5 Things to Remember When Choosing Your Save the Dates

Newly engaged couples have only so long to revel in their happiness before they're inundated with an array of wedding planning decisions. Who should they invite? Where should they go? What type of ceremony do they want to have? Should they have a theme? Luckily, a lot of these decisions are really fun, including choosing the save-the​-date cards. If you're about to choose your save the dates, take a look at these five things to keep in mind:

1. Order Early, Send Early
Most wedding planners recommend couples send save the dates to their guests, since the cards give friends and family members a little more time to make plans and save money if necessary. For that reason, save the dates should be sent pretty early – the general rule of thumb is to send them about six months before the wedding day. Keep in mind that if you're planning on having a destination wedding or inviting several guests from out of the state or country, you may want to send your cards between six and eight months beforehand. That said, start choosing your save the dates plenty early so you have enough time to order them and get them in the mail.

2. Nail Down Your Guest List First
Before choosing your save the dates, your guest list should be almost completely finalized. There are two reasons for this: First, only guests who are going to be invited to the wedding should receive save the dates. If you send one to someone who you realize you don't have room for or don't wish to invite, it's considered bad manners. Second, finalizing your guest list will give you an idea of how many to order. Send one save the date per household (not one per individual guest).

3. Consider Using Magnets
Save-the​-date magnets have become a very popular way to give wedding guests a heads-up. Not only are they fun and interesting, but they also allow friends and family members to stick them on their fridges, where they'll be in plain sight. 

4. Have Fun With the Design
Whereas wedding invitations are typically more representative of the formality and theme of a wedding, save the dates are a chance for couples to have a little fun. Don't worry too much about being formal, but instead use the opportunity to be creative. Make use of your favorite engagement photos or write a funny poem, for instance. Play up your personalities a little – your friends and family members will love seeing the obvious joy you're feeling from taking this step with your new fiance.

5. Don't Forget the Basics
Save-the​-date cards don't need to be nearly as detailed as wedding invitations, but there are a few basic pieces of information you should include. Make sure your cards say your name and the name of your soon-to-be spouse. The wedding's date and the city, state and country of the wedding are also necessary to include. eInvite.com suggests including a line that says "Invitation to follow," to make sure no guests are confused by the non-specific information.