Are "save the dates" necessary?

Question

I'm getting married next May. A friend asked if I was sending out save-the-dates because May is a really busy time of year for weddings and other things. Is it recommended that I send out Save-the-Date notices? And how far in advance should they be sent out?

And what else is there besides fridge magnets?

Answer 1

they are not necessary i think that invitations only is just fine.

Answer 2

Save the dates are necessary only when inviting a large number of out of town guests.

May is no busier than any other month of the year...many women get caught up in wedding hype and feel they need to purchase everything ever created for a wedding.  Many times these "extras" are not necessary.

Unless you do indeed have many, many out of town guests I wouldn't bother with save the dates.

Also, I DETEST the magnets.  They wind up in the trash in my house.

Answer 3

If you are concerned about your guests making other plans before your invitations are mailed, then yes, send a "save the date" card.  It's not just for the benefit of out of town guests, though they are the ones who get the most from them.

Simply put, are STD cards necessary?  NO.  Are they helpful?  YES.  To send or not to send is up to you, but trust me, they don't have to be expensive or over the top.  Go to Walmart, get a package of Avery post cards in the section by the stationary & blank labels, print 'em at home & drop 'em in the mail.   They need not be elaborate.  They only need to say "SAVE THE DATE!   JANE & JOHN are getting married on May 23, 2009.  Mark your calendar and join us for the celebration.  More details to follow."  

Congratulations!!!

Answer 4

I am getting married in March 09 and i am only sending save the dates to family that live out of state that would have to fly in, mainly so they remember to buy tickets and all that before they get expensive!

but my local family im not sending any.

Answer 5

I don't think they're necessary.  I had a smaller wedding, but I just told my out of town family the date as soon as I set it so they could make travel arrangements (phone call or e-mail, not a formal card).  I sent my invitations a little early, about 8 weeks out instead of the standard 6 and considered that good enough.  The people you're really close to and probably care the most about them attending already know the date so I wouldn't waste money on something like this.  Unless they're traveling from out of state, I don't think many people need to know social engagements 4 months ahead of time.

Answer 6

i got married on Memorial Day weekend and did not send "save the dates" out. when we got engaged and set a date we told everyone to save the date then. if you don't see a lot of your guests it is a good idea to send them out because the actual invites don't go out till about a month or 2 before the wedding. other than fridge magnets I've seen business cards and also a picture of the engaged couple (like Christmas cards) with the info printed on it. this can be done at places like walmart for cheap.

Answer 7

Absolutely.  In this very time crunched society, you need to select and provide commitment dates as early as possible.  I would recommend at least 2 months so everyone can plan around this very important day.

I do have a website: http://www.MarryCaribbean.com if you need further information on how to plan your wedding.  I can answer all details and help you with this.

Answer 8

They aren't necessary but they can be good if you are having a destination wedding, a wedding on a holiday or a lot of out of town/state guests.

If you decide to send them out I'd say send them at least six months in advance (maybe earlier if the wedding involves extensive traveling)

You don't have to do magnets. A friend of mine made up post cards herself (she is very into crafts & DIY) and they came out great!

Answer 9

i think "save the dates" are only necessary if ...

1) a lot of guests will be travelling far to get to the wedding

2) it's "wedding season" and a lot of people are getting married

send them out 12 - 6 months before and send out invites 2-3 months before  

Answer 10

Nah don't worry about them, it's really a waste of money that could be spent somewhere else.  Try going to www.theknot.com and create a wedding webpage (it's all free don't worry. lol).  You can send out save the dates this way plus you get to keep people informed as to your plans, if things change etc.  It's a great site and a great tool for wedding planning.  

Congratulations!!!

Answer 11

I'm sending them to the out of town guests, or rather the guests that aren't as close to me meaning I don't speak to every other week or so.

Answer 12

Save the dates are beneficial to your guests traveling in from far away. I would suggest however you inform all those you REALLY want to attend (either by save the dates, e-mails, wedding webpage, phone calls, etc) as soon as you have set a date.  

Keep in mind that invitations should go out 6-8 weeks before the wedding - so 'Save the Dates' are useless unless you have sent them out 6 months ahead of time.  

Good Luck!

Answer 13

They are really not necessary, although if you feel more comfortable sending them out, only do so for those out of town.  For those guests that are in-town and invited to your bridal shower, put a footnote or a business card sized card inside so that they too will know!

Answer 14

There a waste of time.Invitations are good enough

Answer 15

Not really necessary...it's a formality. You can send an Evite via email and save the money!! Also, Shutterfly has really nice Save-the-Date's with a picture of the 2 of you! They say that 6 months before the wedding you send out the save-the-date's if the wedding is faraway or close/over a holiday...if not, 4 months before is good! And, no you don't have to send anything if you don't want to! Good luck!

Answer 16

They're nice if you have some out of town guests that are really special to you and would appreciate a save the date note or magnet. Someone like a grandmother or a best friend, or other family member. Other then that I think invitations alone are enough.

For lots of people in this high tech world it's not hard to find out on the internet what is going on. many couples today make wedding websites that contain all their wedding information for guests to access. Lots of people have facebook ( sad to say that is how I stay in touch with my mom)  

You're probably going to be in touch with many of your friends between now and the wedding and I'm sure you'll be talking wedding things with most of them so they shouldn't have any trouble remembering.

What you can do is include a little note in a Christmas card ( if you send those out) I've only seen magnets and notes in Christmas cards.

I really don't think you will need to if you send out your invitations with enough advance notice, and if you're in touch with many of your guests this shouldn't be a problem.