So, you have agreed to marry, and you have decided upon a date. From this point in the planning process the wheels are set in motion and all your hopes and dreams for the perfect day are going to come together.

Before you can go any further having set a date you need to secure a church or civil venue at the very least. Many of the decisions you make from this point in will be based almost entirely on the numbers of guests you hope will join you on your special day. And with this in mind it is crucial that you make sure those you most want to be with you, know well in advance of the date so that they can SAVE THE DATE!

Until recent years, when a wedding in the family was being planned, word of mouth was the most effective way of making sure all and sundry were prepared for that invitation should it drop on their mat. But times have changed; people book holidays abroad more than a year in advance now; securing time off from work for many people is becoming more and more difficult, and with families and friends scattered around the globe it is clear that the more notice you give people, the more chance you have that they will be with you on your wedding day.

There are many advantages of sending save the dates to your intended guests – here are just a few

• Your guests can book travel arrangements well in advance to get the best deals
• They can arrange time off work if necessary
• You are likely to hear of anyone who can not attend in advance
• You choice of venue can be helped by an early indication of the likely numbers
• You will find it easier to invite those on the “reserve list”, rather than wait for formal RSVPs
• You will be avoiding the disappointment of those you most care for not sharing your big day

What details do you need to know before sending Save The Date cards. Simple – the date! Everything else can fit in afterwards. The venue and exact location are minor details (provided you are not travelling abroad to marry – in which case you can include these details if you are hoping to have company).

In financial terms, letting your guests know well in advance makes perfect sense – after all you are likely to get some response from those who know for certain that they will not be able to join you. If you proposed invited guests shrink from 100 to 60, then this is likely to influence your choice of venue before you make any firm commitments.

Some very important points you should consider when sending Save The Date cards are:

• Be certain that you are going to invite this person to the actual wedding
• Make sure the date is confirmed and that you have booked at least the ceremony
• Your budget can cope if all these people say yes

Save The Date cards can be very elaborate – similar to a formal wedding invitation, or they can be just a note or a letter.

An original and guaranteed way of ensuring your guests don’t forget is by sending personalised fridge magnets – click here for some examples

If you are currently at this stage in the planning process – good luck and enjoy. We hope you will find our other articles and features equally useful.

© www.loveweddings.co.uk