Congratulations, you’re engaged! Once you’ve booked your wedding venue, it’s time to start thinking about crossing another huge thing off the list: sending out your wedding save the dates. This little piece of wedding stationery lets guests mark their calendars and begin making travel plans to attend your celebration. It also lets them know there will be a formal wedding invitation on the way with all the details. This means you can keep your save the date wording short, simple, and to the point.
But wording your save the date can be tricky—and that's where we come in! Read on for wording examples and etiquette tips that will help you confidently word your save the dates.
What to Include on Your Save the Date
Your names
It’s traditional to list the bride’s name first, followed by the groom's name. For same-sex couples, consider alphabetical order.
Wedding Date
Save the dates should be sent out only once you have a wedding date nailed down.
Wedding Location
List the city and state (or country!) where your wedding will be. You don’t need to add the venue address or name until your formal wedding invitation. (If you haven’t found a venue yet, here are 125+ key questions to ask as you scout for a venue.)
Wedding Website
Make sure to update your wedding website before you share the URL on your save the date. With Minted’s free wedding website, you can also generate a QR code of the website and put it on your save the date cards.
"Invitation To Follow"
This lets guests know they should expect a wedding invitation in the weeks/months to come.
What Not to Include on Your Save the Date
Hotel/accommodations information
At this point, don’t bog guests down with too many details. Send hotel information with the official wedding invitation, or add it to your wedding website.
Ceremony and reception start times
You’re early in the wedding planning process, so there’s no need to have specific start times in place yet. (However, if you need a guide for a wedding day timeline as you plan, we have one you can reference!)
Dress code information
Save any details about wedding guest attire for the wedding invitation, or add it to your website for your guests to reference at any time.
RSVP request
Save the date etiquette states that you don’t ask guests to RSVP upon receipt. When you send out your wedding invitations, you can include an RSVP request.
How to Word Your Save the Date
Formal save the date wording examples
For a more traditional look, choose a save the date design featuring an elegant combination of serif fonts and calligraphy script. Include your full names, and spell out the date and location to give your save the date a more formal tone.
Please save the date
Everly Nicolette Beaumont
and
Marcus Trevor Davenport
Sept. 18, 2025
Marietta, Georgia
Invitation to follow
Reagan and Charlie
save the date
10.25.2026
hartwell
invite to follow
Religious save the date wording examples
If you’re having a religious ceremony, consider using wording that reflects your faith. You can use a bible verse or religious quote, or incorporate your church’s name into the design.
“And the two shall become one”
Please save the date
for the wedding of
Caroline Matheson and Brendan Williams
September Fourth
Two Thousand Twenty-five
Seattle, Washington
Invitation to follow
“Two hearts, one faith”
Please Save the Date
Shamin & Roshan
August 21, 2025
Santa Clarita, California
Destination save the date wording examples
If you’re having a destination wedding, use wording like “Pack your bags!” to get guests excited about the trip. You can also include a map or other fun graphics to give your guests a taste of the location.
Emma + Jacob
are getting married
08.20.25
in Palm Springs
SAVE THE DATE
Save the Date
And Join Us In
Puerto Rico
Kamila and Alejandro
November 12, 2025
Invitation to follow
Modern save the date wording examples
If you prefer a save the date that’s clean and simple, then choose an airy, minimalist save the date design and include only the pertinent wedding details.
Save Our Date
Adam + Nathan
July 17, 2025 | Denver, CO
There is no us
Without you
Fred & Hillary
Will be wed
May 12, 2026
Miami, FL
Playful or Funny Save the Date Wording Ideas
Keep things light and fun with wording that conveys your bubbly personalities.
Free cake
Open bar
Need we say more?
10 22 25
Save the date
Isobel + Roger
New York
invitation to follow
Now you can stop
asking us when
we’re going
to get married
Elizabeth + Nicole
Save the Date | 08.19.25 | Santa Fe
Etiquette & FAQ
What is a save the date?
A save the date is a card that’s mailed before the wedding invitation. It announces the wedding date and location and lets the recipient know they will be invited to the wedding so they can mark their calendars and get excited. Minted offers hundreds of unique save the date designs from our community of independent artists. And if you need help choosing, we also offer consultations with our stationery experts.
Do we have to send save the dates?
It isn’t mandatory, but your friends and family members will appreciate that you’re giving them plenty of time to make any necessary travel plans. Some guests may have invitations to other weddings or events on the same day, so you’re more likely to get first dibs on the date. And save the dates are a great way to show off your engagement photos. If you’re having a destination wedding, a summer wedding, or a wedding that falls on a three-day weekend, mailing a save the date well in advance increases the chances of guests being able to attend your wedding.
When should we send save the dates?
Mail your save the dates six to eight months before the wedding. This will give guests ample time to request days off from work and make travel plans, if needed. However, if the wedding falls on a holiday weekend or is a destination or summer wedding, aim to send them nine months to a year in advance. Minted has a comprehensive wedding planning checklist that can help you lay out your timeline.
Who gets a save the date?
Anyone you’re sure you’re going to invite to the wedding. When you’re forming your guest list, start with your immediate family and closest friends, then consider other family members, school friends, coworkers, friends of parents, etc. If your guest list is not entirely finalized, refrain from sending save the date cards to guests on your B list, because once someone receives a save the date, you’re obligated to send them a wedding invitation.
Do we need to add plus-ones to the save the date?
Married, engaged, and cohabitating guests should get a plus-one. So should members of your wedding party and guests who have been with their partner for so long, it would be awkward not to invite them. If you’ve chosen your wedding date and location but not a specific venue, it’s best not to include a plus-one on the save the date. If you’ve chosen a wedding date and venue but your budget isn’t finalized, it’s a good idea to wait and see how many plus-ones you’ll be able to afford.
Do you put names on save the dates?
Yes, you should put your name and the name of your fiancé or fiancée. If there isn’t a picture of the two of you on the front or back of the card, you should also make a point to include your last names. Otherwise friends or distant relatives who haven’t heard from you in a while may be a bit confused by a card that says “Ashley and Mike.”
What types of save the dates are available?
You can go the traditional route with a paper save the date sent via snail mail, or you could opt for a more casual postcard-style save the date or a magnetic save the date that guests can stick on their refrigerator. Check out our full list of 38 unique save the date ideas and our roundup of all the different Minted card sizes and formats you can choose from. We even offer a free monogram maker.
Is it okay to email my save the dates?
These days, many couples are opting for electronic invitations to many wedding-related parties, like the engagement party or bachelor/bachelorette party. Electronic save the dates are an option, but there are a couple of drawbacks to consider. For one thing, your save the date email might get filtered into a guest’s spam folder or get buried in guests’ inboxes. Another thing to keep in mind is the formality of your wedding: The more formal the celebration, the more likely a printed save the date card will convey that. If you do decide to go the digital route, we suggest also snail-mailing a printed save the date card to not-so-tech-savvy guests as well as family members who might want to save the card as a wedding keepsake.
Does our save the date have to match our wedding invitation?
Nope! You can never go wrong with classic stationery choices like elegant calligraphy, romantic watercolors, and metallic foils. And it is nice if your save the dates tie in somewhat with the theme of your wedding website. (We have plenty of tips on how to make a wedding website and how to choose wedding colors as you design it.) With that said, this is your chance to have a little fun. If you’ve taken engagement photos, choose a couple of your favorites to incorporate into a photo-themed save the date design. Having a destination wedding? Play up your wedding locale with a save the date design that highlights the setting (think palm fronds, mountain vistas, or the Manhattan skyline).
If your questions still aren’t answered—or you need some additional inspiration—check out our list of save the date mistakes to avoid, as well as our top 10 tips from wedding planners.
