Save the date wording
Save the date wording for a formal, modern, relaxed or destination wedding, with examples. Fill in your details and copy it. Free, with no account.
A save the date does one job: it tells people the date and the place early enough to keep it free. It is a reminder, not an invitation, so it carries no reply. Pick the tone below, add your details, and copy the wording.
Send it to everyone you are certain to invite, and to nobody you are not sure about. Once a save the date is in the post, the person who has it expects an invitation.
Which card?
A reminder of the date, sent months ahead.
Your card
Formal wording. The date and time are spelled out where the country does that.
Please save the date
for the marriage of
[name]
and
[name]
[date]
[city, state]
Formal invitation to follow
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Why this wording
- When the couple host, their names open the card and no parents are named.
- The spelling with a u marks a formal card. Whichever you pick, it is the same on every card in the set.
- Formal US cards write Mr., Mrs. and Ms. with full stops, and spell out Doctor.
- Six to eight months ahead is usual; earlier if guests are travelling far.
- A formal US card spells the date out, with no "and" in the year.
A quick look
- Worth a look4 details are still to fill in.
Your details
Only what this card needs. Everything stays as you type it, accents and hyphens included.
Who is hosting?
Our names open the card.
How to word a save the date
Choose a tone. Formal, modern, relaxed or a little funny. A formal card names you in full; a relaxed one uses your first names.
Add your names and the date. If the date is not fixed yet, tick that box and give a season or a month. The card says the exact date will follow.
Add the place. A city and state is enough. A venue can wait for the invitation.
Say what happens next. "Invitation to follow" is the usual line. A website address is fine if you have one.
Copy it. Copy the wording, copy it as a text message, or download a plain PDF to print at home or take to a printer.
Examples, by situation
These are original examples with invented names. Change the names and the date and they are yours.
Formal
Formal save the dateTraditional
Please save the date
for the marriage of
Alexandra Jane Morgan
and
Samuel David Rivera
Saturday, the twelfth of June
two thousand twenty-seven
Napa, California
Formal invitation to follow
Send it six to eight months ahead, eight to twelve for a destination wedding.
Modern
Modern save the dateModern
Save the date
Leila Haddad and Owen Parry
Saturday, October 2, 2027
Charleston, South Carolina
Invitation to follow
Names, date and place are enough. There is no reply on a save the date.
Relaxed
Relaxed save the dateRelaxed
Save the date
Imani and Gabe are getting married
Saturday, May 29, 2027
Ithaca, New York
More details to follow
Funny
A light save the dateFunny
Save the date
Kit and Dev are getting married
Saturday, August 14, 2027
Madison, Wisconsin
Please keep the day free. There will be cake.
Invitation to follow
A destination wedding
Destination save the dateModern
Save the date
Noor Siddiqui and Ethan Brooks
Saturday, September 4, 2027
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
A weekend in the sun. Travel details and the invitation will follow.
Send a destination save the date eight to twelve months ahead so guests can book flights.
The date is not fixed
Month onlyModern
Save the date
Hana Mori and Luis Ortega
Autumn 2027
San Diego, California
The exact date will follow
Invitation to follow
While the date is still being decided, a month or a season is honest and enough.
What goes on a save the date
Your names, the date, the place, and a line saying an invitation will follow. That is all. A formal card adds "Formal invitation to follow"; a modern one says "Invitation to follow".
Leave off the venue if you have not booked it, the dress, the registry and anything that asks for a reply. If you have a website, one line pointing to it is helpful.
When to send it
Six to eight months before the wedding is usual. For a destination wedding, or a wedding on a holiday weekend, eight to twelve months gives people time to book flights and rooms.
If the date is still being decided, a save the date with only the month or the season is honest and useful, as long as it says the exact date will follow.
Who to send it to
Send it only to people you are sure you will invite. If your guest list is not final, wait. A save the date to a guest, followed by no invitation, is much harder to explain than a late save the date.
Questions people ask
- What should a save the date say?
- Your names, the date, the city and state, and a line such as "Invitation to follow". Nothing needs a reply.
- How far ahead should I send save the dates?
- Six to eight months before the wedding, or eight to twelve months for a destination wedding.
- Do I put the venue on a save the date?
- Only if it is booked. A city and state is enough, and the venue can wait for the invitation.
- Can I send a save the date if the date is not fixed?
- Yes. Give a season or a month, and say that the exact date will follow. The builder above does this when you tick that the date is still being decided.
- Should I include a website on a save the date?
- A short line pointing to your website is helpful. Keep the registry off the card itself.
- Is a text message save the date acceptable?
- Yes, for a relaxed wedding. The builder writes a short text-message version of every card.
Related
- Wedding ChecklistWhen to send each of these, in order.
- Wedding Guest ListWho is invited to what, and the seats on each reply card.
- Thank-you listWho gave what, the wording for each thank-you, and who is left to thank.
- Vows and SpeechesYour vows, and a speech for everyone who is speaking.