Save the Date cards

missknixon

We only booked our wedding in July for 30th October. We never sent save the dates but then we never told anyone we were even planning to get married - we got engaged not long after getting together.

I did however make a phone call to all of the immediate family and the day guests - my auntie was just waiting for a call back about her holiday return date when I rang - she was hoping to extend it! The original plan for the holiday was to come back on the Sunday but the tickets came with Saturday am on! She quickly decided that the tickets were meant to be and so rang them back! I have not been strict with the evening event but have been with the day time - fire regulations say 40 so we have 40 guests!

RainbowDrops

Save the dates aren't essential, but they are handy to give people a pre warner around 9 months before the wedding to keep the date free.

I've received them a few times, and the times I've received them, they've been really handy (for starters, I'm rubbish at remembering dates, so getting a physical card rather than being told, means I can have a prompt to stick it in my diary).
Also, they've meant that I've been able to book hotels at cheap rates when rooms are first released, or book time off work before my colleagues beat me too it!

Anyway, back to the original question, I would say tread carefully when deciding who to send the save the dates too.
If you send them to evening only, they may assume they're going to get invited to the whole thing. However, if you don't send them to these guests, they might hear about other people getting them, then assume you're not inviting them at all.

Gemmzie

We're sending them to day guests with Christmas cards this year for a June 2012 wedding - because it's the biggest bank holiday of the year and we've already heard talk within OH's family of another couple considering booking the same date!