Save-the-date messages you can send on WhatsApp
The short answer. A save-the-date message needs the names, the date, the town or country, and a line saying a full invitation will follow. Keep it short enough to read in a notification. Send it six to eight months ahead for a local wedding and nine to twelve months for a destination one, and only to people you are certain to invite.
When to send a save the date
| Kind of celebration | Send the save the date | Send the invitation |
|---|---|---|
| A wedding in the UK | 6 to 8 months before | 8 to 12 weeks before |
| A destination wedding | 9 to 12 months before | 10 to 12 weeks before |
| Several events over a weekend | 8 to 10 months before | 10 to 12 weeks before |
| A milestone birthday or anniversary | 3 to 4 months before | 6 to 8 weeks before |
For the whole timeline, from save the date to final numbers, see when to send wedding invitations. A save the date is a promise. Only send one to people who will definitely get an invitation, because taking it back later is the hardest message there is.
Save-the-date messages for a wedding
For a destination wedding
Guests need flights and leave from work before they need anything else, so give them the place and the dates of the whole trip.
When there is more than one event
For other celebrations
If the date changes
When the full invitation goes out on Our Guest List, each guest gets one link that never changes. If a date, a time or a venue moves after that, change it once and everyone who opens their link sees the new details. You can also post an update, which appears at the top of every invitation and the website, and send it to each guest one tap at a time.
Questions people ask
- Do you need to send a save the date?
- No, but it helps for anything people must travel or take leave for: a destination wedding, a wedding over several days, or one in the summer holidays. For a local party, an invitation sent four to six weeks ahead is enough.
- Is it OK to send a save the date on WhatsApp?
- Yes. It is short news that people need to put in a diary, which is exactly what a message is good for. Send it to each guest by name rather than to a group.
- Does everyone who gets a save the date have to be invited?
- Yes. That is the rule that makes a save the date mean something. If your list may still change, send save the dates only to the people you are sure of.
Last updated 30 October 2026