Your Essential Guide to Save-The-Dates

After you’ve said YES to a wedding date and your engagement portraits have been taken, it is time to mail your Save-the-Date announcements. This step is SUUUUUPER important, especially if your friends or family need time to plan for travel arrangements.

Designing Your Save-the-Dates

The design of your Save-the-Date announcements will be impacted by several factors. Are your engagement photos glamorously elegant or authentically casual? Would you like just one perfect “statement” photo or a collage of several photos? Do you have a specific font and would you like to incorporate your wedding colors?

If you are designing your own announcements, I recommend using a template that is minimalistic and simple. This allows the photos and text to shine, rather than be overshadowed by a design that may seem “dated” in 10 years. Most online photo printers offer free templates, although they are usually not as customizable as you’d prefer.

As part of your package, all of my engagement session couples receive a custom-designed Save-the-Date announcement digital to print.  This saves you time from learning new software skills and lets you get the exact design you want, quickly and effortlessly.

Essential Info

Every announcement should contain 2 important elements: 

• A stunning PHOTO of you and your boo, and…
• The TEXT: Your Names, Wedding City and Date 

The envelope (or backside if a postcard) will indicate exactly WHO is invited. This is very important because it signals what your guests should expect on their invitations (and can save you from misunderstandings if it’s an adult-only affair, or if plus-ones are not in your budget).

What won’t be included? The registry, as well as other specific details (exact location, time of arrival, etc.)  that haven’t been hammered out yet, but will be included in the invitation. 

Postage or Email?

Should your announcements be sent via snail mail or digitally? My best arguments for paper announcements are that my grandma is not computer savvy, and I know she would LOVE having a photo of me on her fridge. Not only are paper announcements a meaningful keepsake for loved ones, but the daily reminder of you on their fridge or bulletin board builds excitement around your wedding day. Digital announcements are okaaaaay… if you just need to get information out quickly. But they are often forgotten the moment the email is closed and don’t leave nearly as lasting an impact.

A cost-effective solution is to ONLY send announcements to those you are planning to invite to the wedding, and then create a separate online engagement announcement for your facebook/instagram. This will be very general and doesn’t need to include the date or city, but is a great way to share those amazing engagement photos!

Once your announcements have been printed, addressed and stamped, it’s time to mail them! Most wedding planners recommend to mail them 6-12 months before the wedding, to ensure all guests have plenty of time to plan.

Need help planning? Click HERE to download my favorite FREE quick-and-easy Wedding Planner Workbook.