Save the date cards are, in most cases, postcards that event planners send out well ahead of the class reunion to inform attendees of the date, time and place.
It serves as a placeholder so classmates can ask for vacation time from work and make travel arrangements.
Done properly, a save the date card will help increase attendance since more people will be able to plan ahead.
Listed below are common questions we hear from planners about save the date cards.
- Do you send save the date cards or are the class reunion invitations enough?
- Should you send the “Save the date” cards by mail or email them?
- When should you send them?
- What information should you include in them?
- Can you make your own class reunion save the date cards or should you buy them?
In this article, we will answer the questions above and provide some best practices for creating and sending save the date cards.
1- Do You Have To Send Save The Date Cards For A Class Reunion?
Absolutely. As soon as the date, time and location have been selected, send out save the date cards to classmates. In most cases, they are sent at least 12 months ahead of time so everyone has ample opportunity to plan the year ahead.
Many out of town classmates will even plan their vacations around class reunions just to show their kids around town. Lastly, knowing that far in advance also gives your classmate an opportunity to reserve hotels, airfare, and car rental. One thing we would suggest is reserving a block of hotel rooms so all out of town guests stay at one hotel.
2 – Should You Send E-cards or Mail Physical Cards?
Save the date cards can be created online for free at websites like evite.com, and Bluemountain. They are easy to create, and even easier to send (Provided you have all the email addresses). Add the fact that these companies have beautiful templates and no one could blame you for sending them. After all, they are free and most people expect to communicate via email already.
However, the problem is that an email is easy to erase, lose, or archive. It is not as visible as say, a save the date magnet on a fridge. People forget about emails, but they can’t forget about a save the date card stuck on their fridge. They see it daily. It serves as a constant reminder to make plans.
One very popular option that you should strongly consider is a save the date magnet. Many online companies provide this service but it can be expensive (around $1.50 per magnet). All you have to do is select a template from their website (or upload an old class photo, graduation photo etc.), insert the content described above, and you’re done.
The magnets serve as a great reminder of the class reunion on a daily basis. Despite the cost, they will help increase the number of attendees at your class reunion. You can create these online too at magnetsandlabels.com and zazzle.com.
3- When Do You Send Them?
As a general rule, send out save the date cards at least twelve months ahead of time. Instead of forcing them to send back an RSVP, let people do that online by providing the website address on the card.
Sending the cards that far in advance also lets classmates save some cash and plan their budgets accordingly.
4- What Should You Write On Save The Date Cards?
Be extremely simple in your choice of words.
For example:
Save The Date
10th Class Reunion For Port Richmond High School
July, 18 2012
RSVP online at [insert website URL here]
Invitation to follow
Keep the save the date cards simple and informal. Don’t confuse people by giving them too much information. Add your website URL on the card and if people need more information, they can always go online.
5- How To Make Save The Date Cards For A Class Reunion
There are several ways to create save the cards. You can buy pre-cut save the date blank note cards from any office supply place or from Avery.com. Use the instructions to create and print them on any printer.
If you are going to create them yourself, then try to write personalized note cards to add that extra touch. No one sends out hand written notes anymore and yours will stand out if you do.
Another method is to create them online on a website like zazzle.com or Postcards.com. You can upload your own photo and create a postcard to send out. Vistaprint can do the same thing and they offer a service by which they can mail them too for an additional cost.
Some Tips For Save The Date Cards
Tip #1 : Ebay.com can be a good source for buying save the date cards from vendors you may not be aware of.
Tip #2 : Don’t forget to send save the date cards to teachers, principals and any honorary guests
Tip #3: Plan to send the save the date cards even further in advance (12-18 months) if the class reunion is occurring in a tourist heavy location. Same goes for holidays or if you are planning a class reunion cruise.
Save the date cards are an essential tool to help get the word out about the class reunion. In sending them out to classmates, you will offer them the opportunity to plan ahead, save and attend the class reunion.
What should you do next?
Check out some more of our free class reunion resources. We have templates for registration forms, surveys, and other planning tools to get you organized.