Invitations & Communication
When to send your save the date (12–18 months for destinations, 6–9 months for local), 6 full sample messages you can copy, digital and physical options, exactly what to include at this stage vs. what to save for the formal invitation.
The #1 mistake organizers make: sending the save the date too late. Family members' summers and calendars fill up early. Earlier is almost always better.
Family needs to book flights, hotels, and take time off work. The earlier, the better.
Travel planning is simpler but people still need to arrange schedules months in advance.
Most families can plan within this window, but summer weekends fill up fast — don't go shorter than 6 months for summer events.
Smaller coordination footprint, but still worth sending early to avoid scheduling conflicts.
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Collect RSVPs and keep your whole family in the loop from day one.
Don't overload your save the date — it should communicate one thing: "mark this date." Save the full details for the formal invitation.
Copy, customize, and send. All examples use the fictional Johnson family — replace names, dates, and locations with your own.
Use both channels. Send digitally (email + text) for speed and reach, and physically (mailed postcard) for elderly relatives who respond best to mail. Don't rely on a single channel to reach a multi-generational family.
Design a beautiful save the date image and send it as an attachment or share as a link. Free templates, many professional-looking options.
Online invitation platform with save the date templates. Guests RSVP directly through the platform. Good for tech-comfortable families.
More polished than Evite, similar functionality. Good design options. More suitable for formal reunions.
A text message sent to all family members with the date and a note that more info is coming. Fast, universal, and remarkably effective.
A postcard mailed to every family household. Highest open rate of any format, especially for elderly relatives. Order from Vistaprint or Canva Print.
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Send Your Save the Date — Then Plan Everything Else in Reunly
One link for RSVPs, guest list, and budget. Share it with the whole family.
Send save the dates 12–18 months before a destination reunion (where family needs to book flights and hotels) and 6–9 months before a local reunion. Earlier is almost always better — the primary goal is getting the date on calendars before families commit to competing vacations, work events, or school schedules. A save the date sent 12 months out is not too early; a save the date sent 2 months out is almost certainly too late for many families.
A family reunion save the date must include: the event name or family name, the date (including the day of week), the general location (city and state is sufficient — you don't need the exact venue address yet), and contact information for questions. It should also indicate that a formal invitation with full details will follow. What NOT to include at save the date stage: pricing, RSVP deadline, detailed schedule, or registration links — those belong in the formal invitation.
For a reunion of 30 or more guests, or any reunion that requires family members to travel, a save the date is strongly recommended. The earlier people know the date, the better your attendance will be. Families plan months in advance — summer vacations, family trips, and work schedules get locked in early. A save the date prevents the common problem of key family members having an unavoidable conflict on the date you eventually announce. For small, local reunions of under 20 people who all live nearby, a save the date is less critical.
A save the date is sent early to reserve the date on family members' calendars — it has minimal details and no RSVP request. A formal invitation is sent 3–4 months before the reunion with full details: venue address, schedule, per-person cost, RSVP deadline, dietary restriction form, and registration link. The save the date says 'mark your calendar.' The formal invitation says 'here's everything you need to commit and show up.' Send the save the date first, the formal invitation second.
From the first save the date to the final farewell — Reunly keeps every piece of your reunion organized.