When planning a wedding, whether it be your own or somebody else's, Save the Date cards are often not a priority. After all, there's the venue, the wedding party attire and decorations to organise, so it's only natural that Save the Date cards slip your mind.
But that shouldn't be the case! Save the Date cards require more time and energy in advance and, in fact, traditionally have as much etiquette and rules to follow as the ceremony and reception themselves! Here's a list of the rules you need to follow if you want traditional Save the Dates sent out to all your prospective guests.
Save the Date Card Style
When it comes to the overall style of your RSVP cards, there isn't strict etiquette as such. However, it's always a good rule of thumb to have the Save the Dates match your overall theme or aesthetic. For instance, if you're planning a laidback, rustic wedding that's taking place in a renovated barn, it makes little sense to have flashy, kitschy cards that set false expectations for your guests.
We aren't talking a complete match, but some semblance to your vision of the big day is a very good idea indeed. This allows guests to get a glimpse into what they should expect to find when they arrive.
Card Wording
When it comes to the wording of traditional Save the Date wedding cards, there are some rules to follow. For instance, the invitations should be written in the formal third person with just the essential information. This is usually something along the lines of the following:
Save the Date for the wedding of [a] and [b], [date], [location].
It is generally a good idea to follow this up with a brief notification that a formal invitation will follow. Of course, you can customise the Save the Date as you like, including making it more informal or expanding the information as you see fit - these are just the bare bones of what is needed.
Images
Usually, Save the Dates do not contain any images, exact for maybe a basic banner or decorative image. This is because they just serve the purpose of delivering essential information; you can express your creative flair and use images on the actual invitations themselves.
If you absolutely must have an image on your Save the Dates, make sure they're of extremely high quality and do not clash with the text in any way - the main purpose of the Save the Date is to convey information, so nothing should hinder that.
Envelopes
When it comes to sending your Save the Dates you, of course, need to send them in an envelope - they aren't postcards, after all! Sending your Save the Dates in envelopes is also handy as it gives you the chance to specify who exactly is invited to your reception and ceremony. Don't give presumptuous guests the chance to add on unwanted +1s or even +2s!
The etiquette of writing on the envelopes is simple: address every person by their full name and, if applicable, by their title too. Be clear who you are addressing it to - if you must, have a separate Save the Date for each person, even members of the same family.
