When to send save the date cards

[Carianne71]

Hi All, I would really love some advice please. I am getting married on the 4th July 2026 in Cornwall, we and the majority of the guests live in Essex. When should I send the save the date cards? I am thinking around February this year, but I am not sure. I am trying to take in to consideration that for some of our guests it’s a big financial commitment, also some guests may want to leave children at home and so need child care and also people may need to plan time off and family holiday time. Any advice would be much appreciated, thank you x

When my DD planned her long distance wedding, she gave 18 months notice.

Most people felt it was adequate for planning purposes.

18 months is far far too long. Is that a typo?

The 'rule' is three months ahead of time.

Three months is not enough time at all for a wedding that's far away for most guests. I think 18 months is fine eg early 2025

If you are coming from Essex it’s not a day trip to Cornwall, so as far in advance as possible. It’s very difficult to get accommodation there in the summer months without advance booking

It's not even in the same calendar year for anyone to mark ahead.

It's too long and easily forgotten. Might as well not send them at all.

I’d do it now. Summer dates get filled quickly and as it’s a Thursday, people may need to book time off work.

That’s not the rule at all!! I’d need at least double that for the actual invitations, let alone the save the dates! Remember these people are travelling as well, if it’s a touristy area then you’d need up to a year to book a reasonably priced room

According to the research I did on wedding etiquette, save the date 9 -18 months out, but, then invitation 3-6 months out.

You’re right, she may as well not send them at all as no one will be able to find accommodation to go with 12 weeks to go in the holidays 🙄

Certainly not this year! Maybe mid 2025? I’d mention it to people in passing as I saw them but I certainly wouldn’t send anything formal for at least 16 months or so.

Whenever you like. We didn't bother with them but told all the important people to us the date when we booked the venue instead.

I wouldn’t send save the date cards, waste of money. I’d just let all the important people know. Any save the date cards we receive go straight into the recycling box.
invite me to your wedding 3-6 months before it’s happening not 2 years in advance

holiday requests for my work don’t open until 1st January of that year .

Where do you work that you can book time off two and a half YEARS in advance?!

OP send them a year in advance and that will be plenty time.

We sent ours four months out because that’s when we booked it!

Only people unable to make it were those abroad, with serious illness or having a baby that month.

I would say less than a year in advance for sending them, but let close people know it’s been booked for that month so they can check before booking any holidays if they want.

Fair enough I missed the 2026 date (and it’s a Saturday, rather than a Thursday) .

I’d still let family know now.

I'd send them a year ahead.

I received one in December for a wedding November 2024. Grateful as a popular area for weddings (not UK) and relatively little accommodation. Most guests are local.

DD has to book time off now to ensure she can go.

I’d say about a year is fine.

Most people who travelled for DD’s wedding booked accommodation a year ahead, especially big family groups who needed large houses (aka ME!).

For a regular wedding, I’d say we get a save the date 9/10 months ahead.

Feb 2025

August 2025

Everyone we knew was aware of the date so didn't send cards

Over 2 years is madness. No one will remember. 6-9 months tops. It's not like it's abroad.

Just because of the locations involved I would say save the dates early , about 9 / 12 months in advance . Anyone going from Essex to Cornwall is going to need to book accommodation, and that’s going to start to get booked 12 months in advance in a lot of Cornwall for normal holidays . Also for example, I book all of my time off work as soon as the holiday diary opens approx Oct the previous year , and start to book actual holidays at the same time , so by January of any given year I’ve already allocated all of my holiday time . I think we booked accommodation for our daughters wedding about 6 months in advance and that was only half an hour down the road .

For a destination wedding which I'd class yours as 18 months before. We actually attended a wedding in Cornwall 2 years ago and we booked our accommodation 12 months in advance, when I had another look 6 months before (we could fully cancel ours still at this point so checked to see if there was anything better) there was hardly anything left to book.