Save the dates and invitations

Depends how far out the wedding is!

we just did invites.

London Drugs was SOOO easy to use and I got exactly what I wanted.

View quoted message Do them yourself!
Honestly I'm a graphic designer but CANVA app is sooo simple that even non graphic designers can use it. They have wonderful templates for all kinds of cool things like invitations, websites, thank you cards and SO much more!
New users usually get pro for free for about a week and I HIGHLY suggest taking advantage of it as you can customize and save SO much stuff and make it exact to your liking then just find a decent printer to have any solid copies done or forward your saved designs from your email!!!
I'm currently working on a mini save the date video i can send virtually via email, along with a link for people to submit their mailing information so that I can send printed invitations out to everyone. (Including the non tech savvy people who probably won't even check their emails let alone more hahah)I feel both virtual AND paper is a great idea!Be it a virtual and paper invitation that match or a video virtual invite and simple paper one. To the save the date virtual card and paper mailed invite. I think covering both sides is wonderful if you want to ENSURE everyone will both receive And read your cards in a timely manner.
Hope this helps

Hi all - I'm hoping to do do virtual save the dates, and then paper invitations requesting guests to RSVP on our website. Ideally, I'd like all three (save the date, website, invitations) to have the same design, but I'm having trouble finding a place that provides all 3 of these items. Anyone have any suggestions?

We're doing both. Honestly, we weren't going to do Save the Dates at first but I'm too excited to start sharing something tangible with everyone! We are ordering via Shutterfly. I will send them out at the end of November I think. (Wedding is in July.) Invites will also be done via Shutterfly and I'll send those out in March - 4 months before.

We skipped the Save the Dates and just told everyone who was invited verbally when the wedding would be, only had an issue with my fil and his gf (everyone else was fine)

If most of your people are local, then a Save the Date isn't really necessary in my opinion. If I had to do one, I would do it electronically instead of print.

I did save the dates and invitations, I made them on Minted and printed off vista printed for the invitations so that wasn’t too expensive. For the save the dates I made them on Canva and printed at staples and that was really inexpensive!


I personally think it’s a good idea to give people heads up, they can work things out for child care if they aren’t bringing their child, they can take time off if need be/ weather guests live out of town or province! It just helped them have a heads up and figure out what they need to!

I sent out Save the Date via Evite a year before wedding date, at no cost. It Let the guests know we were engaged and "save the date". Now, it was a good thing we went this route because after I sent them out, a week later, the venue told us we were mistakenly double booked 😬 Frustrating but luckily I was able to schedule a new date and re send an evite out with a date change. Again at no cost. Now worming on the actual paper invites

Thanks for the info and input everyone! I will do Save-the-Dates as there is benefits, especially from everyone coming from out of town.

Thanks for the advice on not using Wedding templates for the invites, I would not have thought of that!

TECHNICALLY I did both, but only did physical save the dates and digital invites. I agree with the comments already made as well. I think save the dates are nice way to get people excited, share the news, and if you have out of town guests, give them enough notice.

Because there wasn't alot of information needed to provide nor receive, sending digital invites via email with a link to our website saved alot of money for us as well.

To add to Carine's vistaprint comments - also consider NOT using their "wedding" templates/options, as there is a upcharge vs getting regular items printed. I had just got magnets done via vistaprint, but went the regular business marketing route, rather than wedding and saved about 20$

Save the date is great if you have out of town guests and if you are getting married in 2023. Because of 2020 and 2021 wedding cancelations everyone has pushed their weddings for 2023 and 2024. I am glad I sent out my Save the dates, my good friend received 4 save the dates for 2023 weddings, luckily they do not fall on my big day so she can come.

We will send out our invitations 3-4 months before the wedding as their reminder to RSVP.

It is all up to you and your budget. I got mine from Vista print they often get 30% off deals. I got 40 save the dates and 40 invitations with envelopes and the 30% off cost me $104. Etsy you can buy the templates and create them at home, I've heard some brides get the cards from Michaels on sale and they come with a website to create your invitations and print them off.

Like Amanda mentioned it's a great way for your guests to get excited and something for them to look forward to. If you do have out of town guest they will be able to book accommodations earlier.

We did both. About 50% of our guest list had to travel half way across the country so we wanted to give them plenty of notice! I think we sent them out about 14 months before the wedding!

My husband and I sent out save the date because we had a destination wedding. We sent them out about a year before our wedding date so our guests could start looking at accommodations and flights.
I think save the dates are a great thing for your guests to get excited about since theyll know that they have an upcoming wedsing to attend next year. but if it's not in your budget you don't need to do them.