Save the Dates - To Send or Not to Send that is the Question

Save the date cards are becoming very popular in today's event planning. They are sent in advance of a formal invitation and can either complement the invitation's style, the upcoming event or be completely unusual!

They may be mailed or electronically sent and do offer certain advantages. For example, if a save the date comes back to you undelivered by the US Postal system, then this will alert you to the need for an address correction for your guest. This practice also helps you become organized early for your upcoming event -- no waiting to the last minute to get your address list compiled.

A lot of wedding clients ask me if it is necessary to send out save the date cards. Save the date cards are a good idea if you are having a destination wedding and/or expecting a lot of out-of-town guests attending your wedding or event. Typically save the dates can be mailed out six to eight months before the wedding. Use your own "timeframe" calendar as your judgement for when to send them.

As for the style of the save the date invitation card, anything goes! You can pick something fun, whimsical and destination themed for your stationery. For example, I had a Florida client who wanted me to hand paint pink roses on her handwritten wedding invitations. For her save the dates we used light complimentary pink stationery with hot pink ink! The color of the stationery was so sweet -- the stationery color reminded me of a pink flamingo -- very Floridian! We addressed the envelopes in computer calligraphy with hot pink ink as well.

Or go very classic with your save the dates and match them to your wedding invitation ensemble, especially if your invitation/wedding is traditional theme. One of my clients decided to take this direction because she wished to carry a very elegant theme throughout their entire stationery wardrobe. She thought the save the date should set the same tone as her traditional wedding invitation which I wrote for her by hand -- for their elegant wedding in California at the Grand Tradition.

Are you planning a destination wedding in Vegas or the beach? Consider a theme wedding invitation and turn it into a save the date card instead. You may choose something electric with a big Vegas sign on the card, or for the seaside wedding -- how about starfish, shells or palm trees to set the tone for the upcoming event?

Free wedding websites are a great wedding planning and save the date tool too. You can incorporate save the date, accommodation, direction information, as well as a guestbook and gift registry on your site. When clients use my services for save the dates and wedding invitations, I offer a free url address on my site.

For example, their names.calligraphylady.com. I forward their lengthy free url to this address so they can use it on save the date cards or on a small card in their wedding invitation set. Plan on spending around $3.00 for each save the date. Computer calligraphy for the outer envelope is a nice complement to the save the date card's font.

In sum, save the date magnets, traditional save the date cards, colorful save the dates are all acceptable! Or use a wedding invitation and turn it into a save the date instead with your own clever wording and personalized design. The possibilities are endlessly terrific!

Unique Wedding Invitations
Visit this site as a source for stationery, etiquette questions and creative invitation ideas.