‘Save the date cards’, they’ve certainly got a memorable name but are we all familiar with what they actually are? In short, sending out save the date cards can be a fun, novel and useful ways to inform potential guests of an occasion and to give them that little bit extra time to prepare.
We’d be hard pushed to find an occasion more anticipated, exciting and memorable than a wedding. On average, soon-to-be Mr and Mrs’s spend a whopping 14 months planning for their big day. Naturally weddings do require a fair amount of planning. From finding the perfect dress to choosing the ideal venue, wedding planning demands attention and dedication from beginning to end.
Writing the guest list can be one of the most enjoyable features of planning for the big day as couples meticulously work out family and friends they definitely do and definitely don’t want to invite. Once the guest list has been agreed, prior to booking the number of heads at the meal or seats at the reception, you’ll need to have confirmation of who is definitely going to attend.
This is when ‘save the date cards’ can prove invaluable. These elegant cards will inform guests of your wedding date. Weddings are brimming with etiquettes and traditions and one such etiquette is to send a wedding invitation to everyone you have sent a save the date card to. On receiving the wedding invitation, guests will be already informed of the date of your wedding and will therefore be in a better position to send you a reply back sooner rather than later. What’s more, in having prior knowledge of the date of your wedding, guests will be more likely to have kept the date free in order to attend the wedding, thus meaning that the amount of “sorry we won’t be able to make it” responses you’ll receive are likely to be kept at a minimum.
How long in advance should the soon-to-be bride and groom send out save the date cards?
In order to maximise the number of ‘yes’ responses you get back from wedding invitations, it is advisable to send out your save the date cards earlier rather than later. While six months might be a little excessive, sending out these graceful wedding ‘heads up’ notes several months before the wedding is due to take place will give people plenty of time to mark the date off as ‘occupied’ on their calendar.
Making your save the date cards memorable
You’re promoting a memorable date so ensuring all associations with the big day comprise of memorable qualities is all but imperative. Personalising the cards so that they include an image of you and your partner or some aspect of your lives together that your guests will recognise will be a poignant touch.
Seasonal themes will also create an inventive and creative edge. Instead of focusing on the current season, emphasis the archetypal weather conditions of when the wedding will take place.
Different styles of save the date cards
Similar to wedding invitations, save the date cards come in a plethora of designs, which can be tailor-made to appeal to different people and can reflect a certain style or tone of a wedding.
For example, if a wedding is going to be traditional and take place in a church with all the customary trimmings and adorned with cream roses, you may want the save the date cards to reflect this style of wedding and have cream roses embellished on the front of the card.
If you are planning a vintage wedding, you may want your save the date cards to be synonymous with vintage aspirations. For example, antique gold swirls or teal and white floral patterns will give guests a hint that the wedding will be of a vintage nature.
A postcard style save the date card is another way to create a fun and memorable theme. Why not pull out all the stops and include a collage of photos from you and your partner’s trip away on your save a date postcards?
Your wedding provides an opportunity to let your creativity sparkle so why not begin by sending out memorable, fun and thoroughly unique save the date cards.
