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Home > Guides > Save-the-date timing
Mail save-the-date cards six to eight months before a local wedding, and nine to twelve months ahead for a destination wedding or a holiday weekend. That window gives guests time to arrange travel and request time off, without arriving so early the date slips their minds. Mail the card once the venue and date are locked, and treat it as a firm promise: everyone who gets one gets an invitation.
| Type of wedding | When to mail | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Local wedding, most guests nearby | 6 to 8 months out | Guests need only to hold the date; shorter notice is fine |
| Destination wedding | 9 to 12 months out | Flights, passports, and time-off requests take planning |
| Holiday or long-weekend wedding | 9 to 12 months out | Travel costs spike and schedules fill fast on holiday weekends |
| Wedding with many out-of-town guests | 8 to 10 months out | A middle ground when most guests need to travel |
Earlier than twelve months starts to work against you. People misplace cards, calendars change, and an engagement that long rarely has its venue and vendor details settled. There is one exception: if the date depends on something outside your control, like a relative's military deployment or a venue with a fixed annual schedule, a very early heads-up by phone or text is fine. Just wait to mail the actual card until the date is genuinely fixed. Reprinting and re-mailing cards because the date moved is expensive and confusing.
Far less than a formal invitation. Your names, the city, the date, and the words "formal invitation to follow" cover it. A wedding website URL earns its keep here: it is where out-of-town guests check travel details months before invitations arrive. Here is the part couples often miss: address the card to the exact household you will invite. Do not add a plus-one on a save-the-date if you are not sure that person will be invited, and do not send one to anyone who is not getting an invitation. Once mailed, a save-the-date is a commitment. Sending one and then quietly dropping someone from the guest list is one of the few real etiquette violations left in weddings.
Save-the-date cards are usually heavier than a standard letter, and the envelope shape can add cost. Square envelopes cannot pass through automated sorting equipment, so the US Postal Service treats them as nonmachinable and charges a surcharge on top of the standard rate. Dark or heavily textured cardstock can also slow machine reading. If you are mailing from Canada, Canada Post prices lettermail by size and weight bands, and an oversized card can cross into a higher band. When in doubt, take one finished, addressed card to the post office and have it weighed before you buy postage for the whole batch. A pile of underpaid cards coming back marked "postage due" is an avoidable headache.
Honestly, not the usual kind. LetterAgent prints standard 8.5x11 inch letters on single-sided paper in double-window envelopes; it is not a card printer and cannot produce photo cards, heavy cardstock, or odd-sized envelopes. Most couples order save-the-dates from a stationery printer or an online card service. Where LetterAgent fits is the formal letter-style announcement: a typed announcement letter to relatives or older guests who appreciate a full letter, quoted up front and mailed for you without an account.
Ready to mail it? Send your letter with LetterAgent: describe it to your AI assistant, approve the exact quoted price, and it is printed and mailed.
LetterAgent is a working name. Prices include print, postage, and our service fee. US prices in USD, Canadian prices in CAD (Canadian prices exclude applicable sales tax, added at checkout). Currently in private testing.
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