save the date ideas

Weddings require a lot of planning and organisation so that everything goes without a glitch. With engagement periods ranging from 6 months to 18 months or even longer than two years, you sure have plenty of time to plan for your dream wedding. Your perfect wedding day will no doubt include all the people special in your life, which is where the inspiration for save the date ideas is needed.

Of course no doubt your close friends and family know the date, and your bridal party probably were the first to know. But the save the date can also be a treasured reminder for years to come for your bridesmaids that last longer than a wedding bouquet.

What are save the date cards?

Save the Date, in simple terms, is a small yet innovative invitation that tells the guests about the upcoming nuptials of when you plan to tie the knot. These are sent before the actual wedding invitations to allow guests to plan their schedules to attend the special occasion. They are a cross between an official announcement that you intend to get married and informing your guests a formal invitation will follow.

With more people choosing themed and destination weddings that last for more than a day, it has become important to send pre-invitations to alert guests. These are not RSVP cards, this is a pre-invite to only alert people of the date to make sure it’s blocked out in their diary. You can send save the date notice to people who may only be invited to the evening reception guest list, the important thing is to reserve their availability.

When to send save the dates

You should ideally send your Save the Date invitation around 6-8 months before the wedding. This will give guests ample time to check their budget, book tickets (unless you are paying for them), and make other arrangements to make sure they see you walk down the aisle. Normally people do this after securing their wedding venue, which usually means the date is locked in.

These pre-wedding stationery invitations are usually small in size with basic information such as the name of the couple, the wedding date, and tentative location. You can also add your pictures or any other useful details like the link to your wedding website if you had one. Make them quirky, sweet, trendy, stylish, funny, or funky. They can align with the wedding theme or not, and you can pick and personalize any style of stationery.

We’ve listed ten memorable Save the Date ideas for you to consider for your wedding. Take a look at them below. Use them as it is, or tweak them based on your taste.

save the date ideas

Save the Date Ideas

Save the date invitations are personal but don’t have to be related to the theme. They could range from simple words to a lovely photo. Some people use the engagement shoot with their wedding photographer to capture this image, but it all depends on how advanced you are in the planning.

We also love save the date ideas that are a representation of the couples shared interests. If you got together over adulation for VW campervans, how perfect would it be to incorporate that?

  1. Personalized Coasters

Who doesn’t use coasters? Every home has a bunch of them lying around on tables, counters, and desks. Coasters are a great way to not just inform the guests about the wedding but also to keeping them reminding of it. Each time they look at the coaster, they’ll think of your fondly. Go for plastic, wood, fibre, or metal coasters. Add your pictures or just the name and date. If you are looking for a music lover save the date idea, see an extension of this concept below.

  1. Bookmarks

Do you have friends and family who love to read books? Are you a book lover? If yes, Save the Date bookmarks would be the right choice for you. Whether you get them printed in bulk or customize using handmade paper and handwritten script, bookmarks are a cute way to remind your guests about the wedding. We don’t have to tell you that booklovers carry their bookmarks with them, do we?

  1. Vinyl-Based Cards

Do we have retro music fans reading the blog? We’ve got something for you as well. Vinyl-shaped Save the Date cards are such a different way to tell your guests about the wedding. Right from the cover to the card, everything appears like a vinyl. The only exception is that it doesn’t play music.

You can even get coasters that look like records and could personalise this with your save the date details instead of artist and song.

personalised coasters

  1. Calendar Cards

These are cute little cards with tags so that they can be hung at a convenient place or even used as bookmarks. Instead of mentioning only the date of the wedding, you share the entire month’s calendar and highlight the date. If you have guests who mark calendars to plan their schedules, they’ll love this one.

    1. Keychains

Personalised keyrings are an all-time hit idea for Save the Date invitations. Why? Well, we can never have too many keychains, can we? People will use it to loop their keys and carry it with them. That means, every time they use the keys, they will think of you and your wedding. You can go for wood-engraved models, plastic dolls (of bride and groom), or even a monument from the wedding location.

  1. Confetti Poppers

We absolutely love this unique wedding save the date idea. What’s a wedding without the mess of scattered confetti? Why not start it in advance by sending Save the Date invitations in the form of confetti poppers. All you need to do is put a personalized sticker on the poppers to remind them of your wedding and the date.

  1. Destination Cards

Are you in need inspiration for save the date ideas for wedding abroad? This is a cool way to tell them about the destination and pique their interest. Make it cheerful, colourful, and happy with a drawing, picture, or a handwritten message. Include trivia about the place at the end. Show them the destination even before they visit the place.

If your wedding is abroad, you could do a “wish you were here” personalised postcard for the location and send it through the post. What a beautiful way to remind your intended wedding party of your special break away together.

santorini postcard

  1. Personalized Matchboxes

Do you want a classy yet quirky way of sending Save the Date invitations? What do you think of personalized matchboxes? These are a bit old school, so if you are planning a traditional wedding, these might fit right in. It doesn’t matter if the guests don’t use them, they will cherish the matchboxes just the same.

  1. PO Telegrams

When was the last time you sent a telegram? What do you think about sending a bunch of them? You don’t have to make them telegrams though technically. Design the cards similar to telegrams and post them away. How wonderful would it be to send and receive one, right? We adore classic themes with modern twists here at My Ideal Wedding.

  1. Fridge Magnets

Map magnets are useful when you are getting married away from your location. Whether it is a destination wedding in another country or whether you picked an isolated and secluded venue nestled in the countryside, you will want your guests to know where exactly the wedding will take place. By customizing magnets to show the region’s map, you can be sure that the guests will have a better idea of the surroundings. Who doesn’t like magnets? They are so useful, aren’t they?

Fridge magnets are one of the best save the date ideas as they will stay visible. You can customise them with pictures of you as a couple or something personal. Or even combine with the telegraph idea above. You can easily buy personalised save the date magnets on Amazon.

Creativity has no boundaries, and you can find countless Save the Date ideas for invitations so that people will remember and look forward to attending the wedding.

For my wedding, we had a chalkboard and wrote the date and had some photo’s taken with our wedding photography as part of a “get to know you” engagement shoot. We then had our favourite added to a magnetic strip. This still adorns our parent’s fridges a decade later so I am glad it was a professional photo. If I was to do it again, I love the record coaster idea.

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