Weddings are, no doubt, one of the most joyous occasions of a person’s life. This marks the beginning of a new journey with your partner. From the moment couples start to plan their wedding, the first step is to look for a venue. Once the venue is confirmed, people can start sending out the save the date cards. Nowadays, with the advancement of technology, people opt for an online invitation. Couples can create their save the date invitation with any invitation creator.
Mistakes to avoid for Save the Date
Many of us think that save the date is the easiest part of wedding planning. But with a few mistakes, this can make you stumble even before walking down the aisle. Here are some of the save the date mistakes that couples should avoid.
- Send the mail too late because you were procrastinating
When a couple plans their wedding, they have a vision of celebrating their big days with the loved ones. The primary purpose of save the date cards is to let your guests have enough time to sort their affairs and be present for your wedding. No one likes to have a wedding where no one could show up because they did not get to book the flight last minute. Most of the time if you send the card late, your guest won’t have time to cancel their plans and ultimately miss your wedding. To avoid this, send out your save the date cards to your family and friends nine to ten months before the big day. If you are having a destination wedding, then make sure to send the card a year before the actual wedding day. This will give your guests enough time to book their expensive flights and accommodation at a cheaper rate. For those who are planning for an intimate wedding in their hometown can send the card four to five months before the wedding day. But this still has a potential risk of your guests not being able to show up, as there is not much time.
- You don’t need to send individual save the date to your guests
Couples already have a lot on their plate when planning a wedding. They don’t require the extra hassle of sending every individual guest a save the date card. It is absolutely fine to send each household a single save the date. You can lump nuclear families and cohabiting couples together and mail a single save the date. For example, you can send your uncle, aunt and their kid who is living in the same house a single save the date card. This helps you get rid of the extra burden.
- Sending out the save the dates too soon
This is one of the biggest mistakes a couple can make for their wedding. Everyone has a dream wedding destination. Sometimes couples send out the save the date cards even before booking the venue. Although you might like a place where you want to get married, there is no guarantee you’ll get to book it. Avoid sending out the save the date cards before putting your deposits or the venue and finalizing it.
- Be clear about who you are inviting and who you are not
We know that save the date cards are not the actual wedding invitation, but it is a pre-invitation. So couples should mention all the important details here as well. Make sure to mention whether your guest can bring a plus one and if so, who can be the plus one (spouse and significant others are okay whereas blind dates are not). Also, don’t forget to mention if kids are allowed or whether you will have pre or post-wedding festivities. This will help your guests plan accordingly for your wedding.
- Make sure to mention all the essential details but don’t overdo
Some of the essential things one should include in their save the dates are:
The couple’s name
The date or dates if it is a multiple-day celebration
The geographic location of the town
If you have hotel books, then that information.
Wedding website, for those who have it.
A note that states a more formal wedding invitation will be sent to them soon.
Do not include unnecessary points such as food options or a map of the town where you will tie the knot. These are irrelevant for a save the date card.
- Do not list your wedding registry.
Although we know that gifts are one of the exciting parts of a wedding, sending your wedding registry along with your save the date might make you seem needy. Guests might ask you for a wedding registry, and you can include the URLs or store name on the wedding website. Make sure not to send it along with the formal save the date card. Your guests will appreciate this more and understand that a gift is not the sole purpose for you to invite them.
- Sending the save the date to guests you are not sure on inviting
This is one more mistake that several couples make by sending the save the date cards to guests they are not 100% sure of inviting. You might not be friends with certain people, or a couple might break up within a year. Couples who have guests they are not sure about should skip sending them the save the date cards. If you are sure about them in the future, then you can send them the cards.
Following the tips mentioned above, a couple can avoid making the save the date mistakes. Also opting for a digital invitation helps your guests get a reminder on their smartphones or computer about your special day. But to make the invitation more eye-catching try and go for a slideshow. InVideo offers video slideshow with in-built customizable templates that couples can use for their save the date invitation. The website also has a variety of features that lets you include animation and graphics to your slideshow.
