If your guests are local or you have a small number of guests that have to travel, your save the dates can be sent 4-6 months prior to your wedding. For destination weddings that require most or all of your guests to travel you’ll want to send them 6-12 month in advance. That goes for weddings during peak times, too – like Fourth of July weekend on Martha’s Vineyard, for example.

You literally want your guests to save the date for your wedding, so it goes without saying that the date and location should be included. Details like the time and venue are best saved for the wedding invitation, since you can’t be sure they won’t change. Destination wedding save the dates often include suggested accommodations, must-see attractions, and travel details, and if you’re using a wedding website you’ll want to include that, too. Don’t worry if you don’t have the particulars ironed out yet – the finer details can be included along with your wedding invitations or added to your wedding website as they are finalized.

Because save the dates lack the longevity of other wedding stationery staples they aren’t subject to traditional etiquette rules. What does that mean for you? To start, you can be as formal or informal as you’d like. You can use the save the date to set the tone for your wedding or you can treat it as a separate piece altogether. You can send a short and sweet card or you can send a trifold or grommeted package that provides a detailed glimpse of the celebration to come. There are no tried and true rules that must be followed, so have as much fun (or as little) with your save the dates as you’d like.

With over 300 wedding designs, we have save the dates for every wedding. Browse our save the date gallery or check out save the dates from these Bella Figura couples. All of our designs are customizable and can transform to meet your needs for your special day.

Jordan and Rory worked with our friends at The Papery of Philadelphia on the design of their palm tree wedding invitations for their recent Vizcaya celebration. The chose our Theon design in charcoal letterpress and bronze shine foil and added a simple palm tree motif that we carried throughout their suite, including on their custom envelope liner. The overall look epitomized Miami chic.

letterpress ink: charcoal | foil stamping: bronze shine | paper: bella cotton white 1-ply + 2-ply | foil edging: bronze shine | envelope: bella cotton white | liner: custom pattern in celadon | customization #40908

Katharine and William worked with us at our flagship store in Manhattan to customize our Annabell design for their Arizona wedding. We made some significant alterations to their desert inspired wedding invitations, including customizing the artwork to make it compatible for letterpress printing. Their custom liner artwork brought to life a vibrant palette and further tied in the cacti theme.

letterpress inks: marsala + blind deboss (no ink) | foil stamping: bronze shine | fonts: moravia + caleigh | edge painting: mesa | paper: bella smooth cotton white 1-ply + 2-ply | envelope: bella cotton white | liner: submitted pattern in cmyk | Bella Figura NYC | customization #39760

Natural brick, dark blue hues, metallic accents, and modern meets vintage style inspired designer Racheal Bumbolo’s Elon design. “Starting with the Cadillac Service Garage as my main source of inspiration, it was easy to pull elements together,” says Racheal. “Focusing on a clean modern layout was key – clean lines, classic typography, hand calligraphy accents, and hand drawn branches for a slightly eclectic feel.”

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We had the pleasure of helping Amanda and Daryl create their hand calligraphy wedding invitations for their vineyard wedding in California. Elizabeth Hardin‘s hand lettering was printed in classic black ink to compliment the vibrant palette introduced throughout their ceremony and reception by way of bright florals, vintage carnival glass and the incredible ocean view. Visit Style Me Pretty to see the rest of the wedding!

Stationery: Bella Figura | Lounge and Bar Rentals: Found Vintage Rentals | Linens: La Tavola Fine Linen Rental | Florist: The Southern Table | Hair and Makeup: Design Visage | Ceremony and Reception: Catalina View Gardens | Photographer: Charla Storey Photography | Cake: Sweet and Saucy Shop | Calligraphy: Harts and Quills | Rentals: Classic Party Rentals | Wedding Planner/Wedding Designer: Birds Of A Feather Events | Catering: Made By Meg | Entertainment: Vox DJs

Colleen and Matthew worked with our friends at Ipanema Press to create these classic black letterpress wedding invitations for their New York City wedding. They started with our ever-popular Deveril design but opted for a vertical layout on ivory paper for an ultra formal feel. They added a blind debossed border and an elegant flourish in tawny foil. Together with black envelopes and a black and tawny foil stamped liner, these simple additions exuded sophistication and understated elegance.

letterpress inks: black + blind deboss (no ink) | foil stamping: tawny matte | fonts: impression + danube | paper: bella cotton ivory 1-ply + 2-ply | envelope: bella black | foil stamped liner: pearse pattern in tawny matte on bella black text | Ipanema Press | customization #40840

Our friends at Inviting Place worked with Barbara and Arlo to create these golden anniversary invitations to celebrate their milestone anniversary and joint birthdays. We brought in our Bella Gray paper on the belly band and reply envelope to compliment the charcoal and gold matte palette used throughout the suite.

letterpress ink: charcoal | foil stamping: gold matte | fonts + artwork: submitted | paper: bella smooth cotton white 1-ply + 2-ply | foil edging: gold matte | envelope: bella cotton white | liner: custom pattern in charcoal | Inviting Place | customization #41322

This modern and moody customization of our Everly design is inspired by a contemporary and sleek wedding set in a chic venue with elegant wood and white elements brought together with a warm gold-toned palette. Touches of black and moody florals bring bold interest to this sophisticated affair.

letterpress ink: black | font: garamond | paper: white | invite size: f-8 | liner: custom everly pattern in black + blush

groom | bride + bouquet

Designer Jessica Downs drew inspiration from an elegant and ethereal garden wedding when creating her Everly design. “I imagined a wedding filled with natural greenery, golden candlesticks with illuminating candles, and soft textures of linen and silk in lovely shades of ivory and white,” says Jessica. Those delicate textures inspired a design of classic typography printed in a neutral shade of gray with a custom ivy monogram and a coordinating envelope liner in soft shades of green.

table setting | fireplace | peony | bride | cake | candles + groom

Our Joie de Vivre design was customized with an icy palette of french blue and silver foil on Sabrina’s letterpress sweet sixteen invitations for her recent celebration in New York City. A girly font played up the feminine feel of the design while the cool palette and mist shine foil stamped envelope liner gave off a winter wonderland vibe that was perfect for her February celebration.

letterpress ink: french blue | foil stamping: silver shine | fonts: vessa + streamline | foil edging: mist shine | paper: bella smooth cotton white 2-ply | envelope: bella cotton white | foil stamped liner: classic color pattern in mist shine | Bella Figura NYC | customization #40623

Jessica and Tyler celebrated with family and friends on the eve of their wedding with cocktails and jazz at Bevolo Gas & Electric Lights Museum and Showroom in the heart of the French Quarter. With the help of our friends at Mrs. Post Fine Stationery & Gifts we customized our Heathcliff design with a copper lantern and a palette of copper and gray that mimicked the warmth of their unique venue. An enclosure card invited guests to coffee the morning after the wedding, and an industrial inspired pattern was used to tie in the digital and foil stamped envelope liner in the same vintage palette.

letterpress ink: charcoal | foil stamping: copper shine | fonts: sansa + gotham | paper: bella smooth cotton ivory 1-ply + 2-ply | foil edging: copper shine | envelope: bella cotton ivory | digital + foil stamped liner: classic color pattern in charcoal + rhine pattern in copper shine | Mrs. Post Fine Stationery & Gifts | customization #40597

Designer Racheal Bumbolo was drawn to Atlanta’s Swan House when concepting her Sampson design. “My main sources of inspiration were marble tiles, golden accents, and the grace of elegant mansions. Swan House was made with entertainment in mind with its carefully thought out architecture and design – a place to easily be inspired by. The mansion, constructed at the end of the Jazz Age, inspired me to bring in a touch of vintage via the marble pattern and the storybook-like wording. Pairing that with a modern layout brings a fresh look to the design.”

letterpress ink: charcoal | digital ink: charcoal | foil stamping: copper matte | fonts: caslon + maison | paper: white | invite size: F-8 | liner: pearse in copper matte foil + charcoal digital | original design + customization by Racheal Bumbolo

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