Everything You Need To Know About Digital Save The Dates

When it comes to planning your wedding, have you already started wondering how to streamline your guest communication? Do you need to work within a tight wedding budget? Or are you keen to take the hassle out of printing and posting? Well, sending out digital save-the-dates might just be your answer. In fact, you could go completely paper-free for your whole wedding stationery suite if you wanted, saving time, money, and a few trees in the process. What's not to love?!

But before you make a decision, it's important to know both sides of the save-the-date story. Are save the dates actually necessary? When's the best time to send them? And how do you actually go about sending them? Ahead, we break it down.

What are digital save the dates?

In a nutshell, a save-the-date card serves as a way to inform your guests of your impending wedding and asks them to mark the day on their calendars. They provide the most basic information about your big day, which typically includes the date and location only.

Save the dates were traditionally sent out as paper cards through the post, but a savvy and simplified alternative is to send them digitally via email or text.

Are save the dates essential?

While not absolutely essential, online save the dates can be very handy for weddings taking place at certain (busy!) times of the year. So, if you're planning your celebration during the peak summer wedding season, the sooner you can let your guests know your date, the better! The same is true if you're getting married around other busy public holidays and significant times of the year, such as Easter and Christmas holidays, when family members or friends may be getting organised super early and planning holidays. Consider whether your guests will need to arrange time off from work or forward plan childcare/pet care; occasionally, they may need to do so months in advance.

In short, sending save the dates means higher guest attendance.

Why go digital with your save the dates?

They'll save you time: Going digital means there's no need to worry about collating everyone's postal address, handwriting a load of envelopes, and trekking to the post office; digital save the dates can be created and sent online in just a few clicks.

You'll save money: Unlike traditional paper cards, you don't need to budget for printing and postage. You can create beautifully designed save the dates online for a fraction of the cost.

They're more eco-friendly: Digital save the dates are much friendlier on the environment, helping you towards a greener wedding.

They're trackable: With Say I do, you can track your digital save the dates. There's no need to stress about whether your cards have been lost in the mail; you'll have peace of mind knowing that they have reached their intended recipient.

How to send digital save the dates?

Okay, so what's the best way to design and send electronic save the dates for your wedding? Well, you can create and send save the dates digitally with Say I do. Simply choose from our range of gorgeous templates, customise the design to suit your taste, and update the wording accordingly. Once complete, you can send your save the dates out to your entire guest list at the click of a button. It really couldn't be easier!

What do you include on your save the dates?

While many think they'd never forget the essential details, it doesn't hurt to have a reminder and remove the embarrassment of sending a correction. So here's a breakdown of everything your save the date should include...

Wedding date: The whole point of a save-the-date is to inform folks about your upcoming wedding so they can put that day or weekend in their calendars. This is particularly important if you're hosting a destination wedding where guests may need to take several days off.

The location: Whether you want to exchange vows on a beach in Thailand or in your hometown, it's crucial to let your guests know where they will need to travel to.

Your names: This may seem obvious, but in addition to letting your email recipients know who is sending the save the date, keep in mind that some guests may not be familiar with you or your fiancé or your happy news, so this may be the first time they hear about it.

Wedding websites: Your electronic save the date is the perfect place to share your wedding website URL. Your guests will really enjoy looking through your photos and reading your love story, but they will also benefit from having access to extra information such as accommodation options, travel suggestions, registry links, the dress code, and other specifics to help them get ready for the big day as soon as possible.

Formal invitation to follow: Save the dates confuse some people as they're not sure if it's the official invitation. Clear any confusion by making a note that a formal invitation will be sent at a later date.

Digital save-the-date etiquette

On first thought, you may think save the dates etiquette is a piece of cake; however, this is probably your first rodeo, so just take a breath before you press the 'send to all' button!

Alert certain guests to check their email: Some not-so-tech-savvy family members and friends may consider e-mailing an afterthought, which is why you may need to give some of them a heads-up that you'll be sending an important email (you know who these people are)!

Select a design that reflects your wedding theme and the level of formality you're going for: Whether you're having black tie nuptials in a church, a bare-foot beach ceremony, or anything in between, choose a design that reflects the ambience you're hoping to create on your big day. This is the perfect opportunity to set the tone and build excitement for the celebrations ahead!

Address and save the dates to exactly who you want to come: This is the time to squash any awkwardness down the line when it comes to plus ones. By addressing your save the dates to the intended recipient and stating if the guest has a plus one or not, you will make it crystal clear if a plus one is invited or not.

Proofread: Check your save the dates a few times and have at least two other people review it to ensure you didn't misspell anything or provide incorrect information.

Don't include registry information: While gifts are obviously an amazing perk of getting hitched, couples don't want to seem overeager about it, which is why it's smart to leave registry information off the save-the-date. However, it's perfectly acceptable to include registry details on your website and official wedding invitations, which will be sent a little later down the line.

When should you send out your save the dates?

Send out your save the dates as soon as it's practical to get the most out of them. Once you have confirmed your wedding date and location, you are pretty much good to go. Six to twelve months prior to your wedding day is the most common time frame for sending save-the-date cards. However, if you're hosting a destination wedding, it's advisable to send them out nine to twelve months in advance to give everyone as much time to get organised as possible.