Holiday Save the Dates

Holiday calendars fill up fast. Browse Evite's Holiday Save the Dates, pick a design that fits your celebration, and get your date on everyone's radar.

For most holiday parties and gatherings, six to eight weeks ahead is the right window. November and December are the busiest months of the year. Office parties, family obligations, school events, and travel all compete for weekend availability. The earlier your save the date lands, the better your chances of guests actually being able to come.

A few specific timing guidelines:

• Thanksgiving gatherings. Send six to eight weeks out, particularly if you're hosting out-of-town family who needs to plan travel around the holiday.
• Christmas and Hanukkah parties. Aim for late October to early November. December weekends go fast, and guests who haven't heard from you by mid-November will start making other plans.
• New Year's Eve. This one warrants the most lead time of any holiday event. Eight to ten weeks ahead is not too early. People book NYE plans well in advance and these are harder to cancel once committed.
• Friendsgiving or casual holiday get-togethers. Three to four weeks ahead works for lower-stakes gatherings with a guest list that lives nearby.

If you're still finalizing venue details or headcount, send the save the date invitation anyway. That's exactly what it's for: holding the date while the rest comes together.

A holiday save the date is a placeholder, not a full invitation. Keep the copy concise and focused on giving guests what they need to block the date.

The essentials:

• The event name or occasion. Give the gathering a name, like “Holiday Dinner,” “Christmas Party,” “Annual Friendsgiving,” etc. This helps guests know what they are saving the date for.
• The date. If you know the time, include it. If not, the date alone is enough for now.
• General location. City, neighborhood, or venue name is sufficient at this stage. The full address can come with the formal invitation.
• "Formal invitation to follow." A simple line that sets the right expectation for guests.

A few optional additions worth considering:

• Host name. Especially useful for larger parties where guests may not immediately know whose gathering it is.
• Dress code hint. If it's a formal dinner or a themed party, a brief note ("festive attire encouraged") helps guests start planning.

Start in Evite's Holiday Save the Dates gallery and pick a save the date template that matches the tone of your event. The collection ranges from elegant and minimal to more festive and graphic styles, like neon Christmas. So, whether you host a candlelit dinner or a cheerful ugly sweater party, there is a design that fits.

From there, customization is straightforward. Add your event name, date, time, and location. Free designs are available, while Premium templates unlock additional personalization like custom backgrounds, envelope designs, and animated effects.

Once your design is ready, add your guest list and send. Your event dashboard tracks who received the online save the date and lets you follow up directly with invitees. Opt to turn RSVPs on or off, depending on how early you want to get a rough headcount.

After choosing and customizing your digital save the date on Evite, you have three options for getting it out to guests:

• Email. Enter your guests' email addresses individually or import a list. Each guest receives the save the date directly in their inbox with a link to view the full design.
• Text. Add phone numbers to your guest list and they'll receive the invite via text. Guests receive a link they can open and respond to from any phone, no app required.
• Shareable link. Generate a link and distribute it yourself: drop it in a family group chat, a social media DM, or a Slack channel. This is useful when you want to reach a broad or mixed group without entering contacts one by one.

If you have used Evite in the past, you can also add guests directly from your Evite address book. All methods use the same Evite dashboard, so you can track RSVPs in one place, no matter how guests get the save the date.

The season fills up fast, so get ahead of it. Browse the full collection of Holiday Save the Dates and send yours today. Once you lock in the details, Holiday Party Invitations are ready when you are.