Save The Date Cards | Save The Dates

Paperlust - the best website to print save the date cards

You might be thinking are save the dates necessary? In short, yes if you have the time it is part of the wedding stationery set that most people don’t want to go past. You might be thinking what are save the date cards? You want to let people know you’re getting married, sure, but isn’t that what wedding invites are for? Well, no. Here’s why.

What are save the date cards and why have Save the Date Cards for a wedding?

You're engaged, congratulations to you and your partner. Now, you might be thinking what is a save the date card? Well, generally save the date invitations are something simple sent out well in advance of the big day to give guests the opportunity to make travel and accommodation plans (especially if they have to travel a long way for a destination wedding, or if the wedding is falling on grand final weekend and hotels will be booked out by fly-in-fans). It is possible to forget a save the date card if you’re only planning a few months ahead and the wedding invitations are going out soon, but an advanced warning is usually appreciated by guests if possible. Besides, who doesn’t want an excuse for cute save the dates to their stationery suite!

You might be wondering - when did save the dates become a thing? Well, the cards became popular with brides around 2005 and have been a great and affordable way to announce the wedding and share key details. The cards announce the date of the wedding and as an elegant physical way to tell guests simply to keep the date free and more details are on the way. Couples these days often include a QR code with a link to their wedding website so the invitees can see accommodation options and how to get there well ahead of time.

When do you need to post Save the Date invites?

Destination Wedding

You really must have save the date wedding cards if you’re asking people to travel - especially overseas - so that they’re able to organise their trip. For a destination wedding, consider mailing the save the dates out four to eight months ahead so guests have a chance to research what they’re going to need to do. Later, the wedding invitation will give them all the details of the day itself. For destination wedding save the dates it’s a good idea to provide information about possible accommodation and travel with the save the date rather than with the wedding invitation, to ensure guests have ample time to prepare. The information with the wedding invitation can then be more detailed, with information about activities you might have planned outside of the ceremony and reception and want your guests to join you on.

You can read our comprehensive blog on when to send save the dates here.

But there just isn't time to post wedding save the dates!

Look at you, doing things at the last minute! If you have only two or three months until your wedding day, you can save time and energy by simply sending out the wedding invitation at eight weeks with your other wedding stationery cards and avoiding the question of a save the date card. It isn’t always practical to give such advanced notice, and guests will have to understand that. Just don’t be too offended if a few can’t make it on such short notice. In the meantime, you may want to reserve some accommodation in advance and let your guests know, to ensure everything isn’t booked out by the time they start looking.

Make your own save the date cards with Paperlust

Looking to add your own personal touch for your save the date cards? With Paperlust you can browse a huge range of designs and formats and using our save the date card maker customization tool you can make your own save the date cards. Paperlust provide optimal print options for your save the date cards including foil, letterpress, white ink on coloured stock. Looking to design your own save the date cards and get them printed with Paperlust you can do that too, simply go to our custom wedding invitations page to get a quote.

How to create save the date cards with Paperlust

To get started on your save the date personalized cards, simply browse the design above and click Customize, from here you can start to make your very own unique save the date cards. Not sure where to buy save the date cards? Paperlust is the place to find the best save the date cards. We print and ship the card straight to your door. We pride ourselves on making the process easy for you to create your own creative save the dates online and ship them to your door.

Save the Date Invitations - The Fundamentals of wedding save the dates

So you’ve decided you do need a save the date invitation for your wedding. Who do you need to post it to? What should you dispatch? When do you need to mail save the date cards? How do you word the card? So many questions! Here’s everything you need to know.

Is a save the date an invitation?

While they are often referred to as ‘save the date invitations’, this is a bit misleading. A 'save the date' is a promise that an invitation is to come, but it does not contain all the information a wedding invitation requires so it cannot stand alone. Because it is a promise, however, it should be taken as seriously as an invitation. You can’t take it back once you’ve sent it!

Who to post save the date invitations to:

Post save the date wedding invitations to everyone you plan to mail the wedding invitation to. There’s no point asking people to save a date if you have no intention of inviting them to do anything on that date (and this could create some awkward situations for you!), and there isn’t really any reason to leave off anyone from the guest list if you plan on sending them an official invitation anyway. Don’t panic if you leave anyone out though. Like we said, the invitations are going to follow so the worst you’re going to get is a ‘where was my save the date card, huh?’.

How to address save the dates

Save the dates may include the names of the guests on the card, but this is not always the case. It’s important to make sure you address save the dates properly to make it clear who is invited and who should make sure they are available on the date in question, either on the card itself or on the envelopes. Your save the dates should be addressed with the same wording as your wedding invitation for the sake of consistency and making sure you don’t confuse guests, unless you have a good reason to do it differently.

Traditional guidelines on how to address save the dates dictate that you should use people’s full names, not nicknames, and that you should use their full names with titles for a formal event. If you are inviting somebody to bring along a date, you should specify ‘and guest’ after their name.

Paperlust has a full article here on how to address save the dates.

For example:

Married couples:

Mr. Lucas Wright and Mrs. Eleanor Wright

Mr. and Mrs. Lucas Wright

Mr. and Mrs Lucas and Eleanor Wright

Families:

Mr. and Mrs. Lucas and Eleanor Wright,

Mia, Toby and Ollie

Friend and a guest:

Mr. Simon Cane and Guest

Unmarried couples:

Mr. James Smith and Miss Lauren Jones

When to mail the wedding save the date cards:

When to mail save the dates can be one of the most confusing things for people planning a wedding or other event. As a rule of thumb, wedding save the date cards should be sent out at least three to four months ahead of time for your average wedding. Those planning destination weddings, and weddings where you expect some your guests to travel from overseas, should aim to post their save the dates out four to six months in advance, depending on how far guests will need to travel. Or if you are planning a baby shower, you can post out a baby shower save the date card early in the pregnancy to let people know the weekend you are going to be having the shower.

Here is when to post save the date cards:

If you are considering when to post save the dates, you should think about the big day and work backwards. Assume you will post your final invitations out 4-6 weeks ahead of a party or 6-12 weeks ahead of a wedding, and then work backwards to establish how much time you should leave between your save the dates and your invites. It makes no sense for guests to receive your save the date and then the actual invite just a couple of weeks later, so make sure you have a big enough buffer. Ideally, you should post out your save the dates at least three months prior to your invitations, longer if applicable, but the exact time will be different for each event. The only real way to know when to post save the dates is to work backwards in this way.

What to include in your save the date invitation:

Traditionally, the save the date invites match the suite of wedding stationery that will follow in a few months. It is usually a simple card with just the necessary information, but you may also choose to include travel information or other relevant details if guests need to plan travel. For the non-traditional among us, there are also some alternative save the date ideas which means the card itself isn’t always absolutely necessary. For example, consider save the date magnets, save the date parcels, save the date puzzles, or another creative multimedia version of a save the date.

Examples of wording for save the date wedding cards:

Save the date and wedding invitations follow a lot of the rules we’ve talking about before for wording your wedding invitation. The key is to:

Maintain a tone that’s consistent with the kind of wedding that you’re planning.
Name who is getting married
Include where and when the wedding is occurring, and specific details that might affect what guests will have to plan, and
Inform guests that more information is to follow soon so that you don’t have a flood of calls coming in asking what this save the date thing is all about.

The best wedding save the date cards are simple, which means keeping to the basic who, what, when and where.

Save the date party invites and other non-wedding save the dates

Even though we talk about weddings throughout this article, not all save the date cards are for weddings. Any event that is being planned a long time ahead or that requires people to travel or make arrangements ahead of time should have a save the date. Save the date party invitations are popular, especially for people planning an 18th, 21st or sweet 16 and vying for free weekends with their friends of the same age. If you have a special birthday party coming up such as a 21st birthday party, or a 30th a save the date card for a birthday to go with your birthday invitations can be crucial to fit in with everyone’s busy lives. People need to know to save a date for you as soon as possible so they can plan accordingly.

You might send baby shower save the dates, bridal shower save the dates, birthday save the dates, engagement save the dates, corporate event save the dates, or anything else. Similar principles will apply regardless of what the event is that you are asking people to save a date for.

Save the date Templates vs Profressional Save the Dates

Weddings are expensive, so most people are interested in trying to save some money where they can during the planning process. When it comes to the invitation suite, some people consider making use of save the date templates to do this. What exactly is the difference? Here’s what you’re getting in either case:

Wedding save the date templates

Wedding save the date templates are cheap save the date options, sometimes even free, but they don’t come with all the frills. When you buy or download a template, you’re only getting the template. You usually buy it as-is, with no returns or customer service to assist you with the process after purchase. You will have full responsibility for:

Editing the template to include your own details and information
Providing your own printer: one you already own, a new one, or a rented or borrowed one
Choosing and purchasing ink and paper
Print your save the date cards
Cutting the save the date cards to size
Correcting any mistakes and reprinting if necessary
Buying envelopes
Addressing envelopes.

When you’re deciding whether to opt for save the date templates or professional save the dates, remember to factor in the time and cost of all these things to get a true picture of what your budget can handle. By the time you buy the right paper, ink, envelopes and then find the time to put it all together, is the template all that much cheaper? If you mess something up and have to reprint your invitations, will it blow your entire budget? Sometimes templates are absolutely the best option for you, but make sure you know exactly what’s on the table before you make any decisions.

How much do save the dates cost?

Paperlust has some of the best save the dates available globally, Why? We have a large range of print types can suit every budget. The cost of save the dates produced by Paperlust usually varies by Print Type, number of save the dates ordered and the chosen paper type.

The average cost of wedding save the dates starts at approximately $2.50 AUD - $3.50 AUD ($1.80 USD - $2.50USD) when ordering 100 quantity, on the more affordable end is our standard Matte paper stock and on the Premium end using our Cotton paper, both of these options are using the Digital Printing print type.

How much to spend on save the dates - For our mid-high range print offerings like Flat Foil, White Ink on Coloured paper the average cost of our wedding save the dates is $4 - $6 AUD ($3-$4.5 USD).

On the premium end, our save the dates can cost between $5 - $7 AUD ($3.70 - $5.20 USD) per card when ordering 100, using Letterpress, Foil Stamp or Print on Wood printing techniques.

Does Paperlust run a black Friday sale for Save the Dates?

Yes, you are in luck this black friday if you are looking to save on your save the dates, Paperlust offers a 15% off sitewide sale each year for the period of Black Friday (5 Days). Paperlust also offers the same sale over cyber Monday.

Custom save the date cards

If you can't find the perfect design above in our save the date card template library, you can always add a 'special request and our design team can make edits for you at the proof stage to make truly custom save the dates. Otherwise you can always request custom save the date cards to be created by our design team, to get a quote click here.

I have my own artwork, I'm looking to print save the dates

If you are wondering where to print save the dates and you have your artwork ready, simply head over to our custom order page and submit your information of how many you need supply the artwork and we will get back to you with a quote.

I need save the new date cards!

If you are looking to create save the new date cards, all of the text on our save the date cards is fully customizable so you can add additional text such as "new" for one of our existing designs to update the guests of your new event date. You can also create save the date again cards by including the wording "again" our "our new date".

Looking for save the dates samples?

We have our save the dates paper samples that you can order here, each pack comes with a wide range of paper types, alternatively, if you want to sample save the date cards that match your exact design, you can request a custom sample of the design you are after.

I'm looking for save the date cards with no photo

We have a wide range of save the date cards, and most of our save the date card designs don't have a photo card element, so you can choose from popular themes above.

What size are Save the Date Cards?

Paperlust's save the date card size is 140mm High x 107mm Wide, or 5.5inches x 4.21inches which is the industry standard save the date cards sizes.

Looking for 5x7 save the date cards? We can also convert our designs into 5x7 size for save the date cards as part of our custom order process, to do this click here to get a custom quote and mention you would like a 5x7 version of a design.

Looking for 4x6 save the date cards? Our default size (5.5inches x 4.21inches) is fairly close to this size, however we can convert our designs into exactly this size as part of our custom order process detailed above.

How do I create the return address labels for save the dates?

You are in luck; at our envelope customization step in our design tool you can add your Return Address details to be printed as a return address label on the back of your save the date card envelope.

I'm looking for double sided save the date cards

With Paperust any save the date cards can be customized to be double-sided, some designs already have a 2nd side as part of the design, but with our customize tool you can add a backside to any card, you can do this on the Customize screen when personalising your design.

I'm looking for matching wedding invitations and save the dates!

Look no further, all of our wedding save the dates have matching wedding invitations that you can get to by clicking on the design above and under Designs in Set you will see the wedding invitation to match. Paperlust offer a discount for wedding save the dates and invitation packages when you order three items or more at checkout.

Covid save the dates

Looking for advice around save the dates during covid? Well luckily thanks to the easing of restrictions globally the thread of cancelled events is hopefully a thing of the past, however it can still be good practice to consider how to send save the dates during covid, and when to send during covid periods in the events that the future could hold risks of postponement for your event. Sending save the dates during covid is very important as venues are often currently booked out for the next two seasons, so you will need to secure your venue in place now for this period.

When to send save the dates during covid - given the backlog of weddings it's important to make sure your guests can save your date now as they will be getting more invites for other events that have been waiting due to covid restrictions there is a backlog of weddings and events as we speak.

Professional wedding save the dates

When you buy professional wedding save the dates, you are paying for high-quality supplies (paper, ink etc) as well as other services. You have access to customer service to help you at every stage, and you have usually have a rapid turnaround on your prints. At most professional companies you simply place your wedding invitation and save the date order online, and you are assured of receiving beautiful products within a couple of weeks, straight to your door and including envelopes printed with addresses and ready to go. Professionals have their own wholesalers which mean they can afford bulk supplies of luxury materials that would be more expensive for you to purchase by yourself. A wedding invitation company will usually take care of:

Editing the template to include your own details and information, and tweaking everything to make sure it fits in the design perfectly
Printing with state-of-the-art ink, paper and print techniques
Cutting the save the date cards to size
Correcting any mistakes and reprinting if necessary, at no extra cost to you
Buying and addressing envelopes.

Best of all, professional wedding save the dates are available in a range of print types, including things like letterpress, foil stamped and print on wood, so you get a lot more luxury than you could achieve with a printer and ink at home.

Free save the date templates vs.paid save the date templates

If you’ve decided that save the date templates are right for you, you might be wondering about whether you’d be better to track down freebies or find a nice paid offer. Since money is the number one reason most people choose to use templates rather than purchasing their invites, it is common for people to seek out save the date templates free online.

If you’re choosing free save the date templates, make sure to consider the source. Don’t support people who are stealing designers’ work and making it available free. Instead, look for designers offering free versions of their own pieces. Lots of artists do this to promote their business, so you should be able to find a legit design that isn’t ripping anyone off.

If you can afford a paid template, though, it might be worth it to splash out. You can often find save the date templates for as little as $10-$20, and paying for the product means it’s more likely to be well designed and means you are supporting the designer, even if only a little. Paying for the template may also give you access to the creator to have questions answered or to seek help if things go wrong (but not always, so always check first!). Best of all, if you’re prepared to pay a little money for a template, you have way more to choose from! The best designs usually aren’t available free, so you’ll have a lot more choice with even a small budget to work with.

How to make save the date cards by printing from a save the date card template

If you’ve decided to use a save the date card template, whether paid or free, it’s worth doing your research into how to make save the date cards from home and how to print successfully. Plan properly and you won’t have to waste money printing your save the dates multiple times because you made a simple mistake. This is one of the easiest ways to save money on your save the date cards and to make it worth choosing print at home options. One of the fastest ways to lose money printing your own cards from a save the date card template is to end up using way more paper and ink than is really required for the job.

Printing your save the date card template properly will require different things depending on your printer, but these are our top tips for how to make save the date cards look incredible, even if they were done at home.

Choose high quality paper, and make it as thick as possible. Opt for the thickest paper your printer can handle - around 150gsm if possible. Feel it in the shop to make sure it feels luxurious and the thickness is right for what you want. Use a matte or linen finish if you can.
Test print one invite first, and take note of all your settings and choices so you can replicate the effect or tweak as you need to. Don’t ever just set it up to print all and hope for the best.
Keep an eye on things. Even if your test print was perfect, hang around during the printing process and check that the result is staying consistent throughout the print run. Printers can malfunction, paper can fall out of alignment, and ink can smudge. Again, don’t just set it to print and walk away.

Wording your Save the Date Invitations:

Wording examples to include in my save the date invitation:

There are four things you should include in your save the date:

Name of bride and groom – so that your guests know who is getting married, of course!
Wedding date – this is the point of the save the date invites, duh.
The city where the wedding will take place – This may not be necessary if all your guests live in the same town as you, but it’s usually best to make sure it’s clear.
‘Formal invitation to follow’, or something similar. This makes sure your guests aren’t calling you up about the ‘missing’ information. Of course, this is often implied by the words ‘save the date’, or just by the nature of the card, so some people choose to leave this off.

There are other things you can include if necessary, although in most cases these things are included in the actual invitation package sent closer to the date. You may wish to provide information about booking flights and accommodation at this early stage if you are having a destination wedding or a wedding occurring during a peak tourism season. Mostly, anything that your guests would need to prepare this far in advance, you should give them information about. For many weddings, this is nothing more than the date.

What information to leave off my save the date:

There are some things that are, according to tradition, simply not appropriate for wedding 'save the dates'. If tradition is the sort of thing you care about, you should make sure to leave these things off. In general, anything too detail-focused is frowned upon. In particular:

The time of the ceremony or reception
Specific locations (unless your guests need to know this information, e.g. if they should book rooms at a particular location)
Anything about gifts! Do not include registry details or requests for money.

Wording your save the date cards:

Save the date cards are the easiest part of wedding stationery when it comes to save the date card wording. If in doubt, it’s perfectly acceptable to stick with the bare bones of information: Your names, the date, and the city. No extra words needed. If only the wedding invitation and thank you cards were so simple! But of course your save the date wedding invitations don’t have to be so sparse. Depending on the overall style of your wedding, and your invitations in particular, you might go for something witty, humorous & funny save the dates, formal or romantic. Save the dates are a great opportunity to let your creativity run free, so this can be a fun chance to play with different save the date card wording ideas.

The first thing to consider is whether you have already sent out any correspondence. Did you send an announcement of your engagement or invitations to your engagement party? If so, you should avoid wording you're save the date too much like your earlier messages. If it sounds just like your engagement announcement, people are likely to be confused. You want to avoid them pausing when they check their mail and saying “Wait…Nick and Leah? Didn’t we already get this?”.

It is best, to begin with an understanding of the overall style of your wedding. This will inform the approach you take with your written correspondence. Once you have an idea of this, it’s time to get writing!

Elegant save the date cards:

If your wedding is going to be more of a traditional affair, you want to reflect that from the very beginning. You should make your Save the dates decadent and regal. Consider using more words to introduce information, rather than just stating the essential details. For example:

The presence of John and Elizabeth Bradbury is requested on the sixteenth of December two thousand and fifteen, for the wedding of Emma Ray and Lucas Davenport. Please reserve the date. Formal invitation to follow.

This may sound unnecessarily wordy written in a blog post, but printed on quality card stock in a decorative script, perhaps imprinted on the page with letterpress, it fits perfectly. Your guests will think they’ve been summoned to a royal ball.

Of course, fewer words can also be delivered with a classy touch. If you just want to include the information without embellishment, consider the design of the save the date carefully to ensure it is fancy enough to fit in with the rest of your wedding plans. Elegant save the date cards will set the tone for the day as a whole.

A casual save the date:

For casual save the date wedding invites, almost anything goes. Feel free to be creative with your wording. You could make up a rhyme, write your love story, incorporate some lyrics from a favourite song ore anything you can think of! At it’s most basic, though, you simply want to communicate the facts clearly. If the bare bones of it are not enough on their own, try this:

Please save the date! Luke and Sydney are getting hitched, January 21, 2016. Pencil it in, and we’ll get back to you with more details soon!

Or:

Save the date! Daniel and Jessie are tying the knot in Ballarat on June 3, 2016, and we want you there to celebrate with us! Invitation to come.

Just for you, we’ve put together a bunch of save the date wording ideas to help you out. First, we have a collection of snippets so you can mix and match to create your wording no matter what style you are going for! Following that is a set of templates you can use as they are or refer to for inspiration.

Below is a save the date infographic to give you the full anatomy for planning:

Wedding Save the Dates Ideas:

Ideas for seasonal save the date cards

Save the dates invitations are your guests’ very first taste of your wedding: they establish its signature style and hint at the feel of the day. You should be able to tell from a save the date whether the wedding will be formal or casual, classic or rustic save the dates, and so on. Understandably, you’ll probably feel a lot of pressure to get your save the dates right! So if you’re having trouble deciding on a theme for your wedding stationery, and worrying about those all-too-important reminders that need to be sent out so early in the piece, you might want to consider seasonal save the date cards.

Whether you’re having a magical white winter wedding or planning a warm, relaxed summertime affair, it’s easy to reflect the season stylishly and effectively in the design of your save the date cards. Seasonal save the dates have the bonus of hinting at what to wear, as well as the style of the wedding. An autumnal save the date, for example, will immediately remind guests that they might need to bring a coat along for later in the evening!

Keep in mind that your save the dates don’t necessarily need to match your invitations and other wedding stationery. You may prefer to keep them separate and unique. If you do prefer a matching suite, though, it remains super easy to incorporate key seasonal elements, motifs and colour schemes throughout all your stationery components.

Likewise, you don’t have to incorporate the seasonal theme of your save the dates into your overall wedding décor since it will remain relevant regardless thanks to the date. So if you don’t have another particular look or theme in mind yet, a subtle seasonal option could be the perfect choice.

Let’s take a look at some save the date card options for each of the four seasons.

Creating unique save the dates

Paperlust gives you full control to make your unique save the dates . Using our on-site design tool, you are able to drag and drop design elements, select your colour palette, enter your own information, and change fonts. You can see how your changes look in real time, undo anything you’re not sure about, and save your changes to show to others before finalising your purchase. Once you check out, our designers will tweak everything to make sure it is perfect, then send you a final proof to approve before printing.

If you’ve got completely unique save the dates that you’re hoping to incorporate in your design, consider having a Paperlust designer create a completely custom save the date card just for you. We work with you to make sure it’s exactly what you envisioned and perfectly reflects your needs.

Unique save the date ideas

Save the date invitations are usually simple in their wording, only containing information about the date in question, the couple’s names and perhaps a location. Hence, after a while, regardless of different design and paper choices, they can all start to look quite similar. For those who want to stand out from the crowd, unique save the date ideas will set you apart.

For that personal, homely touch, you can make edible items such as jars of jam for example, and your save the dates can be printed on sticker labels and attached to the jars. This could also be applied to any food items like cookies or sachets of tea blends or home made granola. Save the dates could also be made into gift tags in this case and tied onto an item that’s gifted along with the invitation. The arrival of these items in the post will definitely make for a memorable, unique save the date.

This isn’t limited to food items, perhaps for a beach wedding, you could collect seashells to send to your guests to increase anticipation for the future trip away. The shells can be a placeholder to attach the card to for a unique save the date idea for destination weddings.

Online save the dates: Why you should DIY save the dates online

It’s easy to find the perfect save the date cards for your wedding or event by shopping save the date cards online. Choosing save the date online invitations gives you a world of choices that simply can’t be replicated in a physical store, all from the comfort of your own home.

On Paperlust you can find save the dates for any style of event, whether it is formal, classic, or rustic. Our save the date invitations come in a range of print types, including real foil, letterpress, print on wood and white ink.

Our onsite design tool puts the control in your hands, with tonnes of options for customising your design. You can drag and drop design elements, delete them, and change fonts and text. Many of our designs come in multiple colour palettes so you can choose what works best for you, and our friendly team of designers are on hand to help make any other changes you need and to line everything up perfectly when you’re done to make sure everything looks great. Whether you’re looking for a black, blue, gold, green or other colour palette, our designs can easily be customised to suit your needs.

Another benefit of buying your save the date cards online is that it enables you to save and share edited designs to make sure your partner, friends, bridesmaids or family love your choice as much as you do. Once you have approved the save the date online invitations from wherever you are, you can finalise our order and have it printed and shipped to you in no time. Our designers come from all around Australia - from Sydney and Melbourne to Perth - so of course we ship all around Australia, and beyond! The beauty of online save the dates is that anyone, anywhere in the world, can enjoy the work of Australian designers. We think that’s pretty special!

Looking for virtual save the dates?

We have partnered with Joy to combine your order with Paperlust and create virtual save the dates on the Joy platform, and find a matching wedding invitation and matching on the day stationery here on Paperlust. The benefit of sending virtual save the dates is the overall process is a bit faster sending digital save the dates than getting prints done at this step.

Click here to filter by save the date design suites that have virtual save the dates on Joy.

Summer Save the Dates - Ideas

KEY COLOURS:

White

Shades of blue and green, from pale sea foam to deep royal blue

Shades of yellow, from bright gold to subtle sandy shades

POTENTIAL MOTIFS:

Seashells

Driftwood

White feathers

Nautical symbols and materials e.g. anchor, rope

Summer weddings are all about embracing warm weather and enjoying the outdoors. Many summer-loving couples will choose a save the dates for a beach wedding, which is an easy and effective theme to work with your save the date cards. However, the seaside isn’t your only warm-weather option. Garden and vineyard weddings – any ceremonies held outdoors – are also popular, and can make for some very pretty wedding stationery.

No matter which type of summer wedding you’re having, it’s best to keep things simple with your save the dates. You don’t want to cross the line into tacky territory by plastering the cards with enough palm trees for a Hawaiian shirt! Opt for a subtle approach, using one or two key motifs and an elegant, carefully considered colour scheme.

Autumn Wedding Save the Dates - Ideas

KEY COLOURS:

Reds and oranges, from burnt sienna to Burgundy

Shades of brown such as chocolate and coffee

Hints of sage or forest green

POTENTIAL MOTIFS:

Leaves and trees

Acorns

Pumpkins

The crisp air and scenic, leaf-strewn backdrop of an autumn day sets the scene for a beautiful wedding. The season’s naturally rich colour palette is ideal for stand-out stationery, too.

Autumn-themed elements work well in illustrated or photographic save the date cards. For a tactile, handmade effect, why not consider including actual pressed/dried flowers or autumn leaves? It’s the perfect chance to get creative.

Winter Save the Date Cards

KEY COLOURS:

White

Silver

Grey

Shades of blue, from frosty pale blue to dark navy

POTENTIAL MOTIFS:

Snowflakes/snow

Trees (e.g. bare branches, fir trees)

Silhouettes

Winter weddings provide the perfect opportunity to create a picturesque, striking aesthetic. From the snow-white wedding dress to the echoes of lace in a delicate snowflake, winter and weddings seem made for each other!

There are plenty of ways to incorporate this season into an elegant set of save the date cards.

Spring Wedding Save the Dates - Ideas

KEY COLOURS:

Pastel, bright or mixed shades of pink, green, yellow, purple, orange

Contrasting black or white space

POTENTIAL MOTIFS:

Flowers and plants

Fruits

Birds

Insects like dragonflies or bees

Ah, spring. It’s the time of new beginnings and blossoming buds: in other words, the perfect time for a wedding. Flowers are in bloom, and the weather is getting warmer, so garden, forest or country field weddings are particularly popular in spring.

Whether it’s to accommodate your locale or only to commemorate the season, a nature-based theme is perfect for spring save the date invitations. Florals are an obvious choice – they offer a broad range of beautifully decorative options, but there are other things you can do if flowers aren’t your style. For a less ‘girly’, more neutral option, you might like to concentrate on leaves and greenery other than flowers, which can open up a beautiful, minimalistic and earthy colour palette.

Don’t forget that we have some great tips on wording your save the dates. We’ve got you covered!

Another option: a save the date flyer

A save the date flyer is another option available for your save the dates. A save the date flyer differs from a traditional save the date card in that it is usually cheaper, printed on inexpensive paper and printed with a standard digital print technique rather than fancy print types like real foil stamping or letterpress. They also typically have more information on them than a standard save the date, especially if they come from a business and need to establish who the hosts are and what the nature of the event is. Flyers are a great choice for people who are on an extremely tight budget or who need to distribute a very large number of save the dates.

Save the date flyers usually aren’t chosen for a wedding or other big life event, since they are typically lower quality than people expect for these occasions. Instead, it is common for business or corporate save the dates to be made in the form of flyers, especially for an event like a store opening or business opening, a product launch or a big sale. In general, a save the date flyer is the best choice only when nothing else will do due to expense. It should only be used for an occasion where you are not connected with people receiving the save the date flyer, and do not need to mark a significant occasion with anything too special, this for example could be a save the date chirstmas cards, or a save the date for a baby shower. They are popular choices at conferences to remind people to start planning for the following year.

Professional save the date flyers are significantly higher quality than cheap flyers created with a standard printer or a photocopier. They can be full colour, glossy and on thicker paper stock for a more premium feel. This is great if you need to make an impression or want to represent your business or event in the best possible light, while still keeping things affordable. They also make the flyer more durable so it is less likely to end up shredded in the bottom of somebody’s bag.

If you’re considering a save the date flyer for your wedding or special event because you’re on a tight budget, consider saving money by ordering affordable save the date cards or even printing your own from a well designed save the date card template. This will give you a better result for an important event without breaking the bank.

Other save the date cards Paperlust sells

Save the Date Graduation cards

Your graduation ceremony is a time to appreciate all you have accomplished and celebrate with the important people in your life. Announce your graduation by posting out graduation save the date cards well in advance, giving your guest time to lock in the celebrations to come in their calendars. Paperlust offers a range of save the date cards graduation party cards and plenty of save the date graduation ideas to browse through. You can choose to go with a personalized photo on your graduation save the date cards, a save the date graduation postcard format or even sent out graduation save the dates so your friends and family can use to keepsake to remember your achievements.

If you're a student or you're planning a graduation party, you know just how big and important these kinds of events are; after all, they are a celebration of academic success and accomplishing something really significant, so it calls for a big celebration. And like any big celebration, you want to have some guests over to enjoy this moment with you, so graduation save the date cards are something you will want to include in your planning process.

Save the date cards are great to let your guests know you will invite them to an event so they can tell you whether or not they'll assist and just give them a heads up about the date so they can make sure they're free, or so they free up their schedule. It's important to dispatch save the date cards for a graduation party, especially because you want to know how many guests will be available to assist, and this way you won't put your guests in an awkward situation when they get a formal invitation and they're not able to assist.

When getting your graduation party save the date cards at Paperlust, you not only get a sea of options when it comes to designs, but you also are able to customize and personalize different designs. To do this, you can either get help from one of our designers or request a specific change to one of our designs on our customization design page, where you can set up the layout of your invitation and switch some things up to make sure it's perfect for your graduation party.

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