Engagement season is right around the corner, and you probably know at least one person who will get engaged over the holidays, or you aren’t getting engaged yourself. If so, congratulations!

Many of you may be at a point in your life where you’re attending or are a part of a ton of weddings. I know that I went to 12 weddings in 1 year — that’s one wedding per month!

Whether you’re planning your wedding for this Spring, Fall or even 2014, save your date with a Save the Date. It’s one of the first things on your wedding to-do checklist. Find a date, find a venue, find a photographer, send a save the date.

There are lots of questions about save the dates: Do I have to send one? When should I send a save the date? We’re tried to answer a lot of the questions you have about save the dates!

Save the Date Questions for 2012

1. Do I even need to send out a Save the Date?

Not always. If you have guests who are traveling from out of town or you are planning a destination wedding, it is a great way to notify them formally so they can plan for travel. If your wedding is during the summer (high vacation months) or peak wedding season (May & October for our area), then it would be a good time to send a Save the Date to secure your date on your guests calendars.

2. When should Save the Dates be sent?

6 months to 1 year in advance of your wedding date.

3. What information should I include?

To include: Name of couple, Date, City & State

Optional information to include on your save the date: hotel info, wedding website, venue (but only if it is in stone!)

4. Who should receive a Save the Date?

Everyone who will receive a wedding invitation, so make sure your guest list is somewhat complete. Though, there will always be a few people your forget and will need to add later.

5. Do we include “and guest” on the Save the Date?

If you know for sure if you will be including guests for your single friends, then use “and guest” on your Save the Date. If you are not sure yet, don’t include it, but be sure to specify it on the formal invitation. Always be clear who is invited and include formal names, not nick names.

8. What if we change the venue?

I suggest not including the location until it is confirmed, deposit made and contract signed. Just include your date and the city & state where the wedding will be held.

9. Can we include registry information on our save the date?

Your guests will probably want to know where you are registered, but it’s best to leave this to word of mouth, your wedding website and for shower invitations. Technically, guests will not begin to purchase wedding gifts until after they receive a shower invitation or wedding invitation.

10. How do we decide on style when we don’t really know what our wedding style is going to be?

It’s always great to have a vision, but if you don’t just use your style and favorite colors. It will likely match the style and vision that you have for your wedding day as well. Your save the date does not need to match your invitation. Have fun with it.

11. How many should I order?

Make sure you have a fairly complete guest list. You should order one Save the Date per Couple, Family (with children under 18), Single Guest and enough extras for those whom you may have forgotten. If you are using and envelope you should always order 20 or more extra envelopes for errors or address changes.

You can view our entire gallery of save the dates here.