpone their weddings after the coronavirus outbreak began. Creating a save-the-date announcement isn’t difficult, but you can make yours fun, informative, and useful by following some helpful advice.
A Few Basics on Save-the-Date Announcements
The Spruce’s Debby Mayne provides several general etiquette tips for save-the-date cards. The right timing is key, and you don’t want to send them too soon or too close to your event. Under normal circumstances, you’d ship these out between six and 10 months before your chosen date. To avoid confusion and offending anyone, you should finalize your guest list before releasing your mailing into the wild. Be sure your cards contain some vital information:
- Your names
- The city and state of your event
- Your chosen date
- Your wedding website’s URL
It doesn’t hurt to mention general information about area hotels on the card, but you can list more on your wedding website. Meanwhile, there’s one item you should not include: your registry information. Save that for word-of-mouth and your wedding website.
After you’ve listed the basics, you can personalize your mailing with fun design details. Including a picture from your engagement photoshoot adds a personal touch, but even a simple and elegant design can be on-point. Mayne recommends sending out printed announcements, but e-cards may be more feasible and affordable. The Knot also mentions that your save-the-dates send a message about the kind of wedding you’re having, so a more formal affair may call for paper instead of digital versions.
Save-the-Date Becomes Change-the-Date
With the coronavirus outbreak upending wedding plans, both couples and wedding professionals have gotten creative. Change-the-date or postponement announcements are a spin on the original save-the-date cards, with both electronic and printed options available. They don’t have to match your invitations and stationery, but you can choose designs that mimic their original style, theme, and colors. In a Martha Stewart Weddings article, Gabriella Rello suggests sending out both types to ensure you reach all your guests. Even better, your change the date can also double as a new invitation. All you need to do is include a request to RSVP and link to your wedding website on both your digital and paper versions.
Communicating With Guests After the Mailing
Once you send your save-the-date mailing, it’s a good idea to keep in contact with your guests. An extra reminder via email can help them keep your special day in mind. You may need to make a quick phone call to the less tech-savvy in your crowd. Mayne cautions against sending out too many reminders. After all, your save-the-date’s purpose is to give everyone a heads-up about your wedding. If it’s early in the planning stages and you haven’t had to reschedule, you’ll be sending your invitation in a few months anyway.
For change-the-date cards, your approach should be a little different. If yours included RSVP information, keep track of incoming responses as your big day approaches. The Spruce’s Nina Callaway recommends following up with non-responders by phone. Consider asking your close family and wedding party members to help make these calls.
An Organized Approach for Your Save-the-Dates
The COVID-19 pandemic prompted many couples to change their wedding plans. As a result, save-the-date cards and their change-the-date counterparts are more popular. You have quite a bit of design latitude with both types, but the key goal is to inform your guests so they can make plans. Including appropriate information, sending your cards at the right time, and staying in touch with your guests are all important to a successful mailing.
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