A save the date is the first thing guests see of your wedding. It doesn't need menus, RSVPs or dress codes. It just needs to make people block the date and get a little excited. That makes it the most creative piece of wedding stationery: short, personal and fun to design.
Here are save the date ideas and wording you can borrow, when to send them, what to include and what to leave out. For a side-by-side of what belongs on the save the date versus the formal invitation, see save the date vs wedding invitation. If you want it to move, start with a save the date video.
Do You Need a Save the Date?
Not always. Send one if your wedding is a destination wedding, on a holiday weekend, during peak season, or if many guests will need to travel or book time off. For a small local wedding with a short engagement, you can skip it and send the invitation early instead.
When to Send Save the Dates
- Local wedding: 6 to 8 months before.
- Destination wedding: 8 to 12 months before.
- Holiday weekend: as early as you have a confirmed venue.
- Never before the date and city are final. A changed save the date is worse than none.
Marrying away from home? See our destination wedding save the date wording, which adds the place and travel notes guests need early.
What to Put on a Save the Date
- Your names
- The date
- City and state (or country); the venue is optional
- "Formal invitation to follow"
- Wedding website, if you have one
Leave out the RSVP, registry, dress code and full schedule. Those belong on the invitation.
Save the Date Wording Examples
Classic
- Save the Date
Olivia Bennett & James Ortiz
September 18, 2027 · Napa, California
Invitation to follow - Two hearts, one date.
Please save the date for the wedding of Ana and Luis
June 5, 2027 · Guadalajara, Mexico - We're getting hitched! Mark your calendar.
Sam + Jordan · 10.09.27 · Austin, TX
Details coming soon (and yes, there will be tacos). - Put a ring on your calendar.
Priya & Nate · May 1, 2027 · Chicago
Destination
- Pack your bags!
We're getting married in Tulum.
March 12–14, 2027 · Invitation and travel details to follow. - A winter wedding, written in the stars.
Emma & Theo · December 11, 2027 · Aspen, Colorado - Lucía & Marco
06.05.2027
Mexico City - Together with their families,
Grace Lee and Daniel Park
ask you to save the date
Saturday, October 16, 2027 · Seattle, Washington - Mark your calendars, we're tying the knot.
Hold the date: August 7, 2027 · Lake Tahoe - We said yes! Now we need you to say "I'll be there."
Maria & Chris · 4.24.27 · San Antonio
Wedding weekend
Join us for a wedding weekend in the mountains.
Friday welcome drinks through Sunday brunch
September 10–12, 2027 · Asheville, North Carolina
Formal invitation and hotel details to follow.
Small or intimate wedding
We're keeping it small, and you're one of the people we can't imagine it without.
Save the date: May 22, 2027 · Charleston
Before You Hit Send
- Is the date confirmed in writing with your venue?
- Is the city spelled correctly, with the state or country?
- Are both of your names spelled the way you want them on everything that follows?
- Is every name on the list someone who will definitely receive an invitation?
- If you have a wedding website, does the link work and is the homepage ready for visitors?
Keep a simple spreadsheet of who received a save the date. When invitations go out, you'll know exactly who's expecting one and nobody slips through the cracks.
How to Address Save the Dates
Address each save the date exactly as you'll address the invitation, because it tells guests who's invited. "The Martinez Family" includes kids; "Carlos and Elena Martinez" means adults only; "Jamie Smith and Guest" means a plus-one is welcome. For digital save the dates, put the names in your message: "Save the date for you and Alex!" Getting this right now prevents awkward conversations later about kids and plus-ones.
If Your Date Changes: Change-the-Date Wording
Plans sometimes shift after save the dates are out. Tell guests quickly, by the same channel you used before, and keep the tone calm:
Change of plans! Our wedding has moved to Saturday, October 9, 2027, still in Austin, Texas. Formal invitation to follow. We hope you can still celebrate with us.
If you're postponing without a new date yet: "We've decided to postpone our wedding. We'll share a new date as soon as it's set." With a digital save the date, update the details on the original link as well, so anyone who opens it later sees the correct date.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should save the dates be sent?
Six to eight months before a local wedding and eight to twelve months before a destination wedding or one on a holiday weekend.
What should a save the date say?
Your names, the wedding date, the city and state or country, and "Formal invitation to follow." A wedding website link is optional.
Do you have to send save the dates?
No. They're most useful for destination weddings, holiday weekends and guests who need to travel. For small local weddings, an early invitation can be enough.
Can you send save the dates by text?
Yes. Digital save the dates are common and practical. Send them individually with a personal message rather than in a group chat.
Should save the dates include an RSVP?
No. The RSVP belongs on the formal invitation. A save the date only asks guests to block the date.
Can you send a save the date to someone and not invite them?
You shouldn't. Anyone who gets a save the date expects an invitation, so finalize your guest list first.
Conclusion
A great save the date is short and personal: your names, the date, the city and "invitation to follow." Send it six to eight months ahead, or up to a year for destination weddings, and only to guests you're certain to invite. Then let the formal invitation handle the rest. For more inspiration, see our wedding invitation ideas.
Create it in the TwistInvite app
Download free on iPhone or Android, then share one link with your guests.