Everyone’s engagement season varies in length. Some couples book their wedding over a year out, and others choose to tie the knot within a year of their engagement. Both are totally fine! This, however, can cause some confusion and sometimes panic when it comes to sending out Save the Dates and Invitations to guests and what that timeline looks like. We wanted to put all of this in a blog so that our clients and couples can have access to it and hopefully save them some chaos!
Haylie Noelle Photography, VanLandingham Estate, Willow Floral Boutique
Let’s talk save the dates. You want to make sure that you include your and your fiancés names, the date, venue/ city/area, and something along the lines of “invitation to follow.” Some optional choices could also be to add a photo of the two of you, an artistic rendition of your venue (like the one above), your wedding website, or an RSVP option. Save the dates typically should be sent 6-12 months out of your wedding date. If you choose to have a shorter engagement, try to send these out pretty quickly!
Haylie Noelle Photography, VanLandingham Estate, Willow Floral Boutique
Congrats, you are now 8-10 weeks out from your wedding, so it’s time to send your formal invitations to your beloved guests! The typical things to include in your invitations are who is hosting the wedding, a statement that the person receiving this invitation is actually being invited, full names of the couple, date and time of the ceremony, and venue information. That’s really all that you need to put on the invite, the rest can be put on the details card, which we will talk more about below!
Haylie Noelle Photography, VanLandingham Estate, Willow Floral Boutique
The details card is exactly what it sounds like; it’s where your guests can find all the answers to their questions regarding your wedding. The details card should include ceremony and reception location names and addresses (especially if these are happening in different locations), a list of where your room blocks are for accommodations for out of town guests, and where/ how to RSVP and the deadline for doing this. It’s also a good idea to add the dress code if you’re having one, as well as your wedding website so guests can find your registry.
We hope this blog helps in covering the main questions that we get a lot from our clients! Save the Dates and Invitations are the first things people see in regards to your wedding, so keep this in mind when designing and wording them!