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When to Send Your Save the Dates

Save the dates, while not required, are a great way to give your VIPs (your guest list) a heads up that they will be invited to your wedding.  For weddings during the week, guests that have to travel or for weddings that fall around a holiday or busy travel time, they are highly recommended.  Knowing when to order them, and when to send them does somewhat vary depending on your wedding.

Below we are sharing the simple timeline for when you should order and send your save the dates.

When to Order your Save the Dates

We recommend making sure you know the turn-around times for the company you are using for your save the dates.  In general, save the date cards are fairly simple cards with envelopes or postcards so 1-2 weeks is an average.  Of course more specialized designs or custom designs may take longer so be sure to know that well in advance so you can work back from your wedding date and keep everything on schedule.

When to Send Your Save the Dates

For most weddings, save the dates would be mailed out 6-8 months before the wedding or as early as 12 months before.  If you are planning a destination wedding, have a lot of out-of-town guests on your list or are planning your wedding on or close to a major holiday or busy travel / vacation time, we recommend sending your save the dates out no later than 1 year before your wedding.

You don’t want to send your save the dates out too early but you don’t want to send them out too late.  If you wait too long to send them, they will overlap with your wedding invitation schedule which can make your save the dates kind of pointless and a waste of money.

Pro Tip: Depending on the amount of time you have between when you get engaged and when your wedding is, this timeline may not work.  The key is to send your save the dates as soon as possible.  It’s also important to consider the time of year you’ll be sending your save the dates.  For example, sending your save the dates during the peak of the Christmas holiday may not be the best idea because it can get lost or overlooked.