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If you've ever planned (or are planning) a major event like a wedding, you've doubtless heard of save the dates. But did you know that they're a relatively new concept on the party scene (by new, we mean within the last 20 years!)? Considering how busy everyone is and how much planning goes into an occasion like a wedding, we think the save the date is the best thing to happen to the wedding industry since cake. These simple cards serve as a heads-up for your friends and family, allowing them to mark their calendars and make necessary arrangements to attend your big day. Sending a save the date is relatively easy—especially if you use a digital save the date invitation from Evite—but to ensure proper timing and etiquette, here's a guide on when and how to send save the dates for your wedding or event.
What is a save the date?
A save the date is a preliminary announcement sent to your desired guest list before you send the formal wedding invitations. It includes key details such as the event date, city and state, and lets your recipients know to reserve your chosen date on their calendars. While save the dates are commonly associated with weddings, they can also be used for other milestone events, such as anniversaries, birthdays or corporate gatherings. Basically, if it's an important event and you want to ensure your dream guest list can make plans to attend, sending a save the date can help make it happen!
Do you have to send a save the date?
Short answer: No. Long answer: Sending save the dates is considered a thoughtful gesture, especially for events with a considerable guest list or when planning a destination wedding. They give your friends and family ample time to make travel plans, book accommodations and ensure they can be present to celebrate with you. So while they aren't mandatory, they definitely make planning easier for everyone involved and help achieve your ultimate goal: being surrounded by your loved ones on your big day!
When should you send out the save the dates?
"How early should you send save the dates?" is a common (and excellent) question to ask. Generally, it's advisable to send save the dates about six to eight months before the wedding or event. This timing allows guests to mark their calendars and make any necessary travel arrangements, particularly if they need to plan around work or school schedules. Four to six months before the wedding ceremony is also acceptable, but remember—the early bird gets the dream guest list! For destination weddings or events that require more extensive travel plans or take place during peak travel times like the holidays, consider sending save the dates up to a year in advance to ensure your family and friends can attend.
When is it too early to send save the dates?
If your wedding or event is more than a year away, it's best to hold off on sending save-the-dates until you have finalized your wedding date and venue. Plus, sending save the dates too far in advance can lead to confusion or even forgotten commitments as plans are more likely to change over a long period of time. Remember—it's not like a dentist appointment where you can opt to reschedule as the date approaches!
What should you include on your save the date cards?
- Request guests to "Save the date"
- Add the names and occasion for the event
- Provide the date of the event (time of event not required)
- Include the city and state where the event will be held
- Optional: Note that a formal invitation will follow
- Optional: Share your wedding website
Along with your names (or event name if it's a business event), the save-the-date should prominently display the event date and the city and state where the wedding or event will take place. Long story short—keep it simple and to the point. You can also add a brief message expressing your joy and a reminder that formal invitations will follow. If you have a wedding website, consider including this to allow guests to find more information about the upcoming celebration and get excited!
Who gets a save the date?
Save the dates should be sent to all family members, close friends and anyone else you wish to attend your wedding or event. Essentially, anyone who will receive an invitation later should receive a save the date. It's very important to compile an accurate guest list before sending out save the dates to avoid any omissions or miscommunications later on. If they receive a save the date, they will expect a formal invitation later on, so make sure your guest list is final before sending out the save the dates.
Does the save the date have to match the wedding invitation?
While it's not necessary for the save the date to perfectly match the wedding invitation, most couples prefer to maintain a consistent theme or design throughout their wedding stationery. This creates a cohesive and visually appealing experience for your guests from the initial save the date to the final wedding invitation. Evite offers a plethora of wedding suites featuring designs for save the dates, bridal showers, wedding ceremonies, receptions and even thank you eCards. However, if you haven't yet decided on your final wedding invitation theme, we recommend still sending out your save the dates in a timely manner as the most important thing is to get the word out to your prospective guests that they made the cut. In this scenario, opt for a save the date design that still fits the vibe of what you're thinking of for the wedding invitation or one that goes with anything. A save the date personalized with a photo is a great choice!
What should you do before sending save the dates?
Firstly, ensure you have confirmed your wedding date and venue, as this information is crucial for the save the date cards. While you can always update the details on your paperless Evite save the date, your guests may not be able to change their plans quite as easily! Additionally, if you have engagement photos you would like to incorporate, make sure you have them ready before designing your save the date cards.
Other save the date etiquette to keep in mind
It's important to remember that save the dates are not wedding invites. They are simply a way to give your loved ones a heads-up about your event and allow them to make initial arrangements. Again, it's essential to only send save the dates to those you are sure will receive a formal wedding invitation. So don't forget to send your actual wedding invitations with all of your big day's details for guests to RSVP to. Once you're ready to send your wedding invitations, check out Evite's guide to wedding invitation wording and formatting for everything you need to know about crafting the perfect invitation!
Save the date design ideas
Okay, now that we've discussed the necessary save the date details and etiquette, it's time to talk about how much fun a save the date is to create! Think about it—your save the date is likely your first chance to share your wedding or event vision with your guests, so don't let that opportunity pass you by. Your chosen design can truly set the tone for your big day, so think about what you want it to say visually.
Photo save the dates
Put those romantic engagement photos to good use!
Classic save the dates
Two wedding themes that will never go away: monograms and florals.
Minimalist save the dates
Keep it simple, sophisticated and chic.
Destination save the dates
Tropical paradise or scenic desert landscape, there’s a design to match!
Modern save the dates
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Solidify your status as the fun couple.
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What makes Evite SignUp Sheets different from other signup tools?
Developed hand-in-hand with community organizers, PTA presidents, parents and teachers, Evite's signup sheets are designed to make organizing volunteers a breeze. Here are a few ways SignUp Sheets are different than other signup tools:
- 100% free: SignUp Sheets are free to use.
- Ad-free: No popup ads ever! Our signup sheets remain clutter-free, keeping your volunteers focused on signing up.
- No extra login required: Seamlessly use your Evite account to create and manage your signup sheets, keeping all your events in one convenient location.
- Automatic reminders and notifications: Stay on top of your event with automated reminders and notifications for you and your participants. Perfect for busy parents, teachers and anyone juggling multiple commitments.
- Customization options: Tailor your signup sheets to your specific event, whether it's a school fundraiser, potluck, volunteer opportunity or team activity. Add custom tasks, time slots and requirements for smooth coordination.
- User-friendly experience: Our intuitive interface makes creating and sharing signup sheets simple for everyone, regardless of tech experience.
- Real-time updates: Get instant notifications whenever someone signs up or makes a change, so you always know where things stand.
Choose Evite SignUp Sheets for the easiest, most streamlined way to get volunteers and signups for your next event!
What is a SignUp Sheet?
Signup sheets are the perfect way to streamline scheduling, volunteer recruitment, class parties, snack duty, potluck organization, parent-teacher conferences and more! You can think of them as your digital assistant for coordinating events and tasks and ensuring that your event is a success.
Evite SignUp Sheets offers parents, teachers and event planners customizable online forms that organizers and volunteers can access and update effortlessly. Volunteers can choose their preferred time slots, sign up for tasks or indicate what they'll bring to the event. It only takes organizers a few minutes to create a signup sheet and send it out with a shareable link, so they can get the word out via text, email or social media—whichever way they prefer!
Long story short, SignUp Sheets save everyone involved tons of time, avoid scheduling headaches and ensure everything runs smoothly before and during the event.
How do I create a SignUp Sheet?
Creating a signup sheet has never been easier than with Evite! Here’s how to create a sheet that’s sure to make your event an absolute success:
- Go to Evite SignUp Sheets and choose the template that best fits your needs. Evite offers multiple signup sheet templates perfect for every occasion, including:
- Signup sheets for one day events (without different time slots), perfect for when you’re organizing a class party, potluck or end-of-season party.
- Signup sheets for single or multiple day events (with time slots), perfect for when you’re organizing concession stand volunteers, fundraisers, parent-teacher conferences, meal train, post-game snack duty or during appreciation week.
- After selecting your sheet template, create a title for your signup sheet and add the date, the location, the time (if applicable), who the organizer is, the organizer’s phone number or email and an optional note describing the event to your volunteers. You can also change your signup sheet background and title image if you wish!
- Next, create slots for your signup sheet. If you aren’t logged into your account, you will need to do so at this point, but luckily, you can use your existing Evite account (no need to create yet another login!). What you’ll include here will depend on what your event needs, but you can include a list of what’s needed (along with optional descriptions), how many volunteers are needed, and dates and times.
- After creating your slots, you can then add a wish list from any retailer or include supply suggestions from Evite’s retailer partners. These are to help your volunteers find and purchase supplies quickly and easily.
- Finally, review your sheet, copy your shareable link and send it out to everyone on your list! Every time a volunteer signs up for a slot on your signup sheet, Evite will email you. We will also send reminders to you and your volunteers before your event so no one will forget about it, and we’ll even let volunteers know if you remove their slot or cancel your event sheet so you don’t have to!
What information should be included on a SignUp Sheet?
When it comes to signup sheet information, there are some essentials to include regardless of what you’re organizing:
- A title for your signup sheet. Tip: Aim to keep your signup sheet title concise but clear. You want volunteers to read it and have a general understanding of what your event is about, and also make it easy for them to look for later if they need to reference your sheet again. You have the option to include a more descriptive note in a different field about your event, so save the more in-depth details for that!
- When and where the event is taking place.
- The organizer’s name and phone number.
- Slots for volunteers to choose from. Once you choose the SignUp Sheets template that fits the occasion, the slots you’ll need for your sheet will be right there and ready for you to add the relevant info, such as dates, times, items to bring and tasks to complete.
When adding your slot information, clearly define what people are signing up for, especially for a what-to-bring list or role assignments. If you want someone to bring healthy snacks for kids to enjoy after a game, specify that. You want your volunteers to feel confident in what they’re bringing and to make it easy for them to know what’s expected of them. It will save them time and stress (and you, too!). That being said, if you make your ask too specific (for example, asking for a hard-to-source item or something expensive), you may not end up with a volunteer for it. So be clear about what you expect, but also be reasonable!
Aside from providing the basic signup information, you can also add optional descriptions to both your entire signup sheet and individual slots. While not required, they can help guide your volunteers further and provide more information. You can add information about allergies, preferences and general info about the event. You can also add a wish list to make it easier for your volunteers to bring exactly what you need!
What are the benefits of using a SignUp Sheet template?
Signup sheet templates offer a ton of advantages for both organizers and volunteers and with Evite SignUp Sheets, you'll enjoy even more benefits than other digital and paper signup sheets! Some benefits our signup sheet templates offer include:
- A 100% free experience (no subscriptions required!).
- Shareable links for quick and easy sharing.
- No need to create another login—you can use your existing Evite account.
- The option to add a wish list to help your volunteers out.
- Automatic reminders—we’ll remind everyone on your behalf.
- An easy-to-use experience with eye-catching guided templates.
- Clean, modern designs with no pop-up ads.
With Evite SignUp Sheets, you can enjoy organizing and coordinating all your events with ease. Signup sheets streamline the signup process for everyone involved, ensuring that everything will go to plan on the day of your event while saving you precious time in the process.
