Your venue is booked and your wedding date is secured, so what next? Along with booking key suppliers, your next priority should be working on your guest list and letting them know they’re invited. At this stage, you probably won’t have enough information to send out formal invitations, so this is where save the dates come in.

Save the dates do exactly what they say on the tin, tell your guests to secure your wedding date in their diary and keep it free to celebrate with you.

Your save the dates will be the first glimpse your guests get of your wedding day and really help build excitement for everyone involved.

Since my venue illustration invitations have been so popular over the years, I’ve been slowly expanding my save the date collection to include more venue illustration designs. I’m so excited to be able to share these with you now.

VILLA EPHRUSSI DE ROTHSCHILD SAVE THE DATES

Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild is a magnificent venue on the coast of the South of France, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. This illustration showcases the pastel pink palace and surrounding gardens, all captured in soft watercolour.

This design is part of my Elinor collection and was the first save the date design I launched that featured a venue illustration. It has since been used for so many beautiful weddings, showcasing gorgeous venues around the world. I’ve included some of my favourite examples below.

styled flat lay image with an A6 landscape save the date featuring a watercolour illustration of Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild in the south of France

styled flat lay image with an A6 landscape save the date featuring a watercolour illustration of the Tithe Barn, Symondsbury — The Tithe Barn, Symondsbury

styled flat lay image with an A6 landscape save the date featuring a watercolour illustration of Foxhill Manor in the Cotswolds — Foxhill Manor

styled flat lay image with an A6 landscape save the date featuring a watercolour illustration of South Farm — South Farm

For more information about this design, click here.

EURIDGE MANOR SAVE THE DATES

Nestled in the heart of the Cotswolds, the enchanting Euridge Manor is like something straight out of a fairytale. With so many gorgeous areas to get married, I was a little spoilt for choice when choosing an illustration for this design but in the end, it had to be the iconic boathouse, capturing the lake and rolling hills in the distance.

styled flat lay image with an A6 landscape save the date featuring a watercolour illustration of the boathouse at Euridge Manor in the Cotswolds

For more information about this design, click here

CHÂTEAU LA TOUR VAUCROS SAVE THE DATES

Located in beautiful Provence, Château La Tour Vaucros is the perfect venue for a romantic wedding in the South of France.

This design features a soft watercolour illustration of the Château, with a focus on its charming facade.

flat lay image of an A6 portrait save the date card with a watercolour illustration of Chateau la Tour Vaucros in Provence, France

For more information about this design, click here.

MANOR BY THE LAKE SAVE THE DATES

Located in the charming Cotswolds countryside, Manor by the Lake is the perfect venue for an elegant manor house wedding. Set amongst seven acres of stunning grounds, this Victorian venue is bursting with beauty everywhere you turn.

This save the date design showcases the main house, captured in soft watercolour, with a subtle nod to the gorgeous surrounding gardens.

image of an A6 landscape save the date card with a watercolour illustration of Manor by the Lake in the Cotswolds

For more information about this design, click here.

ANTIGUA FABRICA DE HARINAS SAVE THE DATES

Built in the 13th century, Antigua Fábrica de Harinas was an old flour mill (as the name suggests), which has since been developed into the most romantic Spanish wedding venue, only a stone’s throw from Madrid.

This save the date design captures the main building, along with a nod to the sprawling, colourful gardens.

image of an A6 landscape save the date card with a watercolour illustration of Antigua Fabrica de Harinas in Madrid

For more information about this design, click here.

Not getting married at any of these venues? I can create a bespoke illustration that can be added to any of the designs, whether that be done in watercolour or a delicate line drawing. I also have a wide range of venue illustrations that are ready to go in my portfolio, so it’s always worth reaching out to see if I’ve done yours already.

Do you need to send save the dates for your wedding?

If budget is an issue, or you’ve booked your venue with less than 10 months to go, then I recommend saving your budget and time for beautiful invitations instead.

If you have the budget for them, save the dates (printed or digital) are great for the following situations:

Destination weddings
If you have lots of guests that live far away
If you’re getting married on a Bank Holiday weekend

When should you send out your save the dates?

You can send your save the dates out as soon as you have your venue booked and date secured if you have your guest list ready at that time. As a general rule, I usually suggest sending them out around a year before the wedding and then invitations between 3-6 months before.

If you’d like to see more of the collection and find out how to order, click here.