Wedding Invitations & Paper

Save The Date question & opinions

Hi everyone! We are getting married November 12. When should I send out our save the dates? And secondly, I can't decide between these 3. (Leaning towards 2) Opinions please?? 

Re: Save The Date question & opinions

  • Also, haven't decided on a color scheme for the wedding, do my save the dates have to match the wedding colors? 
  • CMGragainCMGragain member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    edited March 2016
    Save the Dates are very new.  They are informal.  The only rule you should worry about is that EVERYONE who received an STD must also receive an invitation.  Send them to V.I.P.s and out of town guests, but don't send them to everyone on your guest list if you are tight on budget or venue.
    The design of the STDs do not need to co-ordinate with anything else in your wedding.
    I personally do not like numerical dates - too confusing.  I like the wording on the last card, but it should give a general location and say "formal invitation to follow".  Do you have a wedding website?  This would be a good place to include it.
    httpiimgurcomTCCjW0wjpg
  • I like the style of #2, but agree with @CMGragain that numbers can be confusing.
  • I think the only time numerical dates will be confusing is if you are sending them to people who do not use the US way of writing out a numerical date. Meaning they would write out July 4, 2016 as 04.05.16 (this is typical in Europe and probably many other places since the US likes to do things completely different from the rest of the world :) )

    So, if you are inviting a lot of international guests, then I would write out the date in words, not numbers.  But if all of your guests are from the US, numbers should be just fine.

  • Thanks for the input @CMGragain, @ernursej and @Maggie0829
    We don't have any international guests, it hadn't occurred to me that the dates could be confusing (see why I need to consult with fellow brides!!??) I'm going to keep looking for a different style of save the dates. My goal is to order the, by this weekend so they can be mailed out by next Friday. Our wedding is 8 months and a day away. I think that's plenty of time. I hope it is! 
  • Sammy1112 said:
    My goal is to order the, by this weekend so they can be mailed out by next Friday. Our wedding is 8 months and a day away. I think that's plenty of time. I hope it is! 
    Absolutely plenty of time.  STD time frame is anywhere between 6-12 months before your wedding so you have plenty of time.

  • If that's your personal information showing on your save-the-date posted here in the forum, I'd consider obscuring it in some way.
  • Jen4948 said:
    If that's your personal information showing on your save-the-date posted here in the forum, I'd consider obscuring it in some way.
    I am thinking it is not since all three STDs have different dates, names and locations listed.  They are most likely pulled from websites she was looking at ordering from.

  • Only one of them has the city the wedding is in, that is absolutely essential on a STDate.  If you live in Chicago, but are getting married in your home town of Pittsburgh, this is information I need to have to make plans.
  • I like the third one, but as PP said, I'd add a line at the bottom with the location of the wedding.

    Also, slightly off-topic, but if you're having a website, please make sure it's pretty close to complete when these go out. I received an STD for a wedding and it only had the city name on it, which is fine, but the site still has no actual info on the exact location or time of the wedding and five room blocks. So I don't know where or when to get a room for.

    Image result for someecard betting someone half your shit youll love them forever
  • I like the third one, but as PP said, I'd add a line at the bottom with the location of the wedding.

    Also, slightly off-topic, but if you're having a website, please make sure it's pretty close to complete when these go out. I received an STD for a wedding and it only had the city name on it, which is fine, but the site still has no actual info on the exact location or time of the wedding and five room blocks. So I don't know where or when to get a room for.

    Wait!  Did you get a Save the DATE without a date on it?
  • Jen4948 said:
    If that's your personal information showing on your save-the-date posted here in the forum, I'd consider obscuring it in some way.
    I am thinking it is not since all three STDs have different dates, names and locations listed.  They are most likely pulled from websites she was looking at ordering from.
    Makes sense, thanks.

    OP: Make sure you include the city where your wedding is taking place on your save-the-date.
  • I like the third one, but as PP said, I'd add a line at the bottom with the location of the wedding.

    Also, slightly off-topic, but if you're having a website, please make sure it's pretty close to complete when these go out. I received an STD for a wedding and it only had the city name on it, which is fine, but the site still has no actual info on the exact location or time of the wedding and five room blocks. So I don't know where or when to get a room for.

    She may not have a website or hotel room blocks.  Neither is a requirement for a save-the-date.
  • Sammy1112Sammy1112 member
    5 Love Its First Comment Name Dropper
    edited March 2016
    We are not having a wedding website. Our guest list is 97% all locals, less to stress about thankfully. I will definitely add the city to them even though everyone knows. All those STDs (lol) are just samples, I have a really nice girl working on my STDs and bridal brunch invitations & possibly wedding favors, she has the patience of a saint. LOL! I hope she doesn't think I'm a bridezilla. :smiley: @ShesSoCold @Jen4948 Thanks for the info 
  • Sammy1112 said:
    We are not having a wedding website. Our guest list is 97% all locals, less to stress about thankfully. I will definitely add the city to them even though everyone knows. All those STDs (lol) are just samples, I have a really nice girl working on my STDs and bridal brunch invitations & possibly wedding favors, she has the patience of a saint. LOL! I hope she doesn't think I'm a bridezilla. :smiley: @ShesSoCold @Jen4948 Thanks for the info 
    You do not need Save the Dates at all.  Save your money.
    httpiimgurcomTCCjW0wjpg
  • CMGragain said:
    Sammy1112 said:
    We are not having a wedding website. Our guest list is 97% all locals, less to stress about thankfully. I will definitely add the city to them even though everyone knows. All those STDs (lol) are just samples, I have a really nice girl working on my STDs and bridal brunch invitations & possibly wedding favors, she has the patience of a saint. LOL! I hope she doesn't think I'm a bridezilla. :smiley: @ShesSoCold @Jen4948 Thanks for the info 
    You do not need Save the Dates at all.  Save your money.
    Yeah that's what I had thought but it was suggested that I should since we're getting married close to thanksgiving. And cause apparently that's just what you do now, send STDs. 
  • CMGragainCMGragain member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    edited March 2016
    STDs are very new.  Most etiquette books don't even mention them.  They work best for families with relatives in far locations, so that they can make travel arrangements.  Since your guests are mostly local, they are really not needed.  This is just another thing pushed on us by the wedding industry $$$.  They are completely optional, especially if you have a local guest list.

    PS.  When my daughter asked for them (We paid for most of her wedding) I said, no.  I had never heard of them before, and I told her that if she wanted them, she could buy them herself.  She did.
    httpiimgurcomTCCjW0wjpg
  • You're so right @CMGragain, I went to LOOK at wedding invitations to check out color scheme ideas and they were shoving all sorts of paper products down my throat. And they wanted me to order menus, that's a waste of paper IMO. I have yet to decide on a wedding invitation but I'm getting most paper products and labels from a small shop on Etsy that has been super helpful. I just may look for my invitations on Etsy too. So many decisions to make! 
  • Jen4948 said:

    I like the third one, but as PP said, I'd add a line at the bottom with the location of the wedding.

    Also, slightly off-topic, but if you're having a website, please make sure it's pretty close to complete when these go out. I received an STD for a wedding and it only had the city name on it, which is fine, but the site still has no actual info on the exact location or time of the wedding and five room blocks. So I don't know where or when to get a room for.

    She may not have a website or hotel room blocks.  Neither is a requirement for a save-the-date.


    Which is why I said "if you're having a website".


    @adk19 I got a STD with the date and city and a website, but nothing anywhere had the actual wedding location or time. So I don't know which of the five hotels to book and for which nights.

    Image result for someecard betting someone half your shit youll love them forever
  • Jen4948Jen4948 member
    First Anniversary First Answer First Comment 5 Love Its
    edited March 2016
    Jen4948 said:

    I like the third one, but as PP said, I'd add a line at the bottom with the location of the wedding.

    Also, slightly off-topic, but if you're having a website, please make sure it's pretty close to complete when these go out. I received an STD for a wedding and it only had the city name on it, which is fine, but the site still has no actual info on the exact location or time of the wedding and five room blocks. So I don't know where or when to get a room for.

    She may not have a website or hotel room blocks.  Neither is a requirement for a save-the-date.


    Which is why I said "if you're having a website".


    @adk19 I got a STD with the date and city and a website, but nothing anywhere had the actual wedding location or time. So I don't know which of the five hotels to book and for which nights.

    It's not always practical for a website to be complete, or even near to it, when save-the-dates go out, so while I agree that the information should be on the website if it is available when the save-the-dates go out, I wouldn't worry too much about it if it isn't. I'd just make sure that the website has the information when it's ready and find another way to communicate the information to guests who need it if the website isn't ready when the save-the-dates go out.
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