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By Bliss & Bone
Save the date wording follows simpler rules than wedding invitation wording, but couples still overthink it. A save the date has one job: tell your guests a wedding is happening, give them the date and location, and ask them to hold it. Everything else is optional. This guide covers what to include, five complete wording examples you can use as-is, and the common mistakes worth avoiding before you send.
Every save the date needs four things: the couple's names, the wedding date, the city and state (or destination), and a line confirming that a formal invitation will follow. That last part matters more than couples expect. Guests who receive a save the date without "invitation to follow" sometimes treat it as the invitation itself and show up without RSVPing.
Beyond the four essentials, most save the dates also include the wedding website URL. This is where guests go for hotel blocks, travel details, and any other information they need to start planning. If your save the date goes out six to twelve months before the wedding, your guests have a lot of planning to do in the interim. Make it easy for them. For timing guidance, see our guide on when to send your save the date.
Dress code is not standard on a save the date. If you include it, keep it simple: "Black Tie" or "Casual Attire." Full dress code details belong on the wedding invitation.
Five complete examples, ranging from traditional to relaxed. Adjust names, dates, and cities to make them yours.
Example 1: Classic, Parents' Names
Mr. and Mrs. William Hartley and Mr. and Mrs. Robert Aldridge announce the upcoming marriage of Caroline and Benjamin Saturday, the Fourteenth of June, Two Thousand Twenty-Seven Newport, Rhode Island Formal invitation to follow
Example 2: Modern, Couple Hosting
Natalie Bishop and James Tran are getting married. August Twenty-Second, Two Thousand Twenty-Seven Hudson, New York Save the date — invitation to follow [wedding website URL]
Example 3: Casual, Warm Tone
We're getting married. Please save the date for the wedding of Sofia Delgado and Oliver Park May Fifteenth, Two Thousand Twenty-Seven Sonoma, California Invitation to follow | [wedding website URL]
Example 4: Formal, Spelled Out
Please save the date for the marriage of Annalise Monroe and Edward Sinclair Saturday, the Twenty-Second of October Two Thousand Twenty-Seven Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Formal invitation to follow
Example 5: Destination Wedding
Join us abroad. Eleanor Weston and Marcus Cole are getting married in Tuscany, Italy Friday, the Ninth of April, Two Thousand Twenty-Seven Save the date — invitation and travel details to follow [wedding website URL]
Destination wedding save the date wording should always flag that travel details are coming. Guests booking flights and accommodation need lead time, and "details to follow" signals that more information is on the way. Six to eight months out is the minimum for destination sends.
The right tone comes from two things: the venue and the overall wedding weekend aesthetic.
Formal save the date wording spells out dates in full ("Saturday, the Fourteenth of June, Two Thousand Twenty-Seven"), uses titles on the host line if parents are named, and avoids contractions. This is the right call for black-tie events, hotel ballrooms, and weddings where the physical stationery is part of the occasion. A letterpress save the date with formal wording sets a consistent expectation from the first piece guests receive.
Casual save the date wording is shorter, warmer, and conversational. "We're getting married" is a perfectly correct opener. Standard date formats are fine. Contractions are fine. The goal is internal consistency: if the rest of your wedding weekend is relaxed and personal, the save the date should feel the same way.
Unique or creative save the date wording works best when it reflects something specific about the couple rather than generic quirkiness. "We found each other, now please find your passport" works for a destination wedding. "We said yes. Now save the date" works for a casual backyard celebration. What reads as clever in context reads as try-hard without it.
The one rule that applies at every formality level: "invitation to follow" belongs on every save the date, no exceptions.
The core wording elements stay identical for a digital send. What changes is formatting flexibility and RSVP mechanics.
For an electronic save the date, long spelled-out dates ("Saturday, the Fourteenth of June, Two Thousand Twenty-Seven") look beautiful but can feel heavy in a digital format, particularly for casual or semi-formal weddings. A standard format ("Saturday, June 14, 2027") is entirely appropriate. Match the formality of the wording, not the convention of print.
The bigger difference is the wedding website link. On a printed save the date, the URL sits at the bottom of the card. On a digital send, it's a live link guests can click immediately. Make sure your website is live and has at least basic information posted (date, location, hotel block if you have one) before the save the dates go out. Guests will click through the same day.
For couples sending both a digital save the date and a printed wedding invitation, the wording on each should be consistent in tone. If your save the date is warm and casual, a formal printed invitation can feel like a tonal whiplash. Browse modern save the date and minimalist save the date designs that coordinate across both formats. For digital-first couples, email save the date options let you send, track opens, and manage your guest list in one place.
Leaving out "invitation to follow." This is the most common omission and the one that causes the most confusion. Include it on every save the date, digital or printed.
Using the full wedding address. Save the dates include city and state only, not the venue's street address. Full venue details go on the wedding invitation. Guests don't need the address six to twelve months out.
Inconsistent name formatting. If one person's middle name appears, include the other's. Mixed formatting reads as an oversight rather than a stylistic choice.
Forgetting the wedding website. If you have one, include it. Guests want to start planning the moment the save the date arrives, and your website is where they do it. If the site isn't ready yet, wait until it is before sending.
Sending too late. Save the dates should go out six to twelve months before the wedding for local weddings, and eight to twelve months for destination. For a full timeline covering both save the dates and invitations, see the save the date etiquette guide.
At minimum: both names, the wedding date, the city and state, and "invitation to follow." Most couples also include their wedding website URL. Dress code and venue name are optional at the save the date stage.
No. City and state is sufficient. Full venue details, including the street address and ceremony location, belong on the wedding invitation. Including the venue name is fine, but not required.
Include the destination city and country, the wedding date, and a note that travel details are coming: "invitation and travel details to follow." Destination save the dates should go out eight to twelve months before the wedding to give guests adequate time to book travel.
It should match the tone of the wedding. Formal weddings call for spelled-out dates, titles on the host line if parents are named, and no contractions. Casual weddings can use standard date formats and warmer, more conversational language. Consistency across all wedding communications matters more than following a specific formality convention.
No. RSVPs belong on the wedding invitation, not the save the date. A save the date is an announcement, not a request for a response. The exception is a wedding website link, which guests may use to register interest or find accommodation information.
In tone, yes. In format, not necessarily. Save the date wording is typically shorter and less structured than wedding invitation wording, which follows more specific conventions around the host line, ceremony language, and RSVP block. For a full breakdown of invitation conventions, see the wedding invitation wording guide.
Ready to send your save the dates? Bliss & Bone's save the dates online let you customize every word and design detail in minutes, with built-in delivery and open tracking included. Prefer something tangible? Browse wedding save the dates for printed designs that coordinate with your full invitation suite and online wedding invitations when you're ready for the next step.
