Back in the day, when I got married the first time, there were no such things as "save the date" cards. So when the lovely graphic artist who did the invitations and thank-you cards for my second wedding this spring (hey there, Arlene!) asked if we wanted "Save the Date" cards as well, my response was "Huh?"Being a curious sort, I did some research, and discovered that:
- they are to be sent out 6 - 12 months in advance;
- they need not be formal;
- they don't have to be sent to everyone. (But keep track! If you send a save the date card, you MUST follow up with an invitation!);
- you must write "invitation to follow" at the bottom, so those who aren't familiar with them don't mistake it for the real invitation;
- they are optional.
All this makes sense. I can see sending these out to guests who must travel long distances, for guests with very busy schedules, and when you are planning a destination wedding. But ...It seems to me that all this could be accomplished just as well by sending out an email, or making a few phone calls. Once we make yet another Wedding Product, it will soon become a must-have. Then it's one more detail to juggle, there will be etiquette to control its usage, and bingo! Your expense and stress levels just went up another notch.
What about you? Have you heard of them? Will you be using them? Do you see them as a useful convenience, or just one more money grab by the industry?
What's in a name?
Dress of the day: Anastasia by Maggie Sottero
Unusual wedding cakes from Dragons and Daffodils
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Oct 3rd 2007 @ 2:10PM
Florinda said...
We did a save-the-date e-mail for our wedding, and I agree that some sort of save-the-date communication is a good idea for guests who may need to make long-distance travel plans. But I agree that you should only send them to people you are SURE will be on the final invitation list.
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