Wedding Planner NJ - Save Yourself the Embarrassment

We noted the other day the hubbub that was created when Prince William and Kate Middleton sent out "save the date" announcements by fax. It heralded the convergence of a modern convention with another modern invention. And, yes, the prince and princess of Serbia may have wrinkled just as many brows by showing how tech savvy they were to by sending back an RSVP via their own website. Yet what all this demonstrated was there really aren't any rules of etiquette couples can follow when sending out announcements.

But just because no one's chiseled anything into granite, doesn't mean common sense doesn't still dictate we follow certain guidelines.

What they are

A "save the date" announcement is a simple way to inform your guests you're getting married. With family and friends in far-flung corners of the globe, a simple newspaper announcement might not be enough to let everyone know the good news.

Particularly when guests are going to be jetting in from those four corners, a "save the date" card gives your guests plenty of time to make appropriate arrangements to attend.  Add in if you happen to live in a popular tourist hotspot or you're planning a destination wedding, a "save the date" note is a way to show you respect your guests' time.

Consider them also if your wedding will occur around a holiday, which are also popular times for vacations. And June might be one of the top months for weddings, but kids are also getting out of school and families are getting ready to pack up and hit the road for the summer. Your wedding plans could put your guests in a quandary if they've already made reservations and your invitation slides across the kitchen counter.

Moreover, with weddings costing so much these days and invited guests expected to pay for their own way, make sure that if you're inviting someone to the ceremony they're also getting invited to the reception as well. Not everyone needs to get a "save the date" card, but everyone that does needs to get an invitation too.

What they're not

At the same time, a "save the date" notice is not an invitation, so the recipient doesn't really have to save that date if they don't want to. The bride and groom shouldn't expect to receive any responses, though undoubtedly they will.

So what should a "save the date" announcement have? A good idea would be the following items as a minimum:

• The name of the couple getting married
• The date of the wedding
• The city and state where the wedding will be held
• And, as mention above, "formal invitation to follow" is good form

Beyond that, be as creative as you like. Check out these cute samples Style Me Pretty featured. Many bridal websites like The Knot allow couples to create their own wedding site so include that too on the card if you've made one.

With the formal invitation typically sent out a month or so before the wedding, wedding planners encourage couples getting married to send "save the date" announcements out four to six months ahead of time, even longer if the wedding is going to be on or around a holiday or at a destination locale.

A NJ Wedding Planner's Bottom Line

Save-the date cards have but one purpose and that's to let those who plan to attend the wedding make note that a date has been set. By providing extended notice to you guests, you're giving them the greatest opportunity to make travel plans, book the lowest rates, and secure accommodations for themselves.

Don't forget, though, these are a relatively recent development and "save the date" cards oftentimes are not only not required, they're not even expected. For couples looking to save money, they can be safely ignored without feeling they've committed a major social faux pas. Unless, that is, they wanted to fax them directly to the royal family.