Once you’re engaged and the wedding planning begins, the best thing to do is sit down with your fiance and make a comprehensive to-do list.
Well actually, the first thing is to celebrate! YOU’RE ENGAGED!
Ok, once you’re done celebrating and settled in, you’ll want to start tackling the items on your wedding checklist. For most couples, this will involve coming up with your wedding budget and priority list, topics that we talk about extensively with our wedding planning e-course (which you can get instant access to as soon as you sign up).
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Once you have a general idea of how much you can spend, you’ll want to make sure these five elements are buttoned up before you send your Save the Dates.
Find the Perfect Save the Dates
Once you’ve gone through this list, it’s time to shop for Save the Dates! Minted has thousands of designs from independent artists, all at a price that fits your budget.
Your Wedding Venue
One thing’s for sure: You should not send out a Save the Date until you have your venue and your wedding date secured. If you’re waiting to decide between two venues or even if you’re considering a backyard wedding, you’ll want to be 100% sure you’ve got your location locked in before you send your Save the Date. Once you’re ready, your Save the Date should include your wedding date, along with a town or location so that guests know where they’ll be going. If you don’t have your venue, it’s best to wait to send your Save the Dates in case there are any changes.
Before you book your wedding venue and other vendors, you’ll want to make sure you ask them these important questions first!
- 10 Questions to Ask a Wedding Florist
- 10 Questions to Ask a Wedding Photographer
- 10 Questions to Ask a Wedding Concierge
The Guest List
Making a wedding guest list can be one of the most frustrating and stressful parts of wedding planning, especially when you’re mindful of a budget or venue capacity. But the worst thing you can do is send a Save the Date to someone you aren’t certain you will be inviting. In fact, it’s one of the biggest etiquette no-nos. So when sending Save the Date, it’s best to have your guest list solidified. That means plus ones, too! Once you’ve figured out your guest list, you’ll want to address the Save the Date exactly how you are inviting them — as a couple, as a family, or as an individual. (Learn more about how to address your wedding invites here.)
Bottom line? If there’s any question about a guest or guests, don’t send them a Save the Date until you are sure you can invite them.
Easily Collect Guest Addresses
Once you figure out your guest list, you’ll want to get all your addresses in one place. Minted makes this process super easy with their digital address collection. Simply enter your guest’s e-mail address or phone number, and Minted will send them a personalized e-card to enter their information into. Once they do, it will get automatically added to your Universal Guest List, which you can use to send your wedding invitations.
Loosely Decide on a Color Theme
This isn’t mandatory, but if you want a cohesive look for all your wedding stationery, it’s best to have a general color scheme figured out before you order them. That way, when guests open it they’ll be able to have a little preview of what is to come — elegant and black tie, beachy and carefree, colorful and vivid — your wedding, your rules!
Not sure? No worries! If you’re still up in the air, consider going with a neutral color palette for your Save the Date, and introducing your color palette and wedding them with your wedding invitations.
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Create Your Wedding Website
You’ll want to try and have your wedding website ready when you’re creating your Save the Dates. That way you can include the url to your site on the Save the Date, and keep the rest of it super simple. The basic anatomy of a Save the Date includes the following info:
- Your Names
- Wedding Date
- City, State
- Wedding Website Url
You can keep your site as simple as you like, or go crazy and make it a work of art. Also, use it as an opportunity to show off your engagement photos, or even to gather your guests information, too!
Create a Free Wedding Website with Minted
With a free Minted wedding website you can choose from hundreds of unique website designs, all of which come with matching invites. Minted’s wedding websites are smartphone friendly and easy for guests to use. They can even RSVP for your wedding right on your site!
Consider the Timing
Sending a Save the Date is a great way to let people know two things — they’re invited to your wedding, and when it will be. But the timing of when you send them out is super important, too. You don’t want to send a Save the Date too close to the wedding date, or immediately followed by a wedding invitation. If you do, there’s not much time to “save!” It’s best practice to send your Save the Dates around 4-6 months before your wedding date, unless you’re having a destination wedding in which case you can consider sending them 8 months to a year in advance. Read our full guide on when to send your wedding invites.
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