Save the Date Cards
While an email or simple message in a Christmas card may be a practical method of warning guests about an event, a dedicated save-the-date card arriving by post is likely to have more impact.
Invitations were traditionally sent out a maximum of six weeks before the event, which would ensure that most people were not already booked up, but increasingly, although still correct, this is not sufficient. They may now be sent out up to six months in advance, while key guests can be invited informally as soon as the date is set.
Traditionally, save-the-date cards were slightly smaller than a postcard, and utilitarian in design. Today, they may be more elaborate. The wording should be kept brief and include basic information about the event, for example:
SAVE THE DATE Charles Berkeley's 60th Birthday Saturday 6th December 2014 Cornwall Invitation to followGuests’ names are not written on the card; it is neither necessary nor correct for guests to reply.
Save the date cards are traditionally sent out to ask wedding guests to keep a particular date free for the wedding day. Please see our guidance in Debrett's Weddings: Save the Date
