Save the Date Announcements
One of the newest wedding trends has been the use of save the date announcements. The purpose of these cards is to let your wedding guests know farther in advance about the date of your wedding so they can start making plans to attend. You might think of them as a pre-invitation. Below are some of the guidelines you need to know before sending out your own save the date announcements.
Sending Save the Date Cards
Save the Date cards are an optional part of the wedding stationary package, but they are important under some circumstances. For example, if you are getting married during the summer, over a holiday weekend, or far away from many of your guests, you should definitely send save the date cards so you can get those guests before they make any other plans.
You may also choose to send save the date cards to only some of your guests. For example, your best friend, your mother, and anyone you see daily is unlikely to forget the date of your wedding and probably won't have to make extensive plans to attend so they don't really need a reminder. Guests who live out of town, who travel a great deal for work, or who you don't see frequently, however, may benefit from receiving a save the date card.
Generally, your save the date cards should be mailed between 4 to 6 months before the ceremony. That's compared to four to six weeks for the invitations. Because you have to send them so early, you may need to order your save the date cards before the rest of your stationary package.
Wording Save the Date Cards
Because save the date cards are still relatively new in wedding circles, there are no hard and fast rules for wording them. One guideline is that the wording should reflect the tone of the ceremony you're going to be having: a formal wedding means more formal wording. However, the final choices are completely yours.
Regardless of the tone, the cards need to include basic information: the name of the bride and groom, the date of the wedding, and the
city and state where the wedding will be held. Below are two wording examples:
Miss Angel Davis and Mr. Joshua Hughes
respectfully request that you reserve
the date of June 30, 2007
for their wedding in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Formal Invitation to Follow
Because we want all of our friends and family with us
on our wedding day,
please Save the Date of June 30, 2007.
The big event will be held in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Invitation to Follow
The first wording example is obviously more formal than the second, but these two only represent a fraction of your wording options. You could also choose to add poems, verses, lyrics, quotes, or similar phrases on your save the date cards.
Additionally, you may need to add other important information to your save the date cards. For example, if you already know that a certain hotel will be used for lodging out-of-town guests, you should let the guests know on these cards. Also, if you don't want children to attend the ceremony, you should add the phrase "Adults Only."
Choosing Save the Date Cards
Traditional save the date cards resemble square invitations. They come in the same colors as typical wedding invitations, and many couples prefer to pick something that will complement or match the rest of their stationary to create a consistent feel. Of course, you can also play around with your save the date cards. For example, if you are getting married on a beach, you choose save the date cards that are decorated with palm trees.
Of course, save the date cards don't have to be made of paper. One of the more interesting parts of this trend has been to turn other objects into save the date cards since these are more likely not to be lost and because they are more creative than a plain old card. Being creative in this way is going to cost more, but if your budget is flexible your save the date cards could really be refrigerator magnets, coasters, scratch-off lottery tickets, and more. Browsing through online vendors' selections can provide you with plenty of options.
As another option, you could send your save the date cards as postcards or as more formal announcements.
The best way to start choosing your save the date cards is to take some time and look at what is currently available and at what you can afford. Remember to pick something that is going to work well with the tone of your wedding. Magnets may be cute but they really aren't appropriate for a formal wedding.
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