Wedding invitations and save the date. These are the essential pieces of your wedding stationery suite that you will need BEFORE your big day. You’ll need plenty of other items actually on the day, but more on that later.
Your save the date cards and wedding invitations are your first opportunities to set the tone for the celebrations to come. Save the date cards are your very first official wedding announcement. Wedding and evening invitations follow with all the important details.
Here are 9 common mistakes that couples make with their wedding invitations and save the date, and my pro-tips on how to avoid them.
1. Sending save the date cards too late
The norm in the UK is to send save the dates around 12 to 18 months before your wedding. But, you can send them up to two years in advance if you want to. As soon as you’ve booked the date & venue you’re good to go. If you get to 12 months before the wedding and you haven’t sent them, you can just skip them and send your invitations a little earlier. Allow around 2 to 4 weeks to order and receive your save the dates, address, and post them.
2. Sending save the date to evening guests
Save the date cards need to go to those nearest and dearest who you don’t want to be without on your wedding day. You should send them to everyone you would like with you for your ceremony and reception. The intention is for them to get the date in their diary, to book off any time from work, and to arrange travel and accommodation if they need to. Do they go to evening guests? They can, but make it absolutely clear on the card that it is a ‘save the evening’ only.
3. Sending wedding invitations too early or too late
Wedding and evening invitations, in the UK, are usually sent between 4 and 8 months in advance of the wedding. But, you can go earlier if you wish. For example, you might want to skip sending save the date cards and just send your invitations a little earlier. Don’t leave it too late to send your invitations, remember you need to allow plenty of time to receive replies from your guests, collate all the information, and confirm numbers for your venue and caterers. Be sure to allow a month to six weeks for designing, ordering, printing your wedding invitations.
4. Sending wedding and evening invitations to the wrong people
Wedding invitations need to go to those guests that you would like to join you for the whole day. That’s the ceremony, the reception afterwards, and any evening celebration. These guests do not need a separate evening invitation. You will only need evening invitations for any additional guests that you would like to join you for the evening party only. You can send these out a little bit later than your day invitations if you wish.
5. Forgetting the envelopes, or not getting enough
When you order your save the date and wedding invitations, make sure the price you are quoted includes envelopes. Also, err on the side of caution and get a few extras in case you make a mistake when you’re addressing them. All my save the date, wedding invitations, and evening invitations have high quality envelopes included in the price, and I always include around 10% extra for spares.
6. Ordering too many save the date and wedding invitations
Never forget the golden rule for save the date and wedding invitations. You need one per couple, family, or household. Not one per guest. For a super quick calculation, the number of invitations will usually be about 60% of your total guest list.
7. Ordering too few save the date and wedding invitations
Always include a few spare save the date and wedding invitations for unexpected additions to the guest list, mistakes, and of course a keepsake for your memory box. Ask your photographer to capture your invitations and other parts of your stationery in some detail shots on the day too, they will be a great addition to your album.
8. Not including all the extra details
Whether that’s as part of your invitation with additional info cards, or on a wedding website. Make sure your guests have all the info they need to arrive for your celebrations at the right time, in the right place, dressed appropriately, and having given you any information you need in advance (menu choices, dietary requirements etc.)
9. Not checking proofs for save the date and wedding invitations
When you order your save the date and wedding invitations always be super careful about checking your proofs. It can be easy to miss typos in dates, times, and venues. It’s a good idea to have someone else, with a fresh pair of eyes, have a look over them for you too before you approve anything for printing.
Don’t make these common mistakes with your save the date and wedding invitations
So that’s it, the nine most common mistakes I find couples make when they order their save the date and wedding invitations. All easily avoided, with the help of my pro tips. In summary, here’s your quick reminder:
The 9 most common mistakes couples make with their save the dates and wedding invitations
- Don’t send save the dates too early or too late
- Don’t send invitations too early or too late
- Don’t send save the dates to evening guests (unless you make it clear it’s a save the evening)
- You don’t need evening invitations for your ‘all day’ wedding guests
- Don’t forget the envelopes (for both save the date and wedding invitations)
- Don’t over order save the date and wedding invitations
- Don’t forget some spares when you order either
- Don’t leave out any important details
- Make sure you check your proofs properly before printing
You can make sure you nail not only your invites and save the date cards, but all of your ceremony and reception stationery too by downloading my free checklist and planner. Just pop your details in here and it will wing it’s way to your inbox in no time. You can print it out, or keep it on your phone for quick reference when you’re wedding planning.
If you’re not planning your wedding stationery just yet, why not save this post to your Pinterest wedding board, so you can find it again later. You can give me a follow while you’re there too.
