When to send save-the-dates

The timeline

What	When to send	Why
Save-the-date	6–8 months before	Guests can book time off and plan travel
Save-the-date for a destination or holiday weekend	8–12 months before	Flights, hotels, and passports take longer
Invitation	6–8 weeks before	Close enough to stay on guests' minds
Invitation for a destination wedding	About 3 months before	Guests need time to confirm travel
RSVP deadline	3–4 weeks before	Your caterer needs a final count about 2 weeks before

A worked example

For a wedding on Saturday, June 12, 2027:

• Save-the-dates: mail between October 12 and December 12, 2026.
• Invitations: mail between April 17 and May 1, 2027.
• RSVP deadline: between May 15 and May 22, 2027.
• Final count to the caterer: around May 29, 2027.

Order your printing at least three to four weeks before each mailing date. That leaves time for a proof, a reprint if something is wrong, and assembly.

Who should get a save-the-date

Only send one to people who will definitely get an invitation. A save-the-date is a promise: you can't take it back later if your guest list shrinks.

If you're unsure about someone, leave them off the save-the-date list. You can still invite them later.

What a save-the-date needs to say

Much less than an invitation:

• your names
• the date
• the city, or the city and venue if it's already booked
• "Invitation to follow" or "Formal invitation to follow"
• your wedding website, if you have one

It doesn't need the time, the full address, or any RSVP details.

Save the date
Emma Hale and Daniel Carter
are getting married
June 12, 2027
Charleston, South Carolina
Invitation to follow · emmaanddaniel.com

Do you need save-the-dates at all?

Not always. They matter most when:

• guests have to travel or book a hotel
• the wedding is on a holiday weekend or in peak season
• your engagement is long and the wedding is more than six months away

For a small local wedding less than six months away, a well-timed invitation is enough.

Cheaper to mail

A save-the-date can be a postcard, with no envelope. It mails at the lower postcard rate if it's between 3.5 × 5 and 4.25 × 6 inches. A 5 × 7 save-the-date is too big for that rate and needs full letter postage. Check current prices in the postage guide.

Keep it matching

Guests see the save-the-date first, so it sets the look of everything after it. Use the same names, the same order of names, and the same design direction on the invitation, RSVP card, and details card. See whose name goes first if you're deciding the order.