Don’t make these mistakes for save-the-dates. Brides are generally very excited to get the wedding planning going and one of the first things that “officially” announces the wedding plans is the save-the-date cards. It’s the first form of communication you will have with your wedding guests. You need to give everyone ample time to make all the necessary plans to attend your wedding (travel, lodging, time off from work, babysitters, gift choosing, etc.), make sure you’re intentions are received warmly by avoiding these common etiquette mistakes.
Mistakes for Save-the-Dates
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- Not including clear information. Don’t be obscure with your information. Your save-the-dates should have the main information of your names, the date and the location. It is also a good idea to send hotel information that you have guest blocks at for all your out-of-town guests. If you’ve already secured a wedding date URL, you can also include that. It’s important to keep it short and sweet. Save the details of your day for your invitation.
- Not including the location. Even if you don’t know the exact venue, at least give your guests some idea as to where you will be having your wedding—especially if it’s more than 250 miles from you and/or your fiance’s hometowns.
- Not sending them early enough. You should send your save-the-dates at least four months in advance of your wedding—closer to a year in advance if it’s a destination wedding. Be sure to give your guests plenty of time to prepare to attend your celebration. Six months is generally a very safe rule of thumb.
- Not inviting the family and plus ones. You need to let your guests know if their entire families/children are also invited. If you’re sure you want a single person to bring a guest, let them know at this stage. It will help them with planning their hotel bookings and transportation. Every guest should feel welcomed and valued.
- Asking for an RSVP. Now is not the time to ask for an RSVP. You should only do that on your invitations.
- Including your registry information. This also isn’t the time to start asking for gifts.
- Typos. I can’t say enough about proofreading. Misspelled words and transposed numbers can be frightening—especially if you’ve invited your grammar teacher. But seriously, a misspelled word will degrade the elegance of your paper suite. Check, double-check and triple-check every last detail—this also includes the wedding guests’ names and addresses. You don’t want to offend anyone or have their save-the-date end up at the wrong address.
- Not sending an invitation. Think very carefully before you finalize your save-the-date recipients. Getting a save-the-date but NOT an invitation is just like being uninvited. Sending your save-the-dates before your guest list is finalized is actually one of the worst save-the-date mistakes you can commit. Don’t send a save-the-date to someone you are considering only inviting to the evening festivities. It’s totally acceptable to send out two batches of save-the-dates: one to your A-listers, and a second batch to the people you had to carefully scrutinize over because of limitations on space or budget.
- Including confetti. No matter how excited you are to get the party started, don’t include glitter, confetti or any other messy ingredient. Your guests will not be very pleased when they have to get out the broom or vacuum after opening your envelope. If you’re adamant on an enclosure, include something like rice paper, a photograph or a hand-written note.
- Sending save-the-dates when you’re on a tight budget. If you know you’ll be on a tight budget, there is nothing set in stone that says you have to send a save-the-date. Save time, energy and money by skipping this step all together and start working on your invitation list.
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