Save the Date Cards and Announcements
Save the date announcements come in all shapes and sizes these days, but the purpose remains the same – letting your friends and family know about the date of your wedding far enough in advance to make sure they can plan to attend. The wedding invitations are typically sent out six to eight weeks before the wedding, but by then, many of your guests may already have other plans. This also may not give guests enough time to secure plane tickets and hotel reservations. Sending out a card or magnet to announce your wedding date is the perfect way to ensure your guests are aware of the time and place of your wedding far enough in advance to make they plans they need to make ahead of time.
Save the date announcements are NOT wedding invitations, but rather a pre-invitation that simply lets your guests know to hold those dates open and not to make any other plans. As a general rule, however, do not send out a save the date card to anyone you aren’t planning to actually invite to the wedding. Anyone receiving one of these cards or magnets will surely be expecting a wedding invitation to follow in a few months. Sending out a save the date magnet or card is also one way to inform your guests of important information about hotel reservations, flight information, as well as the address of your wedding website.
When you send out save the date announcements, this is also your chance to show the fun and whimsical side of your relationship. Unlike wedding invitations, save the date cards are not held to the same strict guidelines and rules of etiquette. Since the tradition of sending out announcements for guests to ‘save the date’ is a relatively new tradition, the rules are simple. Almost anything goes! The only no-no’s when it comes to sending out a save the date is never to list your wedding registry, as this can be considered greedy. If you would like for guests to know where you are registered, that information is better off listed on your website or on shower invitations.
Information that is totally acceptable on your save the date announcement is: hotel reservations information, directions, location of the wedding and reception, special instructions, the story of how you met or got engaged, wedding website, and of course, the date and time of the wedding. Many couples also choose to include a picture of the two of them on their chosen announcement. Pictures can be put on a card or a magnet quite vintage inns
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Don’t feel that you have to limit your choices to only magnets or cards. While there are hundreds of great designs out there for magnets and cards, this is also your chance to be creative. Postcards don’t require envelopes and can be a lot cheaper to send. Pens can be a fun and useful gift that your friends and family will continue to use for months, maybe even years to come. There are many companies that can customize writing pens with your photo and the date and location of your wedding, along with even a fun quote or song lyrics that are meaningful to you. Destination weddings can be announced in a fun way by printing out announcements that look like plane tickets or passports. Concert tickets with your name and date instead of a rock star can also be a fun and fresh way to let guests know of your wedding plans.
Remember that your save the date announcements will be the first impression guests get of your wedding plans. Give them clues through your designs about the type or tone of your wedding. Elegant announcements in black and white can set the tone for an elegant evening wedding. A beautiful sunny wedding on the beach would look great with a beach ball design or even a sea shell with your date and names inscribed inside. Be fun and creative and your guests will appreciate your personality.
No matter if you choose to send a magnet or a card or a postcard or even a bottle of wine as your save the date announcement, make sure to send them out at least four to five months in advance. This will give your guests the time they need to make arrangements. THe most important thing is to have fun with your future spouse in designing the perfect save the date card to announce the happy event of your shell flaring
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