Save the Date cards are a great way to let your guests know where and when your wedding will be taking place and allow them to arrange their schedules with plenty of time to make sure they will be able to attend your ceremony. The wording of these helpful cards can be as formal or casual as you feel appropriate. Many couples choose to follow their chosen theme, while others prefer to keep these cards simple and save the color and theme ideas for the invitation that will follow.

Information to Include

The use of a Save the Date card is not a replacement for your wedding invitation. While you want to include the basic information, such as the names of the bride and groom, the date of the ceremony and the location if it has been decided, skip the reception details or lengthy information regarding your pending plans. List a wedding website if you have one available, but the main purpose of these cards is to allow people to plan their schedules to attend your ceremony. Do let everyone know that an invitation will follow at a later date. The only steadfast rule is everyone who receives a Save the Date card must also receive a wedding invitation. Make sure your guest list is complete and your budget is solid before you mail out your Save the Date cards.

Theme Designs

If your plans are moving along and you have chosen your theme, it can be fun to include your choices on your Save the Date cards. By planning for all your stationary needs at one time, you will save yourself both time and money. By using the same style of paper, wording, and graphic art images, all of your wedding stationary needs will match and follow your chosen bridal pattern.

Formal Wording

As a matter of personal preference, some couples select a formal presentation for all their wedding stationary. This is not required, but it is perfectly acceptable. The key to formal wording is spelling out all dates and using full names to keep the formality in the fore.

Please save the date

For the upcoming marriage ceremony of
Jane Elizabeth Doe and John Andrew Smith
Saturday, January Tenth, Two Thousand and Nine
At the Honolulu Plaza
Honolulu, Hawaii

Invitation will follow.

Casual Wording

Because a Save the Date card is really a preliminary announcement to allow guests to plan for your wedding, a more casual wording format is a fun way to keep everyone informed without the all the elevated language and formality.

Come join the fun and celebration on the day
when John and Jane will join their lives in marriage
on January 10th, 2009
in Honolulu, Hawaii

Please save the date and check out
our plans on our wedding website
JohnandJane.com

Invitation and details will follow.

Here is another example of a casual style:

John Smith and Jane Dow will be getting married
On January 10th, 2009
In Honolulu, Hawaii.

Please save the date and join us.

Save the Date cards are a thoughtful way to let your guests begin arranging their lives to attend your wedding. These cards are especially helpful if you will be planning a destination wedding or planning a ceremony during a busy holiday season. There are few rules for these cards, so plan on having some fun announcing the location and date for your big day. Once you have conveyed the basic information, the rest of the details are up to you.