Save the Dates: Friend or Fiend

Hello, Darlings!  You have been flooding my inbox with invitation questions lately.  Never fear.  Your questions have spurred some posts that will hopefully decode some of the mystery surrounding invitations.  So to answer your questions:

Today a word about Save the Dates.

If I had to pick the question I get most often- it would have to be, "Do I really need a Save the Date card?" And the follow up question: "Are they necessary.....I mean it's just another expense, right?" I tend to recommend them, so my answer is usually the same. It goes a little bit something like this: "Don't we want to do all we can to assist everyone we've invited in attending? Look, truth is everybody's busy. Everybody. So, it stands to reason the more lead time they're given, the more likely they'll be able to attend."

Now, I'm in no way advocating the use of  letterpressed, solid gold save the date cards nestled in a box made of pythons.  There are so many things you can to do save a little green while your guests are busy saving the date. Well designed magnets and postcards are two of my favorite ideas and are perfect for the budget savvy bride.

My piece of advice? Well, today you get more than one. First, your Save the Dates should hit the mail approximately 2 to 4 months before your invites go out. So, in real people time, about 4 to 6 months before your wedding. I'd say for those of you having destination weddings stick with six months. Use your judgment and if you're unsure, err on the side of giving guests more time.

Finally, Keep it simple. You're only asking your guests to save the date. Give them a taste of your event and then leave them wanting more. You've spent a lot of time putting the whole shebang together, so play it close to the chest. Also, don't wait for a response. You won't get one. Your guests will eagerly reply when their invites arrive.

Photo credit: That is MY save the date card in all it's glory.  Also, I took that photo, so please excuse the oddness of it....