Well, no. Allow us to explain!
Sending save-the-dates is a relatively newer thing, for sure. But the world we live in today is very different than even just a decade or two ago. These days, very few people live in their hometown near all their family members. Families and friend groups are spread out across long distances, and the age that people get married is older than it used to be. According to the Knot, the average age of marriage in the US in 2025 is 32.
So why does that matter? Well, at 32 many people are established in their careers (or in the case of medical professionals, perhaps just getting into the “real” job world) and have demanding schedules without a lot of flexibility. Some potential groomsmen and bridesmaids may already be married with kids. Compare that to 1980, when the average woman in the US was 22 and the average man was 25 (Census data) at the time of marriage.
Alright, alright, where are you going with this?
The point is – save the dates didn’t used to be needed because:
- More people lived closer to home and would have their weddings in the family church / hall / etc. instead of lavish and unique destination weddings
- The length of time spent wedding planning was shorter as there were fewer options and considerations
- Younger ages at marriage and less need for travel to/from a wedding meant that there was more flexibility for attending
If you’re still with us, you might now be thinking “well exactly. That’s why I should skip save-the-dates and just send wedding invitations!”
Again, not so fast.
When to send save the dates is an important piece of your wedding planning timeline. Here at Dodeline, we recommend sending them once you’re inside of a year from your wedding date and up to 5 or 6 months before if you’re behind a bit. It’s still helpful even then!
A destination wedding save the date (because honestly, almost all weddings are destination in 2025) gives people the bare bones they need to know: whose wedding it is, where am I going, and what’s the date. A year out from your wedding, that’s about all you should put in writing because a LOT can change during that planning process. We can’t tell you how many times a couple has reprinted an invitation due to unforeseen changes, and that happens most often when you print everything too soon. It’s scary to consider but it can happen – venues can close, important life events throw a wrench in the plan, etc.
If you try to skip it because you’re not sure when to send save the dates and think they are redundant, you may find that you sent your information out too soon. For one thing, your guests have busy lives, so even though they are of course happy for you and excited about your wedding, they probably have a lot of information flying at them all the time. Only sending one thing about the wedding many months in advance is asking a lot of them to plan and remember and know their schedule so far out. That’s why a simple destination wedding save the date is important – give them a heads up a long time before the event, but then you need to give them a reminder and full details closer to the wedding (2 to 3 months).
So all that to say, trust the professionals! We’re really not trying to just sell you more stuff. Modern life has evolved to make the save the date a very necessary part of the wedding process, giving you the chance to get the major info out there while you finesse everything else. It’s also the perfect place to be a little more whimsical and/or use some of your engagement photos.
Here at Dodeline, we’ve been designing save the dates and advising couples on when to send save the dates for 15+ years. We would love to help you with yours! Follow us on Instagram or check out our website to see more of our work.
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