WEDDING PLANNING
When to Send Save the Dates — Timing, Etiquette & What to Include
By Gilded Invite Team · August 2026 · 5 min read
A save the date does one job beautifully: it protects your wedding day in your guests' calendars before anything else can claim it. Send it too late and you are competing with holidays, other weddings and half-booked flights. Send it well and your guest list is effectively locked in months before the invitation arrives.
The Timing Rules
- Local wedding: send 6 to 8 months before the day.
- Destination wedding: send 9 to 12 months before, so guests can plan flights and leave.
- Peak season (June to September) or a holiday weekend: add two months to whichever applies.
- Short engagement under 6 months: skip the save the date and send the full invitation instead.
The formal invitation then follows roughly 8 to 10 weeks before the wedding, with RSVPs closing 3 to 4 weeks out so you can confirm final numbers with your venue.
If a guest needs to book a flight or take time off work, they need your date at least nine months in advance. Everything else is a courtesy.
What to Include — and What to Leave Out
Include
- Both of your names
- The date (and the city or region)
- The words 'Save the Date' and 'Formal invitation to follow'
- A wedding website link if you already have one
Leave out
- Ceremony times and venue addresses — these belong on the invitation
- RSVP requests — it is far too early
- Dress code, registry details or gift wording
Who Gets One
Anyone who receives a save the date must receive an invitation. There is no polite way back from that, so only send to guests you are certain about. Build your A-list first, keep a separate B-list for later invitations, and remember to include plus-ones and children by name if they are invited.
Why Digital Save the Dates Win on Timing
A printed save the date takes weeks to design, proof, print and post — and international post makes destination weddings genuinely stressful. A digital save the date is delivered as a single link you can send by WhatsApp, email or text, and it arrives everywhere in the world at the same moment. We compare both formats in detail in our digital vs paper wedding invitations guide.
- No print or postage costs, no addresses to collect
- Animated reveals guests actually enjoy opening and sharing
- Add to calendar in one tap, so the date never gets lost
- Details can be updated later without reprinting anything
Our Five Save the Date Designs
Gilded Invite offers five animated save the dates from €60 — Dusk, Bloom and Ember open as a wax-sealed envelope, while Frost and Eden invite guests to scratch away a surface to reveal your date. Each is built to match one of our nine invitation designs, so your stationery feels like one considered collection from first announcement to final RSVP.
Choose a design, send us your names and date, and your save the date is delivered within three days as a private link ready to share.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far in advance should you send save the dates?
Six to eight months before a local wedding, and nine to twelve months before a destination wedding. Add two months for peak season or a holiday weekend.
What should a save the date include?
Both names, the date, the city or region, the words “Save the Date” and “Formal invitation to follow”, and a wedding website link if you have one.
Do you have to invite everyone who gets a save the date?
Yes — a save the date is a promise. Anyone who receives one must also receive a formal invitation, so only send to guests you are certain about.
Are digital save the dates acceptable?
Absolutely. A digital save the date arrives instantly anywhere in the world, costs nothing to post, and can be updated later without reprinting a thing.
Send a Save the Date They Will Remember
Five animated save the date designs from €60. Delivered in 3 days.
