What You Need to Know

There’s no shortage of decisions you need to make when it comes to planning your wedding. In addition to selecting the right venue, dress, caterer, and band, you also need to think about the best day for the occasion. Do you want a Saturday in the spring? Or a Friday evening in the fall? Once you ultimately land on the date, it’s crucial to give your guests plenty of time to make plans to attend. In addition to ensuring they don’t have a conflict, your guests will need advance notice in order to book flights and reserve hotel rooms. That’s why some couples opt to send electronic save-the-dates, giving their invitees advance notice of their big day—without having to mail anything. 

However, while electronic save-the-dates can provide a quick, simple, and inexpensive way for you to get your nuptials into your guests’ datebooks—or your more tech-savvy friends’ cloud-based calendars, they’re not a perfect solution: You also run the risk of spam filters blocking your message or invitees deleting or losing your details. Before you decide to ditch a tangible card in favor of a digital-only notice, make sure you understand the pros and cons, as well as the process of sending electronic save-the-dates.

Are Electronic Save-the-Dates Acceptable?

Yes. While more traditional family members might raise their eyebrows at the idea of foregoing a paper save-the-date, modern wedding etiquette dictates that you can choose either a digital or hard copy format—or both. “Digital save-the-dates are becoming increasingly common and acceptable for both formal and informal weddings,” says Kiersten Rooney, co-owner, producer, and designer at LB Events and Design. “We live in a time where formalities are changing and couples put more emphasis on their personalities and style than they do etiquette overall. However, physical save-the-dates still hold a certain traditional charm, especially for formal events. Having both options available can cater to different preferences while keeping a formal touch for those who value it.”

How to Send Electronic Save-the-Dates

If you opt to send electronic save-the-dates for your upcoming nuptials, you may be curious about when to order them, how to send them, and any potential costs. Here, we explain everything you need to know. 

Where to Order Them

Electronic save-the-dates are available from professional design services, online mailing sites, and even do-it-yourself apps; Paperless Post, Etsy, and Bliss and Bone all offer artist-designed templates you can customize for your event, as well as the option to create an entirely personalized file. “If you really want to be creative, you can search and customize templates on Canva,” says Rooney. If you’re planning to send paper invitations, your suite designer may be able to create a matching electronic save-the-date. “It is not something I would say is typically advertised, though we know many of our stationers who can absolutely design the files,” says Rooney.  

How to Send Them

While digital save-the-dates can be delivered to your guests via text message or email, Rooney recommends the latter, which is easier to track with a mail service. To start, you’ll need to gather the email addresses and mobile numbers of every guest you want to invite—or those of at least one person in each couple or family, says Rooney. Though this can be a time-consuming process, it’s not necessarily more work than gathering the physical addresses for paper invitations. However, there are ways to make this to-do a bit easier. “We love Postable because you can email or text friends and family a link and it will have them fill out the contact page and consolidate everything in one place,” says Rooney. “It’s like an online address book!”

Some design companies offer a mass-emailing option, but if you choose to send the files yourself, Rooney recommends using an email service so that your message looks more legitimate—and is less likely to end up in a junk folder. “While it can be a manual (and tedious job) to send them one at a time, with an emailing server like Paperless Post or Mailchimp, you are able to input everyone’s email address in a template, and then upload that and send it all at the same time,” she says. “Canva is a great option in conjunction with an emailing service like Mailchimp or Postable to ensure that when sending a mass duplicate message, it does not get flagged as spam for your guests.”

What They’ll Cost

The cost of electronic save-the-dates can vary based on a number of factors, including whether you design the file yourself or hire a professional, whether you invest in an email service or send the files directly, and whether you opt for extra add-ons, such as a digital envelope liner or stamps. However, ultimately, they shouldn’t be a huge line item in your wedding budget. “Generally, around $100 to $150 is standard for about 150 save-the-dates—so a little less than a dollar per [save-the-date],” says Rooney.

The Benefits of Electronic Save-the-Dates

They’re Fast

Whether you simply personalize a pre-designed template or engage with your creative side and make something entirely new, you can produce and send an electronic save-the-date in an afternoon—or even an hour. “In my opinion, this is one of the biggest benefits of electronic save-the-dates,” says Rooney. “For couples who are eager to send out messaging because of a shorter planning timeframe, this is a great option. There is essentially no downtime once the couple has selected the design.”

They’re Trackable

Many sites that send electronic save-the-dates for you offer the option to track your files, so you don’t have to wonder if your guests received (or read) your notice. “You can see if the messages have been sent, delivered, and opened by all of the guests,” says Rooney. “This is a great way to know if you need to follow up with certain people, and overall gives you peace of mind knowing that the guests have received the information.” 

They Offer More Detail

A paper save-the-date typically offers only the basic information—the couple’s names, the date, and the general location. An electronic save-the-date can be much more comprehensive, giving you the ability to include direct links to room-reservation blocks, your wedding website, and other pieces of helpful information.

Potential Drawbacks of Electronic Save-the-Dates

They Might Get Flagged by Spam Filters

If you choose to save money on a mail service and send the files manually, many of your save-the-dates may end up in spam and junk folders. “The spam folder is definitely a concern of many who are considering electronic mail,” says Rooney. “Most mailboxes will flag a message as spam if it is duplicated and sent out to a mass amount of people all at the same time; the likelihood of the save-the-date going to the spam folder is really high if an emailing service is not used.”

They Get Lost in an Inbox

Even if your email does make it to an inbox, it’s possible that your guests will miss it, accidentally delete it, or lose it among the digital clutter that piles up in the months (or years) before your wedding date. “Even though it might seem surprising to those who are tech-savvy, there still are a good amount of people who are not,” says Rooney. “Aside from maybe an older generation, there are also plenty of people who just don’t check emails often or lose track of emails.” And expecting your guests to remember an email they received 12 to 18 months before a paper invitation can be risky. “This is what I’ve noticed with some of my clients—so many people forgot about it or filed it away and it was easy to lose track of,” she says. “A physical card is something that I think is more likely to be saved and more easily found.”

They’re Less Impactful

A save-the-date is the very first impression your guests have of your wedding, and an email or text oftentimes can’t replace the warmth and excitement of a hard copy, says Rooney. “Digital save-the-dates do not feel as thrilling as receiving a physical paper good in the mail,” she says. It isn’t just your older relatives who will be happy to see your name and date in print; everyone from your eight-year-old nephew to your maid of honor may get a rush of emotion when your save-the-date arrives. “While I understand the way of the world these days is very electronic and convenient, the magic of snail mail will always be near and dear to me,” says Rooney.