Vacations With Flair

Save-The-Date Etiquette: What Are My Options?

Handling the communication for a destination wedding has much different time constraints than a traditional wedding at home.

Announcing Your Big Day: Where to Begin

Whether you were just engaged or years ago and you’re finally getting around to planning the big day, sending out wedding announcements to friends and family is a very exciting time! For many, this may be the first formal notice of your engagement and upcoming ceremony. But while you’re tearing through Pinterest dreaming of elegant typeset and gorgeous floral prints, you may find yourself getting a little overwhelmed by the communication management involved.

Why Send Save-the-Dates?

Why do couples send out save-the-dates? What’s the difference between that and a formal invite? What’s the best way to handle the process? These are common questions for first-time brides and grooms. Save-the-dates are simply meant to inform your guests of the wedding date so they can plan ahead. While traditional etiquette suggests sending them 6 or more months in advance, followed by formal invitations 8 weeks before the wedding, the truth is—it’s your choice.

However, if you’re planning a destination wedding, waiting until 8 weeks before is WAY TOO LATE! Guests should be fully booked and paid by then. Sending a save-the-date gives them the time they need to make travel plans and ensures a better turnout.

Maybe you and your partner are short-term planners, or you’re working with a tight budget and inviting hundreds of guests. In these cases, some couples choose to skip save-the-dates and send invitations only. Otherwise, save-the-dates are a simple way to give guests plenty of notice while you focus on menu details, picking the perfect green, and choosing between begonias or roses (begonias get our vote!)

Announcing Your Big Day: Where to Begin

When Save-the-Dates Are a Must

There are a few instances which especially require save-the-dates, as this helpful article in the Knot explains. If your big day is during a high-travel time of the year, such as a holiday weekend or popular summer vacation times, it is an expected courtesy. Fortunately, there are more than a handful of options in this day and age by way of both electronic and paper invites.

Modern Invitation & Marriage Announcement Options: Digital, Stylish, and Convenient

For instance, some people even decide to create a Facebook event, which is a great way to keep track of who you’ve invited and receive confirmation instantly, and can be equally as beautiful with a creative eye. Additionally, there are also several sites that offer the option to send your invite electronically, which is a great way to be environmentally-conscious and enjoy extra sending convenience. In fact, many of these even offer bonus features, such as the ability to collect addresses of guests as they R.S.V.P., and free design templates.

Top Digital Invitation Platforms & Marriage Announcement Options

One example is Paperless Post, which is one of the best sites to find these often overlooked conveniences. Offering both paper and online invites, the company works with leading designers including Kate Spade and Oscar de la Renta to create stunning invitations in both formats.

Likewise, Evite—offering around 3,000 free invitation designs and premium templates rivaling the best in the business—is another great option for the technologically inclined. Celebrations is a third, equally wonderful site that not only offers beautiful invites, but tons of inspiring, must-try event ideas that will give any celebration that extra wow-factor. Greenvelope and Punchbowl are two more that made our short list for gorgeous and easy online and print invites.

Whether you need a follow up invitation is completely up to you! We support your style! These days, you have tons of options.

SaveSave

Save-The-Date Etiquette – Frequently Asked Questions

I’m getting married in six months. Many publications suggest to send a “save the date” card two months before my wedding. Is this enough time for a destination wedding?

No! A destination wedding is not the same as a wedding across town. Flights fill up quick, and prices start rising on travel and accommodations about three months out. To give your guests enough time to prepare for and bear witness during your big day, you should be giving as much advance notice as you can for your destination wedding. Save-the-date etiquette stipulates that your guests should have about six months lead time to adequately book their travel and accommodations, with up to nine months on the high end and three or four months on the low end.

We’re three months out and I’ve realized that our “save the date” invitations won’t arrive until the eight-week mark. I’ve heard that’s too late for a destination wedding. What should I do?

The good thing is that not all is lost. You can still send your physical save-the-date cards if you want, but it might be better to leverage social media or other digital tools to give your guests ample time to organize their travel and book their rooms. If you’re open to using online tools, Greenvelope and Punchbowl can help you design a striking new card in just hours, and it’s likely they’ll be able to get them out quicker than your existing cards.

Give Your Guests a Head Start, Even with Traditional Invites

However, if you like your existing invitations and you don’t want to upset the moving train, consider helping your guests with some advance notice. That may mean creating a quick Facebook group or sending an email blast out—the more time you give your guests to plan, the more likely they are to make it. Even if your cards hit their mailboxes in a month, they’ll appreciate the thought and won’t be caught trying to shuffle plans at the last minute.