Once upon a time, save the dates used to be nothing more than word of mouth “reminders” from family members during weekly phone calls. It morphed from there into simple invitations which got more creative over time and included the theme of the wedding in the invitation. Then it morphed from invitations back to reminders but the evolution this time was ‘useful reminders’ so we saw magnets, bookmarks, coasters, pens… anything that would stay visible so you won’t forget the big day and to make the necessary travel plans.
Originally when Save the Dates first started, it was reserved for couples who were planning destination weddings and needed to inform their guests with enough advance notice for them to organize vacation time at their office and save up for any associated travel costs. Generally the rule was send your Save the Dates 4-6 months in advance and your formal invitations should be sent 8 weeks before your wedding day.
Now, with the explosion of engagement photoshoots, Save the Dates have turned into another adorable photo opportunity for the bride and groom to showcase their love for each other, their hobbies even their pets while giving their guests a ‘heads up’ about their upcoming wedding date.
When planning your Save the Dates, if you are doing a photoshoot, make it carefree and easy- the best thing about the new Save the Dates are that they are not formal like your invitations, and it’s a great way to give your guests a glimpse into your private quirky relationship. Secondly, make sure you include all the necessary information on the card. I recommend putting your wedding website address on the card since websites will have everything your guests need in regards to planning your wedding: date, times, recommended hotels etc. Thought wedding websites were for people getting married out of town? Think again- read my original blog post
here.
Finally, you don’t have to make your Save the Dates expensive. If you make them into postcards and mail them sure, it can get pricey- but I would first recommend having a friend photograph you and email out your Save the Dates as an email message to your guests. Or update your wedding website with the new picture and information. If you do want to turn them into cards and send them snail mail (it’s always exciting to get real mail other than bills in your mailbox), I would take the photo yourself/with a friend and upload it online to get your prints made. If you go through a photographer, it’s going to be very expensive- not to mention you are looking for one shot not a variety of shots like if you were taking engagement photos. However, if you already have a photographer booked for your engagement session, make sure you take one photo with him/her that can be turned into a Save the Date announcement.
We love this particular
website to turn photos into cards:
Just remember to have fun with it! Here are some Save the Date announcements we love to inspire you…
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