June 2012 Weddings

Save the Dates

Are any of you ladies sending out save the dates?
If so when would be a good time to send them out, soonish or wait till next year

Re: Save the Dates

  • I plan on sending mine out at 14 months just because I want to give my guests a little more heads up instead of a year.
  • I agree. I was thinking of waiting till a little over a year to send mine out. I dont want it to get lost or thrown out since it is so far away..
  • all the wedding sites i looked at said around 8 months before the wedding but im sure ill  send them out before that :)
  • do any of you know how many months before hand  you should  send out the actually invites!
  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.weddingchannel.com/main.aspx/wedding-club-boards_june-2012-weddings_save-dates?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding Club BoardsForum:3ae4d68d-f10a-4dec-8810-da13c14a7b86Discussion:8fbb8d3f-9a84-48bd-b651-50b7e7450cc9Post:52cbf7fd-2592-4888-9021-b178cf8a90d6">Save the Dates</a>:
    [QUOTE]Are any of you ladies sending out save the dates? If so when would be a good time to send them out, soonish or wait till next year
    Posted by MelissaR16[/QUOTE]

        Traditionally, whether you send a commercial Save the Date, or tell someone the information including  "you are on our invitation list,"  by phone email or letter,  it is done approximately 3 to 8 months in advance.   Never more than a year ahead.


        This does not mean you cannot let people know  informally - so far,  we are making plans for our wedding  June 66, 2066, in Baton Rouge.   Just that it comes out earlier as indefinate information,  without "and you are definately invited"   except for a core of people very close to you. No STD's too early.

         Dates change, plans change, very frequently before 6-8 months.  A venue you have a contract with 15 months in advance may go out of business,  you may change your mind and get married months earlier or later because of a job, school, parental illness.    One of you or your parents may lose a job.   Cutting from 200 guests with Saves to 100 is extremely embarrassing.   Cutting before definate word goes out, is not.

        Sending Saves earlier does not make it likely more people will reserve the date.   Lots of people will blow it off - because of the likely hood of it changing.  Others will make plans with non- refundable deposits, and be furious with you that they are losing 250 dollars  for 4 changed   tickets.   Or losing the $250, and now you are not even inviting them!

          Two biggest mistakes many brides make with early planning :  definately announcing a wedding party before 6-8 months,  and promising (which Saves DO)  you are invited,  before things are in final planning stages.

         Also - it is not just an issue of you changing the date, and upsetting others.
        If you send a save at a year or 14 months,  a huge number of people who say yes, I will definitely want to come!-   <strong>won't</strong>.  Their own or spouse's sister or Dad sets their date  within a week or 2 of yours,  they get engaged, or lose a job, and no longer will justify 300 in travel costs,  or they change jobs and start with no vacation days.

        Right now, lots of end of May 2010   wedding posters are saying - I cannot believe 35%, 40% or half of my invitation list, people who were definite when I send  Save the Dates,  are not coming.    They are shocked, surprised, hurt.
  • In Response to <a href="http://forums.weddingchannel.com/main.aspx/wedding-club-boards_june-2012-weddings_save-dates?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding Club BoardsForum:3ae4d68d-f10a-4dec-8810-da13c14a7b86Discussion:8fbb8d3f-9a84-48bd-b651-50b7e7450cc9Post:208ec990-25b6-45f0-b570-0122ebd95231">Re: Save the Dates</a>:
    [QUOTE]do any of you know how many months before hand  you should  send out the actually invites!
    Posted by lglover11[/QUOTE]

    Invitations are sent out 4-6 weeks in advance, if most have had some advance notice,  and as much as 6 to 8 weeks in advance  when lots of people are traveling a great distance, or you have not notified people with Saves in advance.

    (Usually they are only mailed out at 4 weeks where everyone is local, or for a wedding where everyone is close and knows most of the details anyway.)
    ___________________________

    Avoid signing any contract for catering or rentals where they ask for definite numbers  any further in advance than 7 - 10 days.

    If you just stick an earlier RSVP date than the traditional 2 weeks before (which gives 5-7 days to contact stragglers)  lots of people still will not send them back until the usual time of 2 weeks before.   Many who do RSVP at an earlier date will call to cancel.

       And you will find yourself giving a number  which may mean paying for 10 or 20 people ( 40 to 100 dollars each)  whom you would have known would not be there, if your date to give final numbers was only 10 days before the wedding.
        Caterers know that , and many like that little extra profit they very often get by making people give numbers early.   DON'T.
  • I was wondering the same thing. When do you send out save the date cards? I was thinking about sending them next May or June, and it will be a year away from the wedding.
  • I am also sending mine out around 14 months, because i have alot of out of town guest that are coming.

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