Save the Date Wedding Cards

used with permission from Chicago Wedding Guide

In these days of long-distance weddings and super-saver fares, the arrival of a wedding invitation four to six weeks before the chosen date sometimes isn’t enough advance notice. Hence, the growing popularity of “Save the Date” cards and notices. These simple postcards, printed notices, and e-mail messages give the heads-up, often months in advance, to guests the couple plans to invite to their wedding celebration.

“Save the Date” cards require no response from the recipients, nor will they lock guests into a commitment for their presence—that’s what the response cards that will be sent with the invitations are for. They are just meant as a friendly alert as to the couple’s wedding plans and their interest in having guests participate in their special day. Some couples may just choose to send the cards solely to out of town guests while others may send them to the entire guest list.

These special cards can be simple or elaborate, depending on your personal taste, and, of course, budget. What do they look like? A simple calendar of the wedding month with the date circled by a heart on one side of the card, then all of the particulars printed on the “address side” of the card. Another great idea is to take a photo of the engaged couple to the local copy shop—add some easy graphic elements like a border and the type with the wedding day details—and they can produce as many as you need within days. Making the mailing a postcard allows the recipient to put them up on a refrigerator with a magnet or on a bulletin board with a pin—a helpful reminder that doesn’t take up a lot of space.

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