Congratulations, you’re engaged! Now it’s time to get organized—and one of the first steps is to let your guests know when you and your partner are tying the knot. Choosing the right save the date wording helps guests understand when your wedding is happening, where it will be and what they need to do next, without overwhelming them with too much information too early.
Whether you’re having an intimate backyard celebration or elaborate destination wedding, our tips will help you to understand what to include and what not to include on your save the dates, plus save the date examples you can copy and paste or customize to suit your personality and wedding style.
- Save the dates are sent ahead of your formal wedding invitation to let guests know when and where your wedding will take place, so they keep the date free.
- Clear save the date wording helps guests understand when and where your wedding is happening.
- When writing save the dates, you should include your names, the date and the approximate location.
- You don’t need to include more detailed information like timing or dress code on save the dates—that comes later when you send out invitations.
- Different formats like postcards, magnets and photo cards work best with different wording.
Save the date etiquette and tips
Save the dates are the first piece of wedding stationery that you’ll send out, usually around 6-12 months before the big day. They’re a pre-invite to let your guests know the wedding date and location, so they can keep it free. If you’re planning a local wedding, you don’t need to give as much notice. But if you’re expecting a lot of people to travel or are hosting a destination wedding, send your save the dates on the earlier side.
Proper save the date etiquette also dictates that you should include the note “Invitation to follow” to make sure people know that more details will be on the way soon.
Here are a few more save the date tips:
- Lead with the location if travel matters. For destination weddings or travel-heavy guest lists, put the city, state or country near the top so guests immediately see where your celebration will be.
- Echo your wedding theme or tone. Whether your wedding will be formal, relaxed or rustic, a small hint of your wedding theme in the wording helps set expectations early.
- Make your celebration feel like an event. Short phrases like “Join us in the Rockies!” or “A seaside celebration awaits” gives guests a sense of what’s to come.
- Include a gentle nod to your story. A short personal line like “First comes love, then comes the date” can add personality without cluttering the essentials.
If you’re unsure about timelines, these guides on when to send save the dates and when to send out wedding invitations break it down clearly.
What to include on a save the date
Your save the dates are not official invitations, so you only need to include the minimal information that guests need in advance. Do include:
- Your names. Guests should know immediately who is getting married when they open a save the date.
- Your date. It might seem obvious, but include the full date—for example, Friday, September 16, 2026 or 10/16/2026.
- The location. Include the name of the wedding venue, if you already have one booked. If you don’t have a venue yet, just note the city, town or state where your wedding will take place so guests know whether they need to travel or not.
- Your wedding website. If you want to include details that won’t fit on your save the date, direct invitees to your wedding website for more information via a URL or QR code.
- Invitation to follow. Let your guests know that an official invite with more information is on its way.
What not to include on save the dates
Avoid overloading your save the date with details, as they come later. Things you don’t need to include on a save-the-date are the dress code, timings, RSVP deadlines or registry information. Save these details for the formal wedding invitation and your wedding website.
Considerations for save the date wording
Now that you know what and what not to include in your save the date wording, there are a few more things to think about before you start writing your message:
- How many dates do your invitees need to save? Is it a full day, an evening or a whole weekend?
- How will you address your save the dates? If you know a guest well and know who they’ll bring as a plus one, it’s good etiquette to address the save the date to both people by name. If you’re not sure, then make it clear at this stage whether the recipient has a plus one or not.
- Are you asking guests to RSVP now? Usually this comes later with the main invitation suite, but if you’re on a tight budget or have a venue with limited capacity, then you could include a note like “We’d love to have you but if you know now that you won’t be able to come, please let us know.” This way, you’ll have a clearer idea of numbers earlier on.
Save the date wording examples
Depending on what kind of wedding you’re planning, you can make your save the date wording traditional or informal, simple or funny. A good save the date message is clear, friendly and focused on the essential details. It tells wedding guests what date to hold and reassures them that a formal invitation is coming later.
Simple save the date examples
Save the Date
Emma and Alex
September 16, 2026
Austin, Texas
Invitation to follow
Mark your calendars
We’re getting married
June 4, 2026
Chicago, Illinois
Details to come
Please save the date
for the wedding of
Jordan and Taylor
10.08.26
Denver, Colorado
Invitation to follow
Formal save the date wording examples
These traditional save the date examples work well for formal weddings, keeping your save the date wording clean and classic. For formal save the dates, use full names and spell out dates.
Save the Date
for the wedding of
Jane Elizabeth Smith
and
John Paul Jones
Saturday, May Sixteenth
Two thousand twenty-six
Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Formal invitation to follow
Catherine O’Connor
and
William Donovan
Will be married
Fourteenth of June, 2026
Brooklyn, New York
Formal invitation to follow
Sunday, the Eleventh of November
Twenty-Twenty-Six
Please save the date
for the wedding of
Suzanne Lees and Maria Waterstone
Invitation to follow
Informal wedding save the date examples
If your wedding is more low-key, then more informal save the date wording can set the tone for the big day. Many modern couples prefer to use more conversational language for wedding stationery, even if their wedding is a formal event.
Mark your calendars
A date to remember
22/06/2026
We’re tying the knot
Come celebrate with us
Save our date
Tina and Samantha
August 11, 2026
Boston, Massachusetts
Invite to follow
A date worth saving!
Chris and Morgan
05.21.26
San Diego, CA
Details coming soon
Suzanne and John are
getting hitched
Save the Date
11/11/26
Orlando, Florida
Formal invite to follow
Destination wedding save the date examples
If you’re planning a destination wedding, it’s wise to include a little extra information on your save the date, like the name of the nearest airport or some brief travel information. This gives people a chance to organize themselves and book any flights or hotels in advance. Keep travel details light, however, directing guests to your wedding website for the rest. Destination weddings also provide the opportunity to excite guests about travel, for example “Come fly with us!”
Save the Weekend!
July 23-25, 2026
Emma and Alex
are getting married
Costa del Sol, Spain
Please see further wedding details at
[weddingwebsite].com
Love is in the air…
or it will be when we travel to Tahiti for our
Destination Wedding
11.12.2026
Save the Date
Love, Sam and Jo
Invite to follow soon!
Pack your bags…
as we journey to Italy to get married
11/11/2026
Laura Sterne and Michael Stone
Formal invitation to follow!
Meet us on the beach
Miles Pinkett and Jonah Housten
are getting married
September 25 2026
Cancun, Mexico
Want to include more details but don’t want your save the date to look cluttered? Use a save the date QR code to direct guests to your wedding website.
Intimate wedding save the date examples
If you have a small guest list with just family and close friends and need your RSVPs quickly, you may want to add a gentle RSVP note to your save the date to help with your planning. This can clarify guest list expectations early, while clear RSVP wording helps signal whether the invitation is for individuals, couples or households. An intimate wedding also means you can be more informal with your wording. For example, a simple “Save our date” sounds a little more personal than “Save the date for the wedding of…”.
We’re tying the knot!
Save Our Date
6/18/2026
Jenna and William
Ann Arbor, Michigan
(in Jenna’s parents’ backyard!)
Invite will follow soon
See more details at
[weddingwebsite].com
Rescheduled wedding save the date examples
If your wedding was postponed, then you’ll likely be sending a new save the date to the same set of people. Make it clear that this is a new save the date so it’s not confused with an older one. You can simply add a note saying “New date” or “Rescheduled.” If you’re in good humor about the rescheduling, then you can inject some of that into your wording, for example “Save the date – again!” or “This time we mean it.”
Let’s try this one more time…
Save the Date (Again!)
September 3, 2026
James and William
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Invite will follow soon
See more details at
[weddingwebsite].com
Rescheduled
Please save our new date
Tamsin and Greg
17/03/2026
San Diego, CA
Short save the date examples for limited space
A good save the date matches the tone of your wedding and fits the space available on your card. Short captions work best on magnets and photo cards, while postcards allow for slightly more detailed information.
Save the Date
06.18.26
Jenna & William
We’re getting married
09.03.26
Palm Springs, CA
Unique save the day wording examples
If you want something more personal or modern, there are plenty of alternative save the date examples to choose from.
He asked and she said “Yes!”
Zoey and Josh
07.24.26
Taos, New Mexico
Invitation to follow
Food, drinks, music. Need we say more?
Save the Date
Samie and Joey
11/09/26
Margate Beach Front
Invite to follow soon
[weddingwebsite].com
It Just Got Real!
Save Our Date
Tina and Samantha are
Getting Married (Finally!)
11/08/26
Boston, Massachusetts
Formal Invite to Come
More save the date wording examples
Save the Date
Joe and Andrew
are getting married!
4 September, 2026
A date to remember
Oakland, California
Formal invitation to follow
Our adventure begins
Willow Lorn and Reese Robinson
are getting married
25 August, 2026
Our house, Portland
Save the Date
Invitation to follow
Mark your calendars
We’re getting married!
Save the date for
Robin and Sam
11/09/22
Orlando, Florida
Invitation arriving soon
Please see further wedding details at
[weddingwebsite].com
Please save the date
to celebrate the wedding of
Sarah Cartwright
and
Anna Barnes
20 August, 2022
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Formal invitation to follow
Choosing your save the date format
Different save the date formats work best with different wording lengths:
- Save the date cards have space for names, dates, the location and a short website link.
- Save the date magnets are smaller, so make the text shorter and bolder for readability.
- Photo cards let the image lead, with minimal text on the front and details on the back.
If you’re mailing your cards, this guide on how to mail save the dates can help you plan sizing and postage.
Ready to create your save the dates?
The best save the dates are those that you can print confidently. Choose save the date wording and design templates that match your personality, wedding theme, format and guest list and then customize the names, dates and locations as needed.
