When to send save the dates
A save the date does one job: it buys somebody the chance to say yes. Sent too late, it is just an announcement of a clash.
The timings
Counting back from the day.
- Six to eight months for a normal UK wedding
- Ten to twelve months if people are flying, or it falls on a bank holiday
- Twelve months or more for a wedding abroad, where guests are booking annual leave and flights
- Four months is still worth doing if you are late, because a late save the date beats none
Who gets one
Only people you are certain you are inviting. A save the date is a promise, and taking one back is far more awkward than never sending it.
If your guest list is not settled, send them to the people who would be devastated to miss it and wait on the rest. Nobody notices what they did not receive.
What goes on it
Names, the date, the town, and the words invitation to follow. That is genuinely all.
For a multi-day wedding, say which days, because a guest booking two nights when they need four is a problem you have caused.
If you have a wedding website, put the address on it. It saves you answering the same question forty times, and it is where people will look for travel and accommodation later.
Common questions
How far in advance do you send save the dates?
Six to eight months for most UK weddings, ten to twelve if guests are travelling or it falls on a bank holiday, and a year or more for a wedding abroad.
Do you have to send save the dates?
No. They matter most when people need to book time off, travel or accommodation. For a local wedding with a long invitation lead time you can skip them.
Can you send a save the date and not an invitation?
Try not to. A save the date reads as a promise, so only send one to somebody you are sure about.
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