Your wedding date is set and you want to be sure that everyone can come. Do you send out 'Save the Date' cards or not?
It’s understandable that brides want to make sure the date of their wedding is first priority for guests. With weddings being so expensive these days, you want everyone you’ve invited to come and be a part of the festivities you’ve prepared. Weddings often take place during busy times like summer and Christmas time. This can mean that people who are already busy and receiving invitations and making vacation plans will have one more commitment to consider.
To avoid having your wedding take second place because a guest didn’t know the date for sure, you can send out Save the Date cards. These are simple cards you have printed to match your wedding invitations. Their purpose is simply to let the guests know the exact date of your wedding. It’s also helpful when you include the location so that guests will know in advance if they will have to make overnight travel plans. So, for all these reasons, it is a good idea to send out Save the Date cards in advance.
The flip side of this dilemma is that Save the Date cards may be viewed as tacky. Some old school etiquette aficionados might balk at the idea of receiving a Save the Date card. Their reasons can seem petty, but you may still get flack. Guests may wonder why you took the time to send out these notices instead of just sending your invitations earlier. After all, it’s a relatively new practice and brides never did it before. Why start now? It’s an argument that really shouldn’t concern you though if you have your heart set on saving the date on people’s calendars. Who cares if you ruffle a few feathers?
One thing you might want to consider is that Save the Date cards do cost money. And this is money you probably don’t have to waste. You’ll also need to put postage on them, so that’s going to rack up a few more bucks that really add up if you have a big wedding guest list. Also, you will have to send your cards out quickly after you get engaged. You may not have had time to decide on your wedding invitations yet. And since the Save the Date cards are supposed to match your stationery package, you may feel rushed.
Another consideration is the time it takes to pull your wedding list together and write all the addresses on the envelopes. With your busy schedule, do you really have time for that? You may not have even consulted with your future mother-in-law to get her guest information. And you might feel rushed if you have to gather it too quickly. You may risk leaving someone out if you try to compose your list at a frenzied pace.
The Save the Date card is nice if you’re an easy-going couple who don’t mind spending a little more money or stepping up the pace in order to get those cards in the mail. However, know that it’s not a requirement and word of mouth is often just as good and costs you nothing.
If you have a wedding page online, direct people to it by adding it as a signature line in your outgoing emails. That way, it’s there if people want to go look at it to find out the exact date and location of the wedding. You can also have both moms and the bridal party tell people the date when they run into them in casual situations. Word will get around and you’ll have saved yourself a few dollars too.
If you really want to send Save the Date cards, don’t let anyone stop you. It’s fine if you do and fine if you don’t. This is one instance where it really is up to you.
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