When to send save the dates: a simple timeline

The short answer: send save the dates six to eight months before the wedding. Add two months for destination weddings. If you just got engaged during engagement season (Thanksgiving through Valentine's, when nearly half of proposals happen), here is the working timeline.

Just engaged (weeks 1-2): tell family first, then set a rough date or season. You do not need a venue yet.

Month 1-2: book the venue and set the real date. This is the moment to order or edit save the dates; designs like our terracotta, gothic, and watercolor templates edit in your browser in an evening.

6-8 months out: mail save the dates. Collect addresses early; it takes longer than you think.

8 weeks out: mail invitations, which carry the RSVP, website, and accommodation details the save the date promised would follow.

4 weeks out: RSVP deadline, then final headcount.

One rule of thumb that keeps this simple: the save the date announces the date and city; the invitation does everything else. If a detail is not final, it belongs on the invitation, not the save the date.