When to send save the dates
Send save the dates about 8 months before the wedding, and no later than 6. If guests need to travel, or your date falls in peak season or on a holiday weekend, send them 10 to 12 months ahead, and 12 months for a wedding abroad. Invitations follow 3 to 4 months before the day.
Timeline at a glance
| Your wedding | Save the dates | Invitations | RSVPs back by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local, most guests nearby | 8 months before (no later than 6) | 3–4 months before | 1 month before |
| Guests travelling, peak season or a holiday weekend | 9–12 months | 4 months | 6 weeks |
| Abroad | 12 months, up to 18 | 4–6 months | 8 weeks |
Work out your send-by dates
How far in advance should you send save the dates?
Send them about 8 months before the wedding. That's early enough for guests to keep the day free and book anything they need, and close enough that the date still feels real when it lands on the fridge. Don't go later than 6 months: by then you're nearly at invitation time and a separate card adds little. Adjust from 8 based on how much your guests have to arrange. A small wedding with most people a short drive away is fine at 6 to 8 months. If guests need flights, hotels, childcare or time off work, go to 10 to 12. UK couples tend to send a little earlier than US couples, mainly because the popular summer Saturdays book up fast. If you're torn between two dates, choose the earlier one, or put your wedding into the send-by calculator above and it will give you a window.
Is it too early to send save the dates a year or more ahead?
A year ahead is fine for a wedding abroad, a peak-season Saturday or a bank holiday weekend. Much earlier than that rarely helps. Guests file the card away and forget it, and you lose the chance to change your mind. Plans shift more than people expect in the first months of an engagement: venues reschedule, budgets change and guest lists shrink. Everyone who receives a save the date will expect an invitation, so sending them two years out commits you to a list before it has settled. The exception is a wedding where most guests face a long, expensive journey, such as family flying in from Australia or New Zealand. Then 12 to 18 months is reasonable, as long as you follow up with a short reminder a few months before the invitations go out.
Is 4 months too late for a save the date?
For most weddings, yes: at 4 months you're close to invitation time, so send the invitations a little early instead and let them do both jobs. A save the date only earns its place when it arrives well ahead of the invitation. There are exceptions where a late save the date still pays off. With a capped guest list, an early "we can't make it" lets you invite someone from your reserve list while there's still time. If the wedding is on a busy weekend, even 4 months' notice helps guests turn down clashing plans. And if your invitations are still at the printer, a short message to guests saying "hold the date, details to follow" does no harm. Just don't post a printed save the date and an invitation a few weeks apart.
When to send save the dates for a destination wedding
Send them about 12 months before a wedding abroad, and up to 18 months for somewhere long-haul. Guests need time to book flights while fares are reasonable, request holiday, renew passports, arrange visas and set money aside. Treat a wedding at home the same way if a large share of guests will travel a long way to reach you, such as family in the US coming to a wedding in Wales. Put the town and country on the card even if the venue isn't confirmed, so people can start pricing flights. Mention the likely length of the stay if it's more than a weekend. Invitations for a wedding abroad go out earlier than usual too, about 4 to 6 months before, with replies back roughly 8 weeks ahead.
When do invitations go out after save the dates?
Send invitations 3 to 4 months before the wedding, which usually means 4 or 5 months after the save the dates. Allow a few extra weeks if guests live abroad or post is slow. Some small local weddings send invitations as late as 6 to 8 weeks before, but that leaves little room for delays and late replies. Ask for RSVPs about a month before the day, and earlier if your caterer or venue needs final numbers sooner, so check their deadline before you print. The invitation carries everything the save the date leaves out: ceremony time, venue address, dress code, accommodation notes and how to reply. If you're working out what belongs on which card, our guide to save the dates versus invitations lays them side by side.
Does the time of year change when you should send them?
Yes. If your date competes with other plans, send save the dates a month or two earlier than usual. Summer Saturdays from June to September are the busiest wedding days in both the UK and the US, and some guests will get more than one invitation for the same weekend. UK bank holiday weekends and US three-day weekends, such as Memorial Day or Labor Day, are popular because guests get an extra day off, which also means they fill early with trips and family plans. December weddings run into Christmas parties, school plays and higher travel prices. In all of these cases, aim for 10 to 12 months. There's a seasonal pattern too: searches about save the date timing jump every January, as couples who got engaged over Christmas start planning. If that's you, you're in good company, and you're probably in plenty of time.
Should your guest list be final before you send them?
Yes. Settle the list before any save the dates go out, because everyone who gets one should also get an invitation. Sending a save the date and then leaving that person off the invitation list is the timing mistake that causes real upset. If you're unsure about plus-ones, children or a second tier of guests, hold those names back and only send save the dates to people you're certain about. Collect postal and email addresses at the same time, since you'll need them again for the invitations. A simple spreadsheet with names, addresses, who's bringing a partner and who has replied saves a lot of chasing later. Our save the date etiquette guide covers plus-ones, children and what to do if plans change after the cards have gone out. Every guide we publish is listed on the save the date guides page.
Does the timing differ for posted and digital save the dates?
Posted save the dates need time for printing and delivery, while digital ones can go out the day you finish them. Royal Mail now aims to deliver first class letters the next working day and second class within three working days, with second class arriving on alternate weekdays, so allow at least a week within the UK. International post can take several weeks, so send overseas guests' cards first. Order printed cards two to three weeks before your planned send date, and longer if you want to see a proof. Digital save the dates, sent by email, message or a wedding web page, skip all of that and are easy to update if a detail changes, which makes them useful for late planners and guests abroad. Whichever you choose, send everything in the same week so nobody feels like an afterthought. See ways to send them for the options side by side.
If this sounds like you
Your guest list is capped. Send save the dates on the early side and ask people to let you know if they can't come. Early regrets free up places for your reserve list.
Guests have school-age children. If your date is near the school holidays, go to 10 months or more so families can plan around them.
Most of your family lives overseas. Send theirs first, about 12 months out, and the rest of your guests a month or two later.
Your date isn't fixed yet. Wait. A save the date is a promise, and changing it afterwards is awkward for everyone.
You're having a small ceremony now and a big party later. Send save the dates for the party, not the ceremony.
You've already sent them and the date has changed. Tell guests as soon as possible, ideally the same way you sent the original, and keep the message short.
Quick questions
Is it rude to send a save the date and not an invitation?
Yes. A save the date tells someone they're invited, so if no invitation follows it reads as being dropped. Only send save the dates to people you're certain to invite.
Do you have to send save the dates at all?
No, they're optional. They matter most when guests need to travel or your date is busy. Read more on what a save the date is and whether you need one.
When should I send save the dates for a December wedding?
For a wedding in mid-December, send them between January and March of the same year, and earlier if guests are travelling, because Christmas plans fill early.
Got your dates sorted? Next, decide what to write once your date is set.
Be first in when it opens
One email when the maker opens. Add your wedding month and we'll also nudge you when it's time to send your save the dates.