You may share details about your impending nuptials on social media or chat about the big day with your closest associates. However, your save-the-date cards will probably be the first communication your guests will receive about your wedding. They’re a wonderful opportunity to get creative and drop a few hints about your celebration, but you also don’t want to inadvertently perplex or offend your friends, family, and acquaintances. With that in mind, a few tips can be helpful as you draft, print, and send this important mailing.
Observe These Guest List Pointers First
Completing your guest list is crucial before sending out any official communications about your wedding, including your save-the-date cards. Writing for Martha Stewart Weddings, Nancy Mattia strongly emphasizes that you must mail wedding invitations to the exact same individuals to whom you’ve sent your save-the-date cards. No matter how you decide to narrow down your numbers, your practices need to be consistent. Keep some vital recommendations in mind when constructing your guest list:
- Brides writer Jaimie Mackey stresses that you should not invite people to pre-wedding parties and showers if they aren’t invited to the main event itself.
- Common wisdom dictates that couples who are married, engaged, or living together must be invited together, but you’ll need to determine where to draw the line when it comes to long-term relationships or casual dates. On the other hand, Nancy Mattia advocates inviting all couples in serious relationships, whether they share a residence or not. Whatever you decide, Bridal Guide’s Kristen O’Gorman Klein advises adopting a standard and uniform approach when it comes to these “plus ones.”
- You must decide early on whether children will be invited, as The Spruce’s Debby Mayne Consider making your affair adults-only if it’s very formal in nature. Meanwhile, it’s a good idea to include them if you’re hosting a less formal wedding or if your own children will be present.
- Once you ship the cards out, your guest list should be set in stone. As Mattia explains, it’s in bad form to text an invitation to someone who wasn’t originally in your save-the-date and wedding invitation mailings.
Best Practices for Save-the-Date Cards
Brides writer Heather Lee clarifies that you aren’t required to mail out any save-the-date cards, but they’re a courteous way to give your friends and family the heads up. This is especially true for destination nuptials or if you’re tying the knot during a peak travel season. Not only that, they can set the tone and mood for your affair. When printing and sending these, it’s wise to observe some common points of protocol:
- While you don’t necessarily need to have your venue selected, Kristen O’Gorman Klein recommends listing the city and state where your nuptials will take place. It’s also helpful to include your wedding website’s URL or social media information on the card.
- In her Brides article, Heather Lee points out that it’s perfectly fine to send your save-the-dates electronically. Nevertheless, you should follow up with your guests to confirm their receipt. Lee recommends sending printed cards if you’re hosting a formal event.
- Save-the-date cards should be shipped out at least four to six months before the big day, or around eight months ahead for destination weddings.
A Great Way to Announce Your Wedding
Save-the-date cards can be a helpful tool for you and a wonderful convenience for your wedding guests. When effectively created and used, they share key details and give your loved ones enough time to make plans for attending your celebration. Making sure that your guest list is completed, printing vital information on the cards, and sending them well in advance of your date are smart steps to ensure that you get the most out of your mailing.
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