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You have your own personal style and so does your spouse-to-be. How can you funnel your go-to aesthetic into wedding stationery that suits both the occasion and your vision of what your wedding should ultimately be?
Here’s a look at various Save the Date styles and how to decide which one is right for you. The entire wedding planning process really kicks into high gear once your save the dates go out, so figure out this one piece of the puzzle and it might be that much easier to figure out the rest.
What Are Save the Dates?
Before you can choose a save the date you love, it’s important to understand what these handy little cards are all about.
Just as the name suggests, save the dates are a notice to future wedding guests that you’re engaged and want them to save your wedding date and not schedule anything else on that same day. Couples typically send out their save the dates as soon as they choose a wedding date. According to expert-designed wedding checklists, that’s about 10-11 months before the big day.
If that sounds like it’s too early, keep in mind that you aren’t expected to include many specifics in the save the date. You don’t have to know a specific venue or even the time of the ceremony and reception. You just need to let guests know the date, the general location (city and state is fine), and whether there’s a wedding website they can visit for the latest updates as they unfold.
Save The Date Formats
You’ve probably heard your wedding planner or married friends talk about “save the date cards,” but cards aren’t the only way you can format this type of wedding stationery. Check out some of the formatting options below.
Save the Date Cards
Save the Date Cards are arguably the most traditional type of save the date and the most formal as well. These cards come with their own envelope, just like an invitation. This gives you and your guests a bit more privacy compared to postcards, but you’ll pay extra for the additional paper and postage.
Save the Date Magnets
Magnets are a fun take on traditional save the dates, and they help out people interested in a save the date that also serves as a fuss-free keepsake. Instead of printing your design on paper, we’ll print it on special magnetic stock that reproduces images and text with fantastic clarity but with one big-league bonus: Guests can stick the notice right on their fridge where it’s all but impossible to forget about or ignore.
With your wedding date staring them right in the face every time they go to grab a cold drink or make a sandwich, guests may be more likely to remember to RSVP in a timely manner. That’s a huge deal.
Save the Date Postcards
Remember how easy it was to drop a postcard in the mail the last time you went on vacation? Save the Date Postcards are just as simple—plus they’re more affordable to buy and to send. You’ll dole out less money for postage when you’re sending a postcard versus a card with an envelope or a weightier magnet. Plus, postcards are designed with all the eye-catching elements out in the open, so they’re easy to display on a fridge or cork board either as a keepsake or as a reminder for guests to RSVP.
The only drawback of a postcard is that it may not feel formal enough for couples interested in strictly adhering to tradition. But remember, your save the date is completely separate from the rest of your wedding stationery. You can go casual now and opt for much more formal invitations, wedding programs, and reception materials. This is just a brief announcement, not a contract that locks you into a certain style or aesthetic.
Save The Date Styles
Save the date templates come in almost every style you can imagine. Whether you’re looking for something classic or quirky, romantic or playful, woodsy for winter or beachy for I dos in the tropics, there’s something that will help you bring your vision to life.
Don’t have a vision yet? That’s okay too. Choose whatever catches your eye, and you can switch up your theme once you’re ready to order your Wedding Invitations.
Here are some save the date themes you’ll find on MagnetStreet.
Photos
Save the Dates that include space for photographs let you infuse the template with some personal touches. You can choose images taken from an official engagement photoshoot, candids, or even selfies you’ve acquired over the length of your relationship. Some couples choose to use photos that star something other than themselves — showcase your pets, a sketch of the home you just bought together, or close-up images of your hands or smiles if you’re not totally comfortable in the spotlight.
No Photos
Not into the idea of photos on your save the date or just don’t have time to organize a photoshoot before you need to give guests a heads up? Photo-free save the dates skip over the whole uploading process and focus the attention on printed design elements and the details of your wedding.
Greenery
Love plants but not so big on the actual blooms? Greenery-themed save the dates are lush and full of life thanks to the presence of leafy greens, palm fronds, sprigs, and twigs all used to frame your photo, underscore wedding details, or just jazz up an otherwise basic design.
Beach
Maybe you met at a resort, or perhaps you’re getting married at one. Maybe you’ll be saying I do in the Midwest for logistical reasons, but you love the water and want to incorporate that into your wedding planning in some way. Beach save the dates are full of elements associated with water, tropical destinations, and fun in the sun such as exotic flowers, messages written in sand, and lots and lots of waves.
Floral
You may want to go seasonal when choosing the actual flowers for your big day, but floral save the dates have no boundaries. Go for a lush, edge-to-edge wall of roses or opt for a bouquet of delicate lilies to serve as the backdrop of your wedding-day details. From watercolor to realistic imagery and everything in between, these floral designs are beautiful and work for nearly every setting and theme.
Typography
A photo is worth a thousand words, but the right typography can be just as expressive. This category of save the dates uses gorgeous fonts, scripted lettering, and word art to make a huge impact. Designs run the gamut from vintage to modern, formal to playful, so take your time to browse and see what resonates.
Watercolor
The soft wash of shades made by watercolor techniques is somehow instantly romantic, which is why a watercolor save the date is so appropriate for announcing almost any kind of wedding. Many of our watercolor designs combine painted effects with other elements like typography, greenery, or florals, so you can tick several boxes using a single template.
Art Deco
The Roaring Twenties were a time of innovation, prosperity, and all-out fun. When you think of Art Deco, you think of flappers, bootleggers, feather boas, and lots of geometric shapes infusing everything from jewelry to architecture. Art Deco-themed save the dates take all those elements as inspiration to create wedding stationery that features ornate patterns, beautiful period-appropriate fonts, and gilded embellishments. Add foil for extra glitz and glam and use a picture of you and your beloved in period garb (or just great evening wear) for an even more ’20s style.
Save the Date Collections
You can also shop by collection. These save the date collections are organized by feel rather than by theme or design elements, so you may find any of the above aesthetics grouped into these categories:
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Classic: The most traditional designs in the bunch, classic save the dates are suitable for couples who prefer to keep their wedding traditional and even a bit more conservative.
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Destination: Destination weddings are often beachy or tropical in nature, but that’s not always the case. These destination save the dates encompass oceanfront settings as well as European destinations, different cities, and even mountainous and rustic locales.
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Modern: Block lettering, funky graphics, lots of lines and shapes — all of these modern elements help bring save the dates into the 21st century.
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Rustic: Choose these save the dates to convey a rustic vibe that’s casual, countrified, and beautifully laid back. You’ll see elements like kraft paper-inspired backgrounds, distressed lettering, lace borders, and plenty of faux wood.
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Simple: No muss, no fuss, no assortment of half a dozen fonts and graphics to sort through. These simple save the dates are perfect for minimalists who just want a subtler way to communicate with potential guests.
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Traditional: Much like classic save the dates, traditional designs are more conservative, staying away from funky, outside-the-box elements and sticking to layouts your parents and grandparents would’ve loved in their day too.
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Unique: Highlight whatever makes your relationship different with unique save the dates that incorporate fun elements like plane tickets and movie theater marquees.
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Vintage: Vintage save the dates are a throwback to old-school themes like ’70s boho and ’50s charm. Some templates incorporate vintage flowers while others opt for embellishments that are almost Victorian in look and feel.
Still having trouble deciding which save the date is right for you? Order some free samples and evaluate top designs in person. And don’t forget, the design you choose for save the dates today isn’t the one you have to stick with for your Wedding Invitations tomorrow. Take your wedding planning one step at a time and you’re more likely to enjoy the process from start to finish.
