When to Send Save-the-Dates (Timeline by Wedding Type)

Q: How far in advance should you send save-the-dates?

For a local wedding, mail save-the-dates about six to eight months before the date. For a destination wedding, a holiday weekend, or any date that requires guests to take time off and book travel, send them eight to twelve months out. The goal is to give people enough runway to request the day off work and lock in flights and a room before prices climb.

Q: Do save-the-dates replace the wedding invitation?

No. A save-the-date is an announcement that asks guests to hold the day; the formal invitation, sent about six to eight weeks before the wedding, is the actual request to attend and carries all the details and the RSVP. Everyone who receives a save-the-date must also receive an invitation, so think of them as the first and second touchpoints of the same guest list.

Q: Who should receive a save-the-date?

Only people you are certain you will invite. A save-the-date is effectively a promise of an invitation, so it cannot be taken back. Send them to your non-negotiable guests and anyone who needs extra lead time to travel, but wait on anyone who is on a tentative B-list until you have a final headcount, because they will all get the formal invitation later.

Q: Is it ever too early to send save-the-dates?

Sending more than a year out can backfire because guests file it away and forget, and you may still change venues or refine the guest list. The sweet spot is six to eight months for a local wedding and eight to twelve for a destination or peak-season date. If you are engaged very early, it is fine to wait until you hit that window rather than mailing eighteen months ahead.

Q: What needs to be on a save-the-date?

Keep it minimal: the couple's names, the wedding date (or at minimum the month and the words 'save the date'), the city or region, and the line 'Invitation to follow.' Adding your wedding website is smart so guests can find travel and lodging information early. Hold the venue address, ceremony time, dress code and RSVP for the formal invitation.

By Mustafa Bilgic · Last updated 20 June 2026

Save-the-dates exist for one reason: to claim a day on your guests' calendars before anything else does. Send them at the right moment and your people will actually be free to come. Here is exactly when to mail them, broken down by the kind of wedding you're throwing.

The short answer: Mail save-the-dates about 6–8 months before a local wedding, and 8–12 months ahead for a destination wedding, a holiday weekend, or a peak-season date that forces guests to take time off and book travel. The formal invitation comes much later — roughly 6–8 weeks before the day — and carries the real details and the RSVP. Only send save-the-dates to people you are certain you'll invite.

The timing, by wedding type

The right lead time isn't a single number — it scales with how much your guests have to do to get there. A neighbor driving across town needs far less notice than an aunt flying to another country. Use this table to set both your save-the-date and your invitation dates from the same starting point: your wedding day.

Wedding type	Send save-the-date	Send invitation
Local / hometown wedding (most guests live nearby)	6–8 months before	6–8 weeks before
Wedding with many out-of-town guests	7–9 months before	8 weeks before
Destination wedding (guests must fly & book lodging)	8–12 months before	2–3 months before
Holiday-weekend or peak-season date (e.g. long weekend, summer Saturday)	8–12 months before	8 weeks before
Short-engagement wedding (under 6 months out)	Skip — send invitations early instead	As soon as details are set

If your timeline is tight — you're getting married in under six months — don't bother with save-the-dates at all. Just send the invitations a bit earlier than usual and let them do both jobs. For a fuller schedule of every milestone, see our wedding invitation timeline.

The two-touch rule

Think of save-the-dates and invitations as one message split in two. The save-the-date says "hold this day, details are coming." The invitation says "here is everything — please reply." Because a save-the-date is essentially a promise, everyone who gets one must get an invitation too. That's why you only send them to confirmed guests.

Why destination and holiday dates need more notice

The reason isn't etiquette — it's logistics and money. A guest traveling to your wedding has to request time off, find flights, and book a hotel, and all three get harder and pricier the longer they wait. Give a destination crowd eight to twelve months and you'll see a noticeably higher acceptance rate, because people can plan it as the trip it really is.

Holiday weekends and prime summer Saturdays compete for the same calendar slots as other weddings, family reunions and vacations. Claiming that date early is the whole point of a save-the-date. If your wedding falls on or near a long weekend, treat it like a destination event for timing purposes even if it's close to home. For the travel-and-lodging side of things, our destination wedding invitations guide covers the extra cards and information guests will want.

What to put on a save-the-date

Less is more. A save-the-date is a heads-up, not the invitation, so it should fit on a postcard and still leave the real details for later. Include:

The couple's names — so it's instantly clear whose wedding it is.
The date — the full date if it's set, or at minimum the month and the words "Save the Date."
The city or region — enough for guests to gauge travel, e.g. "Charleston, South Carolina."
"Invitation to follow" — one short line that manages expectations so no one waits by the mailbox for an RSVP.
Your wedding website (optional but smart) — so travel-minded guests can start researching hotels and flights early.

Deliberately leave out the ceremony time, the venue street address, dress code and RSVP. Those belong on the formal invitation, where guests expect to find them. Putting them on the save-the-date only risks them changing before the big mailing.

Lock the guest list before you mail

Once a save-the-date is in the mail, that person is invited — full stop. So finalize your list first, including any plus-ones and children you intend to include, before printing a single card. If someone is on a tentative B-list, wait: they'll still get the formal invitation once you have a confirmed headcount, and you avoid the awkwardness of a "promise" you can't keep.

Design your invitation while you're at it

Save-the-date out the door? Get a head start on the main event. Build a matching invitation in our free editor, change the words, fonts and colours to suit your day, and download a print-ready PNG — no sign-up.

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Frequently asked questions

How far in advance should you send save-the-dates?

About six to eight months before a local wedding, and eight to twelve months for a destination wedding, holiday weekend, or peak-season date that requires travel and time off. The point is to give guests enough runway to request the day and book flights and a room before prices rise.

Do save-the-dates replace the wedding invitation?

No. A save-the-date asks guests to hold the day; the formal invitation, sent about six to eight weeks before the wedding, is the actual request to attend with all the details and the RSVP. Everyone who gets a save-the-date must also get an invitation.

Who should receive a save-the-date?

Only people you are certain you'll invite, because a save-the-date is a promise you can't take back. Send them to your must-have guests and anyone who needs lead time to travel; hold off on a tentative B-list until you have a final headcount.

Is it ever too early to send save-the-dates?

Yes. More than a year out and guests tend to forget, plus you might still change venues or your list. Six to eight months is ideal for local weddings and eight to twelve for destinations. If you're engaged very early, simply wait until you reach that window.

What needs to be on a save-the-date?

Keep it minimal: the couple's names, the date (or month plus "save the date"), the city or region, and "Invitation to follow." Adding your wedding website helps guests research travel early. Save the venue address, ceremony time, dress code and RSVP for the formal invitation.