Save the date cards seem to be a relatively modern incarnation of the
traditional engagement announcement. These two types of social stationery
serve essentially the same purpose: informing your friends and family of
your upcoming wedding. The primary difference is that sending an
engagement announcement does not necessarily imply that you will be
inviting the recipient to your wedding, while sending a save the date card
definitely does.
Save the date cards are particularly useful in the case of weddings with
dates that fall during traditionally busy times, such as during the
holiday season, or on many of the summer Saturday dates in the Northern
United States. By letting your potential guests know well ahead of time
when your wedding will be, you'll give them plenty of time to make the
necessary advance arrangements to be available to be with you on your
special day.
Another situation where save the date cards are especially appropriate is
when the couple is having a destination wedding and intend for guests to
travel to join them to witness their vows. In such a situation,
considerable advance notice will be required to enable guests to make
travel and hotel plans. In many cases, couples arrange for special package
deals for their guests so they can all stay together at the wedding venue. In most
cases, these special deals require advance reservations, and this
information is often included on save the date cards.
The third common reason for issuing save the date cards involves weddings
where the couple is inviting a large number of out-of-town friends and
relatives who must travel to attend the wedding. As in the case of
destination weddings, described above, giving your guests ample time to
make travel plans makes it more likely that the people you want to be with
you on your wedding day will be able to attend.
Of course, one hardly needs a reason to share good news! As long as you
are careful not to send a save the date card to someone you have no
intention of inviting to your wedding, your friends and relatives would no
doubt be thrilled to find out about your upcoming plans!
