Congratulations on your engagement! As you embark on the exciting journey of wedding planning this 2024, one crucial step to consider early on is scheduling an engagement session and send out your Save the dates.

When should I send out my save the dates?

Short Answer: Send them ASAP. If you google this question, you’ll get a ton of different answers- the top answer (as of 1/9/2024) will say to send your prospective wedding guests 6 months notice with save-the-dates. I think this is bull sh*t- Send it ASAP.

I’m sorry, that was crass, but hear me out- your loved ones and guests are the best. They are hustling, busy and popular people- They want nothing more than to celebrate your love and party down on your big day, but they have work events, family vacations and…(insert foreboding music) other wedding invites!

Here’s a true story:  My wife and I sent our Save the Dates out at 6 months before the wedding … When my wife’s maid of honor received the post card- she called us immediately. She was asked to be a MOH at another wedding with the same date and already RSVP’ed. My wife’s best friend couldn’t make our wedding because we followed that 6 month rule. Had we sent them those post cards earlier, that would have been a different story.

Our rule of thumb is to send out save-the-dates as soon as you have the venue/date booked.

So why is it so important to book an engagement session first and not the venue?

• Bad Weather or Scheduling issues

  There are about one billion things that can stop an engagement session in its tracks. The weather could be bad, your photographer might not have availability, you might get sick- Don’t get caught out in the cold. Plan ahead and have a backup shoot day.

• It takes a while for engagement photos to be edited.

  At Big Day, we realize just how important it is to get these photos out as soon as possible- we usually ballpark a few weeks to edit engagement photos. Use this time wisely- go visit venues, sign on the dotted line, and pick your date.

• Evaluate the Results:

  Assess the quality of the photos and ensure they meet your expectations. We never had a client complain about our engagement session shoots at Big Day, but if you don’t like what you get back and you planned ahead (because you read this article) you have the time/wiggle room and you can always try again!

• Create Beautiful Save-the-Dates:

  If you love the engagement photos, great! You can have a professional use the photos as a background for your save-the-date cards. Or save some money and do it yourself!

Your save-the-dates will be ready to send as soon as your wedding location and date are confirmed. If your guests are anything like me, they will appreciate the early notice for their busy schedules. If you want some fun inspiration for your engagement photos check out our other blog posts.