Wedding Save the Dates: Timing and Etiquette

Sending your save the dates cranks the wedding planning excitement up a notch. Your wedding date, finally in print! Sharing your date with your loved ones and having them officially mark their calendars makes your wedding day feel like it’s within reach.

If you’ve found yourself thinking “when should I mail our save the dates?” you’re not the only one. Brides and grooms ask us this question nearly every day and the answer is simple…

You can send your save the dates anywhere from 6-9 months (or more!) before your wedding day.  If you’re having a destination wedding, you can send them 12 months or more in advance.

To understand you’re ready to send your save the dates, ask yourself these questions:

1. Is Our Wedding Date Set?

You might be thinking to yourself, well…duh. But you’d be surprised at how often couples fire off their save the dates in a haze of excitement, only to have to resend new ones because of a scheduling conflict.

Before you send yours, make sure you’ve:

• Secured your venue, as well as any “must-have” vendors, such as your dream photographer.
• Checked with the most important people in your life to make sure there are no scheduling conflicts that may interfere. You don’t want to schedule your wedding the same day as your favorite cousin.
• Scoured your community calendar to check for events that may conflict with your day. Major sporting events, for instance, can have a huge impact on hotel availability and travel expenses for your guests.

2. Do We Have a Wedding Website?

Adding your wedding website to your save the dates isn’t necessary, but it is very helpful.

3. Do We Want to Include Engagement Photos?

Some couples prefer photo save the dates while others opt for a non-photo version. We love ‘em both! If you want to include professional photos on your save the dates, but sure to schedule an engagement session as soon as possible. Your photographer will likely need several weeks to get your images back to you.

That’s it – everything you need to know about save the date timing.  Best wishes and happy wedding planning!