Quick answer: send save the dates 6 to 8 months before a local wedding and 8 to 12 months before a destination or holiday-weekend wedding. Don't send them earlier than a year out or later than 4 months out; under 4 months, send the invitation instead.
Timing is the part of a save the date that matters most. Send it too early and guests forget. Send it too late and they've already booked the weekend. This guide gives you the exact window for each kind of wedding, then a month-by-month plan. For wording and design ideas, start with our complete guide to save the dates.
The guidance below follows the planning editors at Zola, who recommend save the dates go out no earlier than 8 months and no later than 4 months before most weddings, with a longer runway for destination weddings.
The save the date window, by wedding type
| Wedding type | Send it | Latest |
|---|---|---|
| Local (most guests within driving distance) | 6–8 months before | 4 months before |
| Out-of-town guests flying in | 8–10 months before | 6 months before |
| Destination, in the US | 8–12 months before | 6 months before |
| Destination, international | 9–12 months before | 8 months before |
| Holiday weekend (Memorial Day, July 4, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, New Year's) | 8–12 months before | 6 months before |
| Peak season (June, September, October) | 8 months before | 6 months before |
| Small or micro wedding | 4–6 months before, or a personal message | 3 months before |
Why the long runway for travel? Flights and hotels cost more as dates get closer, and guests need time to request leave. For international weddings, some guests may also need to renew passports, so early notice is a kindness. There's more in our destination save the date guide.
When to send save the dates for a 2027 wedding
Here's the window worked out for every month of 2027, for local and destination weddings.
| Wedding month | Local: send between | Destination: send between |
|---|---|---|
| January 2027 | May–July 2026 | January–May 2026 |
| February 2027 | June–August 2026 | February–June 2026 |
| March 2027 | July–September 2026 | March–July 2026 |
| April 2027 | August–October 2026 | April–August 2026 |
| May 2027 | September–November 2026 | May–September 2026 |
| June 2027 | October–December 2026 | June–October 2026 |
| July 2027 | November 2026–January 2027 | July–November 2026 |
| August 2027 | December 2026–February 2027 | August–December 2026 |
| September 2027 | January–March 2027 | September 2026–January 2027 |
| October 2027 | February–April 2027 | October 2026–February 2027 |
| November 2027 | March–May 2027 | November 2026–March 2027 |
| December 2027 | April–June 2027 | December 2026–April 2027 |
If your wedding is in spring or early summer 2027 and you got engaged over the holidays, your local window is now. If the window has already passed, don't panic; see the late section below.
What to do before you send them
Zola's planning timeline puts the venue booking first, the website second and the address list third, all before the save the dates go out. In order:
- Book the venue and lock the date. Zola is clear that the venue should be 100% secured before you order or send anything.
- Set up your wedding website, even a simple one with the date, city and hotel information.
- Finalize your "definitely" guest list. Every save the date recipient gets an invitation; read the save the date etiquette rules first.
- Collect addresses, emails or phone numbers. For a digital save the date, phone numbers or emails are all you need.
- Book hotel blocks if guests will travel, so you can mention them.
Is it too late to send save the dates?
Under 4 months before the wedding, skip the save the date and send the invitation. Sending both so close together confuses guests and wastes money. Between 4 and 6 months, a save the date still helps, especially a digital one that arrives the same day, but send it right away.
If you're very late, a short personal message to close family and wedding party ("we've set the date, invitation coming soon!") bridges the gap until the invitation goes out 6 to 8 weeks before the wedding. For RSVP timing after that, see our RSVP deadline timeline.
Timing for special situations
- Long engagements. If the wedding is 18 months or more away, announce the engagement now and send save the dates in the normal window. Sending them two years out mostly means guests forget, or lose them.
- Guests with school-age kids. If many guests are families, a wedding in school vacation weeks needs the longer 8–10 month window so parents can plan around it.
- Guests who need time off approved. Nurses, teachers, military families and shift workers often request leave months ahead. Lean toward the early end of your window.
- Your engagement party. Don't hand out save the dates at the party unless every guest there is invited to the wedding. Mail or message them separately.
- A wedding on a holiday weekend. Treat it like a destination wedding and send save the dates 8 to 12 months out, because guests often book holiday travel early.
- Two events, two lists. If you're having a small ceremony and a bigger party later, send separate save the dates so nobody guesses wrongly about which one they're invited to.
When in doubt, earlier within the window is kinder than later. The only real risk of sending early is forgetfulness, and a digital save the date with a calendar button largely solves that.
Can you send save the dates too early?
Yes. More than a year out, guests forget, plans change and some of your details may change too. The exceptions are big international destination weddings and weddings on major holidays, where 12 months is reasonable. If you want to share the news earlier, announce the engagement and say "save the date coming soon."
How long save the dates take to arrive
Paper save the dates take a few days to arrive within the US and much longer overseas, and every address change means a returned card. Digital save the dates land the same day for everyone, which is why many couples send digital first and mail a few printed cards as keepsakes. That speed is the main reason couples in a hurry choose digital.
If you're inside your window right now, the fastest route is a digital design: pick a save the date design, add your names, date and city, and send the link by text or email the same day.
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