Save the date examples: 60 wordings to copy for every tone
A save the date needs four things: your names, the date, the city or region, and the words “invitation to follow.” Everything else is optional. Below are 60 save the date examples to copy, grouped by tone: formal, simple, fun, one-line, destination, small weddings and adults only, plus the message that goes with a digital save the date and wording for a change of date.
Most save the dates say the same four things. What changes is the tone: a black-tie ballroom wedding and a long weekend on an island don't sound the same. Pick the group that matches your wedding, copy an example, and change the names, the date and the place.
What every save the date needs
| Include | Optional | Leave for the invitation |
|---|---|---|
| Both names | Wedding website | Ceremony and reception times |
| The date | Venue name | Full venue address |
| City or region | A short line about travel | RSVP details and deadline |
| “Invitation to follow” | A photo or illustration | Dress code, registry, schedule |
Write the date in full when you have guests from several countries. 06/12/2027 means June 12 in the US and December 6 in most of Europe. “June 12, 2027” or “Saturday, June 12, 2027” can't be misread.
Save the date examples you can open
Wording is half of it; the other half is what guests see when they open it. These are four of our digital save the date designs, each one a live example you can open on your phone. Each has its own reveal: a golden heart to scratch, three biplanes spelling out three words, a lace envelope that opens, a sky that turns from day to night.
Save the date
Save the date
Save the date
Save the dateThe short wordings below (examples 7 to 12 and 41 to 46) fit these designs best: the animation carries the moment, the text carries the date. All our designs are on the save the date page.
Formal wording
For a black-tie or traditional wedding. Formal wording spells out the date and avoids abbreviations.
1. Formal, classic
Please save the date for the wedding of
Eleanor Grace Whitman and Thomas James Hale
Saturday, the twelfth of June, two thousand twenty-seven
Charleston, South Carolina
Formal invitation to follow
2. Formal, hosted by parents
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Whitman kindly ask you to save the date
for the marriage of their daughter Eleanor to Thomas Hale
June 12, 2027 · Charleston, South Carolina
Invitation to follow
3. Formal, short
Kindly reserve the date
Eleanor Whitman and Thomas Hale
June 12, 2027 · Charleston
Invitation to follow
4. Formal, with venue
Please save the date
Saturday, June 12, 2027
for the wedding of Eleanor Whitman and Thomas Hale
Lowndes Grove, Charleston, South Carolina
Formal invitation to follow
5. Formal, evening
Please save the evening of June 12, 2027
for the marriage of Eleanor Whitman and Thomas Hale
in Charleston, South Carolina
Formal invitation to follow
6. Formal, two families
Together with their families
Eleanor Whitman and Thomas Hale
ask you to save the date
June 12, 2027 · Charleston, South Carolina
Simple and classic
The wording most couples use. It works on a card, a digital save the date and a text.
7. Save the date · Maya and Daniel · September 18, 2027 · Napa, California · Invitation to follow
8. We're getting married. Maya and Daniel · September 18, 2027 · Napa Valley · Details to come
9. Maya and Daniel are getting married. Save the date: September 18, 2027, Napa. Invitation to follow.
10. Mark your calendar: Maya and Daniel, September 18, 2027, Napa, California. Formal invitation to follow.
11. Save the date for the wedding of Maya Chen and Daniel Ortiz · 9.18.27 · Napa · More soon
12. Maya and Daniel · Saturday, September 18, 2027 · Napa, California · Save the date
Warm and personal
When you want it to sound like you, not like a card.
13. We found the one, and now we've found the date. Maya and Daniel, September 18, 2027, Napa. Please keep it free for us.
14. Ten years after our first dinner, we're making it official. Join us on September 18, 2027, in Napa. Invitation to follow.
15. Our favorite people, in one place, for one weekend. Save September 18, 2027, for Maya and Daniel. Napa, California.
16. It wouldn't be our day without you. Save the date: September 18, 2027, Napa. Details soon.
17. We said yes. Now we're asking you to say yes to September 18, 2027. Napa, California. Invitation to follow.
18. Pencil us in, in ink: Maya and Daniel, September 18, 2027, Napa Valley.
Fun and playful
For a relaxed wedding and guests who know your sense of humor. Keep the date and place easy to find.
19. Cancel your plans. Actually, just that one Saturday: September 18, 2027. Maya and Daniel are getting married in Napa.
20. Warning: open bar ahead. Maya and Daniel, September 18, 2027, Napa. Invitation to follow.
21. We're tying the knot, and you're coming with us. September 18, 2027, Napa, California.
22. Clear your calendar, lace up your dancing shoes. Maya and Daniel, 9.18.27, Napa.
23. Spoiler alert: they finally set a date. Maya and Daniel, September 18, 2027, Napa Valley.
24. The dog approved. The families approved. Now we need you. Save September 18, 2027. Napa, California.
Destination weddings
A destination save the date should also help guests start booking: the region, the nearest airport or hotel area, and the website if it's ready. Our guide on when to send save the dates explains why these go out 9 to 12 months ahead.
25. Save the date for Lake Como. Sophie and James are getting married on June 19, 2027, at Villa del Balbianello, Italy. Nearest airports: Milan Malpensa and Linate. Invitation and travel details to follow.
26. Pack your bags: Sophie and James, June 19, 2027, Lake Como, Italy. Hotel suggestions on our website, invitation to follow.
27. Join us in Provence. Saturday, June 19, 2027. Sophie and James. Plan for a long weekend; details soon.
28. Save the date in the Cyclades. Sophie and James, June 19, 2027, Paros, Greece. We'll share ferry and hotel tips with the invitation.
29. We're getting married by the sea, and we'd love you there. June 19, 2027, Saint-Tropez, France. Book your time off; invitation to follow.
30. A wedding weekend in Marrakech: June 18 to 20, 2027. Sophie and James. Travel guide and invitation to follow.
The message that goes with a digital save the date
A digital save the date travels as a link. The message around it matters: people are rightly wary of unexplained links. Say who you are, what it is, and keep it short. Our guide on how to send save the dates by text, WhatsApp and email covers the practical side.
31. Hi Aunt Carol, it's Maya. Daniel and I are getting married, and here's our save the date: [link]. Can't wait to celebrate with you.
32. Hi everyone, Maya and Daniel here. We set a date. Tap to open our save the date: [link]
33. Big news from Maya and Daniel: we're getting married on September 18, 2027, in Napa. Our save the date is here: [link]. Invitation to follow.
34. Hi Sam, it's Daniel. Save the date for our wedding: [link]. Formal invitation coming this summer.
35. Hello, it's Maya and Daniel: we're getting married on Lake Como next June. Here's our save the date with the date and travel basics: [link]
36. Hi Grandma, it's Maya. I'm sending you our save the date: [link]. If the link doesn't open, call me and I'll tell you everything.
Change the date wording
If plans change after the save the dates are out, tell everyone quickly, on the same channel you used, with the new date stated plainly.
37. Change of plans: Maya and Daniel's wedding has moved to Saturday, October 9, 2027. Same place, Napa, California. Invitation to follow.
38. Please update your calendar: our wedding is now on October 9, 2027. Thank you for your patience. Maya and Daniel.
39. New date, same couple. Maya and Daniel will now marry on October 9, 2027, in Sonoma, California. More details soon.
40. Due to circumstances beyond our control, we have postponed our wedding. We'll share a new date as soon as we have one. Thank you for understanding. Maya and Daniel.
With a digital save the date, the page itself can usually be updated after sending, so anyone who opens the link later sees the new date. Still send the message: guests who already saved the first date in their calendar won't open the link again.
Short and one-line save the date wording
For a card with little room, a photo caption, or a design where the date is the reveal.
41. Save the date · Maya and Daniel · 9.18.27 · Napa
42. Maya + Daniel · September 18, 2027 · Napa Valley
43. We're getting married! 9.18.27 · Napa, CA
44. Save our date: September 18, 2027
45. Mr. and Mrs. to be · 9.18.27 · Napa
46. One date, two names, all of you: September 18, 2027.
Small weddings, elopements and courthouse weddings
For a short guest list, or a ceremony for two followed by a party. Say clearly which part guests are invited to.
47. We're keeping it small, and you're on the list. Maya and Daniel, September 18, 2027, Napa. Invitation to follow.
48. We're getting married at City Hall in June, just the two of us. Save September 18, 2027, for the party. Napa, California.
49. An intimate wedding with the people who matter most. Save the date: September 18, 2027, Napa Valley.
50. We eloped! Now let's celebrate together. Save the date for our reception: September 18, 2027, Napa.
Religious and traditional ceremonies
When the ceremony itself is the heart of the day. Name the ceremony; leave the times for the invitation.
51. By the grace of God, Eleanor Whitman and Thomas Hale will be united in marriage. Please save the date: June 12, 2027, Charleston. Invitation to follow.
52. With joy and gratitude, Eleanor and Thomas ask you to save the date for their wedding Mass, June 12, 2027, Charleston, South Carolina.
53. Please save the date for the wedding of Eleanor and Thomas, a ceremony and celebration with our families, June 12, 2027, Charleston.
Wedding weekends
For two or three days of events. Give the full span so guests book the right nights.
54. A wedding weekend: June 18 to 20, 2027, Lake Como. Sophie and James. Welcome drinks, ceremony and farewell brunch; details to follow.
55. Save the weekend, not just the date: June 18 to 20, 2027. Sophie and James, Provence. Invitation and schedule to follow.
56. Three days, one wedding, all of you. June 18 to 20, 2027, Paros, Greece. Sophie and James.
Adults only, plus-ones and second weddings
Most couples leave the adults-only line for the invitation and the website and simply address the save the date to the adults. For a destination wedding, where parents need to plan childcare months ahead, one soft line is kinder than a surprise later. Our guide to no kids wedding wording has 35 ways to say it.
57. Save the date: Maya and Daniel, September 18, 2027, Napa. An adults-only celebration; invitation to follow.
58. We're getting married on Lake Como on June 19, 2027, and the celebration will be adults only. We're telling you now so you can plan the trip, and the sitter, in time.
59. Second time's the charm. Maya and Daniel are getting married, September 18, 2027, Napa. Invitation to follow.
60. Ten years married, and we'd say yes again. Join us to renew our vows on September 18, 2027, in Napa.
Mistakes that confuse guests
- An ambiguous date. Write the month in letters if anyone on your list lives outside the US.
- No “invitation to follow.” Guests may try to RSVP, or wonder whether they missed something.
- Too much information. Times, menus and registry links on a save the date push the essential line, the date, out of sight.
- A link with no message. Especially on WhatsApp and text, an unexplained link looks like spam.
- Different wording for different groups. Everyone who receives a save the date expects the same invitation. If the wording hints at a different event for some guests, it causes questions later.
Wording on our save the dates
Each of our save the date designs has room for your names, the date and the place; you send us the wording after you order, and we place it in the design. Biplanes spells out three words in the sky, so it suits short wording; Élégante opens an envelope and suits a more formal tone; Lucky Us reveals the date when guests scratch a golden heart, so the date is the surprise.
Frequently asked questions
What should a save the date say?
Your names, the wedding date, the city or region, and “invitation to follow.” You can add a wedding website, but times, the exact venue address and RSVP details belong on the invitation.
Do I have to write “invitation to follow”?
Yes, or an equivalent like “details to come.” It tells guests this isn't the invitation, so they don't wait for an RSVP form or try to reply.
Should the venue be on the save the date?
The city is enough. Name the venue if it helps guests plan travel, for example a remote estate or a resort they will book directly.
Can we include our wedding website?
Yes, if it's already live with useful information. For a destination wedding it's almost essential, because guests will look for hotels right away.
How do you word a save the date sent by text?
Keep the text itself short, say who it's from and what the link is, and let the save the date carry the details. Examples 31 to 36 in this guide are ready to copy.
How do you word a change of date?
Say clearly that the date has changed, give the new date, and thank guests for their patience. Examples 37 to 40 cover the usual cases.
What is a short save the date message?
Names, date, place, and nothing else: “Save the date · Maya and Daniel · 9.18.27 · Napa.” Examples 41 to 46 are one-line versions that fit a card, a photo caption or a text.
Do you say adults only on a save the date?
Usually not: address it to the adults who are invited and explain on the invitation or the website. For a destination wedding, one soft line helps parents plan early. Examples 57 and 58 show how.
Designs in this guide
Save the dateSave the dateSave the dateA save the date that opens on their phone
11 animated designs, each with a live demo to open before you order. $29 per design, delivered within 3 business days; included with Signature.
Keep reading
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Guide · 6 min readHow to send save the dates by text, WhatsApp and emailHow to send a digital save the date by text, WhatsApp or email: individual or group, broadcast lists, link previews, avoiding spam, and messages to copy.
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