When to send save the dates
Send save the dates six to eight months before a local wedding, and eight to twelve months before a destination wedding or one on a holiday weekend. The rest of this page covers the in-between cases.
The timeline at a glance
- Local wedding: six to eight months before.
- Destination wedding: eight to twelve months before, so guests can save and book travel.
- Holiday weekend or peak season: eight to twelve months before, before hotels fill up.
- Short engagement: as soon as you have a date and a venue, even four months out.
- Invitations: six to eight weeks before the wedding, or three months for a destination wedding.
What to have ready first
- A confirmed date and venue. Never send a save the date for a date that might move.
- Your guest list. Everyone who gets a save the date must get an invitation.
- The city, at least. Guests need it to plan travel, even if the venue is a surprise.
- A wedding website, if you have one, so guests can find hotels and details later.
Who gets one
Everyone you plan to invite, and nobody you are unsure about. A save the date is a promise of an invitation, so leave the maybes for later.
- Plus-ones: name them if you know who they are, or write "and guest".
- The wedding party: yes, even if they already know. It is part of the fun.
- Children: name them on the save the date if they are invited, so there is no confusion later.
What to put on it
- Both your names.
- The date.
- The city and state, or the country for a destination wedding.
- "Invitation to follow", so guests know more is coming.
- Your wedding website, if you have one.
Digital or paper?
A digital save the date can go out the day you book your venue, costs the same for 50 guests or 200, and tells you who opened it. Paper takes two to four weeks to print and post, and it lives on the fridge. Plenty of couples do both: a link for everyone, and a magnet for the grandparents.
Ready to send yours?
Solve the Date is a save the date guests play: they answer questions about you to unlock the date, and you see who has solved it. Free to make, from $29 to send.
Is it too late to send save the dates four months out?
No. Send them as soon as you can, or skip straight to early invitations if the wedding is under three months away.
Is a year too early?
Not for a destination or holiday wedding. For a local wedding, nine to twelve months is fine, but guests may forget, so send a reminder nearer the time.
Do I need save the dates at all?
They are optional, but they help guests book time off and travel. They matter most for destination weddings and busy seasons.