Quick answer: good save the date wording is short. Include both your names, the date, the town or venue, and a line saying an invitation will follow. For example: “Save the date for the wedding of Amara and Tom, Saturday 12 June 2027, York. Invitation to follow.” UK couples commonly send them nine to 12 months ahead.
Save the date wording does not need to be clever. Your guests will glance at it, check their calendar and stick it on the fridge or in a note on their phone. The clearer it is, the better it works. Below are the essentials, short examples you can copy or adapt, and a simple guide to timing, so your guests keep the date free and your invitations land well.
What should a save the date say?
A save the date needs four things: your names, the date, the place and a line saying an invitation will follow. That is all. Times, dress code, the menu and gift details belong on the invitation itself.
- Your names: first names are fine, or full names for a more formal feel.
- The date: written in full, with the day of the week, so nobody misreads it.
- The place: the town or city at least, or the venue name if it is confirmed.
- “Invitation to follow”: so guests know more detail is coming and do not wait for a reply request.
If many of your guests will travel, a short extra line helps, such as “We would love you to make a weekend of it”. Keep it to one line, so the date stays the star.
What are some save the date wording examples?
Choose the tone that fits your wedding, then swap in your own details.
Classic
Please save the date for the wedding of Amara Okoye and Tom Bennett. Saturday 12 June 2027, The Grange, York. Formal invitation to follow.
Short and simple
Amara and Tom are getting married. Saturday 12 June 2027, York. Save the date. Invitation to follow.
Relaxed
We’re getting married! Keep Saturday 12 June 2027 free for a celebration in York. Details soon. Love, Amara and Tom.
From your parents
Together with their families, Amara and Tom invite you to save the date for their wedding on Saturday 12 June 2027 in York. Invitation to follow.
A weekend wedding
Save the weekend of 11 to 13 June 2027 for the wedding of Amara and Tom in the Yorkshire Dales. Invitation and travel details to follow.
Evening guests
Please save the evening of Saturday 12 June 2027 to celebrate the wedding of Amara and Tom in York. Invitation to follow.
If you invite some guests to the day and others to the evening, make that clear on the save the date as well as the invitation, so nobody books a train for the ceremony. Our guide to wedding invitation wording shows how to carry the same tone through to the invitation.
How do you word a save the date if the venue is not booked?
Use the town or region instead of the venue, and let the invitation fill in the rest. For example: “Save the date: Amara and Tom, Saturday 12 June 2027, North Yorkshire. Venue and invitation to follow.” Only send save the dates once your date is fixed, though. Changing a date after guests have booked time off is far harder than waiting a few weeks.
When should you send save the dates in the UK?
Commonly nine to 12 months before the wedding. Bridebook’s wedding stationery guide (updated 13 July 2026) says save the dates are typically sent nine to 12 months ahead, with formal invitations following six to eight weeks before the wedding. For a destination wedding, or a date in the school summer holidays or over a bank holiday weekend, give guests as much notice as you can.
Before you send a single one, make sure your guest list is settled. Every save the date is a promise of an invitation, so it is much easier to add guests later than to take one back.
Where do couples get stuck with replies?
Save the dates are the easy part. The hard part comes when the invitations go out and the replies start. The time: answers trickle in by text, email, card and conversation, and someone has to write each one down. The chasing: a handful of guests always go quiet, and nudging them falls to one of you. The money: until every reply is in, you are paying your caterer for a guessed headcount. And the last-minute pressure: the week your venue wants final numbers is exactly when the gaps show. Our guide to setting your RSVP deadline helps you plan the timing.
How does AisleReply take the job off you?
When it is time for replies, AisleReply looks after them for you. Each guest gets a personal WhatsApp message and replies in the chat, in their own language. Meal choices and dietary needs come back in that same reply, so there is no second round of questions. Gentle reminders go out on their own to anyone who has gone quiet, and you can watch a live headcount build as the answers arrive. You keep your evenings, and your final number is ready when your caterer asks. Our guide to collecting wedding RSVPs on WhatsApp explains more.
FAQs
Do we have to send save the dates?
No. They are optional, and plenty of couples skip them for a small or local wedding. They are most helpful when guests need to travel, book time off or arrange childcare, or when your date falls in a busy summer or holiday weekend.
Should everyone who gets a save the date be invited?
Yes. A save the date is a promise that an invitation will follow, so only send one to guests who are definitely on your final list. If you are still deciding about someone, wait and send them the invitation.
Can we send save the dates by WhatsApp?
Yes, as long as each guest gets a personal message rather than a post in a group chat. Keep it short, with your names, the date and the place, and tell them the full invitation will follow.
Do save the dates need an RSVP?
No. A save the date only asks guests to keep the date free. Ask for replies on the formal invitation, with a clear reply date, so you are collecting answers once, when guests have all the details.
The short version
Keep your save the date short: your names, the date, the place and “invitation to follow”. Send it nine to 12 months ahead, only to guests on your final list, and save the details and the reply request for the invitation. For more help with the replies side of your wedding, browse the rest of our guides or see how AisleReply works.
Let your guests reply on WhatsApp
A personal message for every guest, replies in one place, a live headcount for you, and gentle reminders for the ones who go quiet.