When to Send Save the Dates (UK Guide + Wording Examples)

October 2026 · 7 min read · By My Wedding Site

Save the dates are the first thing your guests hear about your wedding, and the timing matters more than the design. Send them too late and people have already booked their summer; send them too early and they get lost long before the invitation arrives. Here is when to send yours, who should get one, what to put on it, and wording you can copy.

When to send save the dates

Most UK couples send save the dates 6 to 12 months before the wedding. Where you land in that range depends on how much your guests need to plan:

A local wedding with mostly local guests: around 6 months before is enough. That is the minimum most UK wedding guides suggest.
A peak-season Saturday or bank holiday weekend: 8 to 12 months. June to September dates compete with other weddings and summer holidays, so earlier notice gets you more yeses.
Lots of guests travelling, or family coming from abroad: 9 to 12 months, so people can book time off, flights and somewhere to stay before prices climb.
A wedding abroad: 12 months or more. Guests are committing to a holiday as well as your wedding, and some will need time to save.

Your formal invitations then follow around two to three months before the day - our guide to wording wedding invitations covers those.

Book the venue first

Only send save the dates once your date and venue are confirmed in writing. A save the date is a promise: if the date moves afterwards, you have to contact everyone again, and some guests will already have booked around it. You do not need every detail settled - ceremony times, the menu and the running order can all come later - but the date and the town or venue should be fixed.

Who should get a save the date

Send one to everyone you are certain to invite, and no one else. The golden rule: anyone who receives a save the date must receive an invitation. If you are still working out numbers, hold the borderline names back until your guest list is final, rather than sending a save the date you might have to take back.

Evening guests: yes, if you know they are coming. They need the date as much as anyone - just make it clear theirs is for the evening reception.
Plus-ones: address the save the date to both people if a partner is invited, so there is no confusion later.
Children: if children are invited, include their names. If you are having a child-free wedding, a save the date addressed only to the adults is the first, gentlest signal, and the earlier parents know, the easier childcare is to arrange.
Your wedding party and closest family: they probably know the date already, but send them one anyway. People like to receive them.

What to include on a save the date

Keep it short. A save the date only needs to answer who, when and where:

Your names
The date
The town, city or venue (the full address can wait for the invitation)
"Invitation to follow", so guests know more is coming and do not try to reply yet
Your wedding website address, if you have one

Leave out timings, the menu, the dress code and the gift list. Those belong on the invitation or on your wedding website, where you can update them as plans firm up.

Want it designed for you? Our free save the date maker sets your names, date and place on a ready-made design you can download or send straight to WhatsApp.

Save the date wording examples

Copy and adapt any of these - swap in your own names, date and place.

Classic:

Please save the date
for the wedding of
Emma Clarke and Tom Hughes
Saturday 12 June 2027
Bath, Somerset
Invitation to follow

Relaxed and modern:

We're getting married!
Emma & Tom
12.06.27 · Bath
Save the date - invitation to follow
emmaandtom.com

Hosted by parents:

Mr and Mrs David Clarke
ask you to save the date
for the marriage of their daughter
Emma
to
Tom Hughes
Saturday 12 June 2027 · Bath
Formal invitation to follow

Wedding abroad:

Save the date
Emma and Tom are getting married in Sorrento, Italy
Friday 3 September 2027
Travel and accommodation details are on our website
Invitation to follow

Evening reception:

Save the evening
Join Emma and Tom for their evening reception
Saturday 12 June 2027 · Bath
Invitation to follow

A celebration over several days:

Save the dates
Priya & Arjun
Mehndi · Friday 4 June 2027
Wedding · Saturday 5 June 2027
Reception · Sunday 6 June 2027
Leicester
Invitations to follow

For a multi-event wedding, list only the events each guest is invited to. A wedding website with separate event pages, where every guest sees just their own events, keeps this simple - our Hindu, Pakistani and nikah invitation wording guides have more multi-event examples.

Printed or digital save the dates?

Both are completely acceptable for a UK wedding. Printed cards feel special and suit older relatives who like something for the fridge. Digital save the dates - sent by email, text or WhatsApp - cost nothing to post, arrive instantly, and are easy to update if anything changes.

Plenty of couples do both: a small print run for grandparents and close family, and a digital version for everyone else. If you print, add your website address or a QR code so guests can find the details later.

With My Wedding Site, your free wedding website link already works as a simple digital save the date: share it and guests see your names, date and details straight away. On Premium you can also switch on a dedicated digital save the date card, with your photo and an add-to-calendar button, and email it to the guests on your list in one go.

Common save the date mistakes

Sending before the venue is booked. If the date moves, you have to contact everyone again.
Sending to "maybe" guests. A save the date is an invitation in all but name - you cannot un-send it.
Forgetting "invitation to follow". Without it, some guests will try to RSVP straight away.
Too much detail. Timings and menus change; keep them for the invitation and your website.
Leaving a summer date too late. For a June to September Saturday, six months' notice can already be tight.

Next steps

Once your save the dates are out, the next jobs are your invitation wording and setting up online RSVPs so replies come straight to you. Our wedding planning checklist covers everything else, month by month.

Frequently asked questions

When should you send save the dates in the UK?

Most UK couples send save the dates 6 to 12 months before the wedding. Around 6 months is enough for a local wedding; aim for 8 to 12 months for a peak-season or bank holiday date or if many guests are travelling, and 12 months or more for a wedding abroad.

Is it too late to send save the dates 4 months before the wedding?

It is late, but not wrong. At four months you can skip save the dates and send your formal invitations a little early instead, or send a quick digital save the date straight away so guests can hold the date while the invitations are finalised.

Do you have to send save the dates?

No, they are optional. They matter most for peak-season dates, weddings where many guests are travelling, and weddings abroad. For a small, local wedding, well-timed invitations can be enough.

Does everyone who gets a save the date have to be invited?

Yes. A save the date is a firm promise of an invitation, so only send them to people you are certain to invite. Keep borderline guests off the list until your numbers are final.

Can you send save the dates by email or WhatsApp?

Yes. Digital save the dates are widely accepted for UK weddings and cost nothing to send. Many couples send a digital save the date to most guests and a few printed cards to older relatives.

What do you write on a save the date?

Your names, the date, the town or venue, and 'invitation to follow'. Add your wedding website address if you have one. Leave timings, menus and the gift list for the invitation.