There is a lot of debate across the internet about whether or not you need to send out Save the Dates. And let’s be honest, if you’re reading this you’re probably on the fence about whether or not to even send save the dates out to your guests.
But did you know there is actually a fairly easy way to determine if you should (or shouldn’t) send Save the dates?
Yep! There totally is and it’s all based on your wedding date. Depending on how much time there is between today and your big day will determine if you need to send out save the dates or not!
Now we all know that I am a dance to the beat of your own drum kinda gal. So I have a bit of a confession…
I am not a fan of Save the dates!
I mean, for a majority of couples, there just isn’t an actual purpose for sending them out! and find it to be a waste of money that can be better spent on other vendors.
BUT…
With that being said, there are 2 instances when I think it’s extremely important for couples to send Save the Dates. So I have included these exceptions to my “rule” at the end of this post.
Now let’s dive into whether or not you really need to send those save the dates or not!
Long engagements are a great way to save up for the wedding of your dreams. So kudos to taking time and making your day extra special. It’s totally cool for you to send save the dates out now and give your guests a heads up on your big day.
Side Note: if you know a lot of your friends will be getting engaged and married before your big day, I would send out Save-the-Dates to make sure no one else tries to make your-big-day their-big-day on accident.
At this stage in the wedding planning game, save the dates are just for fun. There is absolutely no need to send them out. But if you really want to send out your amazing engagement photos with your big day on them by all means.
This is the perfect time for you to start thinking about your wedding invitations though. Most stationery designers, including myself, suggest reaching out 6-8 months from your wedding to make sure you have ample time to finalize all those little details.
Forget save-the-dates, you need to sit down and seriously figure out your wedding stationery. You should be mailing out your wedding invitations 4 months out from your big day to make sure you have plenty of time to get your day-of details finalized.
Haven’t thought about your wedding stationery and are starting to get worried after reading this post? Don’t panic! Just shoot me a message and I will help you get this all squared away in a jiffy.
Now as I mentioned before, there are 2 instances when I think it is extremely important to send out save the dates:
If you plan on having a destination wedding, it’s a great idea to send your guests a heads up on the date and where you are heading. This will allow your guests ample time to save up for tickets, arrange for long term pet sitters and even request passports (without paying ridiculous extra fees.) The more time you give your buddies to plan for your big day getaway the better!
A lot of your guests from out of town? Then save the dates are an important addition to your wedding stationery. The extra time between your save the date and invitation will allow people to keep an eye on air fair and get time off work. This is especially true if any of your guests are in the military and have an even more difficult time getting time off.
As seen in The Knot Magazine, Molly Hicks is a badass custom stationery designer who loves helping queer couples bring their epic stationery dreams to life in a way that's a true reflection of their epic love.
