This post may contain affiliate links. I will be compensated when a purchase is made through these links.
We’re at the just under a year mark until our wedding (!!!) and though we’ve told pretty much all of our guests what our date is, we are so excited to send out those official save the dates.
Giving your guests that heads up well in advance allows them to throw it in their calendar and reserve that day just for you!
Whether you want to have an elaborate gift or card sent out, or something simple online, there are so many fun ways to spread the word.
There’s just something about having the date on paper that makes it all seem so real for the first time. Because we’ve had a long engagement, this year out mark seems pretty exciting (yet a little scary).
I think we’ve finally decided on how we’re going to send out our save the dates, which you can find out about at the end of this post!
I hope these ideas give you some inspiration, as well as help you know what information to provide and what can wait for the invites.
Save The Date Ideas
There’s so many fun ways to spread the word about your special day, ranging from elaborate and incredible to simple and sweet.
Here’s some super fun ways I would have loved to spread the word!
For us, the invitations are a little more important to me so we’re prioritizing our budget towards them instead. I’d love to create some of these fun and unique save the dates, but stay tuned to the end of this post to see the simple and sweet idea we chose!
Photoshoot
One of the cutest ways to share your date is to do a photoshoot with your fiance and displaying the date in a fun way – whether that be through scrabble tiles, a chalkboard, your pup holding a sign or writing in the sky with sparklers – the list is endless.
Stick to your personal style and come up with an idea that suits the two of you – everyone will love it.
Minted
One of my favorite card sites has to be Minted. My family has used them for years, the cards are such high quality and come out stunning. They have such a wide selection to match your style, you’re sure to find something you’ll fall in love with.
Paperless Post
Such a streamlined and beautiful way to send out save the dates (or any invitations for literally any event!)
Paperless Post allows you to choose from a ton of different designs, customize with your own info and then add your invitees via email, right on the site.
The email format is so cute (it animates out of a little envelope!) and your guests will love it.
DIY Digital
If you’re Photoshop savvy, this one’s for you! Grab one of your engagement photos, pop some of the information on there and either save us a jpeg and email them off, or take them to your fave print shop!
What To Include On Your Save The Dates
First things first – what to include. No matter how you decide to spread the word, there’s a few key details you should add.
1. Date, Duh
Of course this one’s a no brainer – but one thing I would avoid is the whole abbreviated into the number of the month (1-12) sort of thing.
For example (if you’re lost) – ours is 09.12.20.
Is that September 12th 2020 or December 9th 2020??
Depending on where your from, some people may read it differently so if your day is the 12th and under, I’d recommend just nixing that short form all together (plus the months spelled out usually looks so much prettier!)
Your out of town guests that you probably won’t talk to much until that day will thank you.
Make it as clear as you possibly can, plain and simple.
2. City
The next big thing to include is the city you’ll be getting married in! Sometimes people will assume you’re just getting married in the town you live in but sometimes that’s not the case (like us!).
You don’t necessarily need to put your venue locations on just yet (unless you really want to!), so the city is perfect so out of town guests can anticipate the travel.
3. Your Names!
These seems silly, but it’s probably a good idea to toss both your names in there (mostly for your great aunt Deb that mom insists on inviting who maaay or may not remember you).
4. That There’s An Invitation To Follow
Since the save the date is purely for the simple reminder of the date, it’s important to note that your guests will get an invitation with much more detail at a later date.
No need to leave your guests wondering and bombarding you with texts and calls trying to get more information about the big day.
5. Wedding Website
Another great way to avoid the bombarding texts asking for more info is to create a wedding website! If you’re doing an online save the date you can include a link right in there, and if you’re mailing them out, the URL on the bottom will do.
I’ve been busy working on our wedding website to have the bones of it ready for our save the dates, and it’s coming together so beautifully! The site can be a hub for all the info your guests will need from venue location, times, accommodations, registry and even wedding party introductions!
You can even set up your site to be where your guests can RSVP (after the invites go out of course!) so you can have all that info right in one place!
I highly recommend getting yourself a wedding website to avoid the headache of answering a bajillion wedding questions.
So, What Are We Doing!?
Since we are trying to stick to a budget for our wedding, and I am pretty set on having printed invitations, I wanted an inexpensive alternative for the save the dates – one that’s not going to cost as much as the invites will.
I started my research, and after many recommendations, I’ve narrowed my options down to one – Paperless Post.
Many members of my family have used Paperless Post for years for all their events, and I’ve always thought they were such a cute way to send an invite while keeping it affordable.
I’m so excited to use their super user-friendly platform to create some adorable save the dates. I can then link all the emails I need to and have them sent right off to all my guests! So quick and easy.
How did you send out your save the dates!? I’d love to know! You can follow along on our wedding planning journey over on my Instagram (@jamienoonan)!
Check out these fun wedding related posts!
What To Expect After Getting Engaged
Gift Guide For The Bride To Be