As soon as you get engaged, you need to start preparing your Save the Dates and invitations. You don’t have to send them out immediately, but don’t wait too long. And yet many people are not sure what to put on these cards. In this article we will share some thoughts on what to say, and when to send your cards.

Prepare 6 to 8 Months Before
You need to send out Save the Date cards anywhere from 6 to 8 months in advance. If you are going to have a destination wedding then it needs to be as soon as possible. If you’re going to have a wedding of mostly local people then you can send out the Save the Date cards a little bit later. But you need to make sure people have enough advanced notice so that they can book their calendars. And if it’s a destination wedding that they can start looking into travel and hotels. Make sure on the Save the date Cards that they are clear. That they have your name, the date and the general location. If you don’t have a specific venue yet that’s okay. But if you’re planning to get married in Hawaii while you live in Iowa then you need to make sure people know you’re not getting married in Des Moines. Also, make sure the cards show some personality. You probably don’t have your color scheme yet but that doesn’t mean the cards have to be boring. Include a photo or something else personal about you to that you can include on the card. After the Save the Date you will need to start planning to send out invitations.

2 to 4 Months Before The Wedding Send The Invitations
Wedding invitations are a must for your wedding guests. If you have a destination wedding then you need to plan to send out the official invitations about four months before the wedding. Again you want to make sure your guests have enough time to make their booking. And to get time off from work if required. This is also where having a wedding website can be useful. Because on the wedding website, it would be easier for you to include directions or travel recommendations. For example, if you decide to have a destination wedding on a cruise maybe you can hook your guests up with a travel agent who’s working with you. On the wedding invitation, it should match to your wedding theme. This includes the colors and any related decorations.

How To Word Your Invitations
Wedding invitations have a traditional wording format. This is not a time to get cute. Not that people are expecting formality from you. But rather demand clarity.

Here is a simple example when invitation is coming from the bride’s side:

Mr. And Mrs. Thomas J. Kirk
request the pleasure of your company
to the marriage of their daughter, Tina
to Roy Nicholas Benning
Son of Mr. And Mrs. Brian K. Jackson

If it comes from the groom’s family, just flip the order.

And just as with a save the date invitation, make sure to include if single people can bring a guest.

Before you have your wedding you need to send out cards to let people know when the wedding is. This starts with Save the Date cards. And continues with the full invitation. While it is important that these cards be personal they should be clear. Make sure people know when and where the wedding will be. And if it’s a destination wedding make sure you send these cards out in plenty of time for people to make travel plans. I hope this article helps prepare you for sending out your wedding invitations.

This is a guest post by Mark Wilcox. He’s the founder of Wedding Intro which helps brides reduce their stress by providing simple and clear wedding planning information.