Save-the-date cards are designed to let friends and family know that you have decided on the date of your wedding and that they should keep it aside if they plan to attend. This gives them time to plan without you having to commit to anything more than a date (and the city or town in which your celebrations will take place). These have not always been a major part of the wedding planning process, but have become increasingly necessary as peoples’ lives become more and more busy.

Save-the-date wedding cards are especially necessary if:

• You are planning to have your wedding out of town or out of the country
• You are inviting many people that do not live in your home town (in which case they will need to organise transport, accommodation, leave from work, and so on)
• You are having wedding celebrations that last for more than one day
• You are getting married in a popular tourist hotspot

Your save-the-date wedding card will need to include:

• Your name and that of your future spouse
• The date of your wedding ceremony and reception
• The city or country in which you will be celebrating your union
• The venue of the wedding (if booked)

It is also important to include that the save-the-date card acts as a formal invitation, although that will follow in due time. This is important to avoid guests feeling that they are not sure of what is going on and who is actually invited. Your card needs to make them positive that they are, indeed, on the finalised guest list, but that the save-the-date card is not the actual invitation.

If you are expecting many guests that are not from the town in which you will be celebrating your big day, include the following information on your save-the-date card so that they are able to plan ahead:

• Nearby airports (local and / or international)
• A list of emergency numbers
• Taxi contact details (especially for airport and hotel transfers)
• A range of reputable hotels and guesthouses (taking into account budget constraints as well as guests with children, if applicable)
• Car hire services
• A contact person in case they are lost or unsure of something (this could be a groomsman, bridesmaid, friend or relative)

Your save-the-date card is your first opportunity to set the scene for your wedding. Use the colours that you plan to have on your day as well as the theme (whether formal, informal, garden brunch or beach wedding). However, they are also less formal than your actual invitation and the rest of the wedding paraphernalia, so you have the opportunity to be a little more creative and fun, if you wish. Include a photograph of you and your fiancé, or design and send this card as a postcard. More environmentally-friendly options include sending this item out in electronic format.

It is vital that everyone that receives a save-the-date card receives a formal invitation to your wedding later on, so be careful to keep a list of these ones and ensure that they are invited. Try to send the save-the-date card less than a year before the wedding, so that invitees are more likely to remember the date. If your wedding will be held in the same country as most of your guests, send your save-the-dates out about five months in advance. Allow approximately nine months for weddings that will be held at another destination. It is also important to state at this time whether or not children will be invited to your wedding. If not, the adults with kids will need to make preparations long in advance.

Save-the-date cards are simply another means of maintaining clear communication lines so that your wedding day is as organised and stress-free as possible. Use this opportunity to put your mind and that of your guests’ at peace.

Photo Courtesy of Etsy

This article was posted by Celebration.com.au - Australia Wedding Guide.