Save the Date
Wording Etiquette

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 stationery consultations with a concierge.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

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.

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).