Save the date
Save the date video for an Indian wedding
Updated
An Indian wedding save the date is a short video with just the date and city, sent 3 to 6 months ahead so guests can book tickets and leave. Nimantran has no separate save the date design: use any of the 7 designs with the main date, then edit it into the full invite later and re-download free.
Does an Indian wedding even need a save the date?
Not traditionally. For most of our parents' weddings, the card arrived a month before and that was that. Save the dates came in with destination weddings and families spread across cities and countries, and they make real sense in a few cases:
- Guests are flying in. Relatives in Dubai, Toronto or Bengaluru need time for tickets and leave. See the NRI wedding invitation video page for those guests.
- It is a destination wedding. Udaipur or Goa in peak season means hotel rooms go early.
- The date is in peak wedding season. November to February dates fill up. Your cousin's friend may have three weddings that weekend.
- The date falls near a holiday. Diwali, Christmas or a long weekend, when everyone makes travel plans early.
If the whole family lives in one city and the wedding is six weeks away, skip it and send the full invite.
What should a save the date say, and what should it leave out?
| Save the date | Full invite | |
|---|---|---|
| Couple's names | Yes | Yes |
| Wedding date | Yes, the main date or dates | Yes |
| City | Yes | Yes |
| Venue and address | Only if booked | Yes, with a maps link |
| Every function and timing | No, one or two at most | Yes, one scene each |
| Family line and blessing | Optional | Usually yes |
| "Formal invitation to follow" | Yes | No |
Keep it short. A save the date is a heads-up, not the card. The more you put on it, the more you will have to correct when the sangeet moves from Friday to Thursday.
How do you make a save the date on Nimantran?
To be clear: there is no special save the date template. You make a normal invite with less on it. That is the useful part, because the same invite later becomes the full one.
- Open Nimantran in your phone browser and pick any design. Modern Minimal works well here, since big quiet type puts the date front and centre; Royal Maroon & Gold if you want it to look like the wedding to come.
- Add the couple's names and one function: The Wedding, with date and city. If the venue is not booked, leave the time blank and put just the city in the venue line.
- Want "Save the Date" written on the scene? Choose "Something else" as the function and type "Save the Date" as its name.
- Use the closing line for "Formal invitation to follow".
- Add a photo or two from the engagement, if you have them.
- Preview free, then pay ₹499 once for the HD video and send it.
Your invite has a private edit link, saved under "My invites" on your phone. WhatsApp it to yourself now. You will need it in three months when you turn this into the full invite.
Save the date messages to copy
English
Save the date Aditi & Sameer are getting married on Saturday, 13 February 2027, in Bengaluru. Please keep the weekend free, and book early if you are travelling. Formal invitation to follow.
Hinglish, for the family group
Date fix ho gayi hai. Pooja aur Ankit ki shaadi, 12-13 Feb 2027, Kanpur mein. Abhi se chhutti le lo aur tickets book kar lo, February mein sab full ho jaata hai. Poora card baad mein bhejenge.
Hindi
॥ शुभ विवाह ॥ सौ.कां. पूजा संग चि. अंकित शुक्रवार, 12 फ़रवरी 2027 कानपुर कृपया यह तिथि अपने लिए सुरक्षित रखें। विस्तृत निमंत्रण पत्र शीघ्र भेजा जाएगा। विनीत सुधा एवं राकेश शुक्ला
For the message you send with the full invite later, see the WhatsApp wedding invitation message guide.
When should you send a save the date for an Indian wedding?
| Situation | Save the date | Full invite |
|---|---|---|
| Guests flying in from abroad | 4 to 6 months before | 6 to 8 weeks before |
| Destination wedding in India | 3 to 6 months before | 6 to 8 weeks before |
| Peak-season date, guests in other cities | 3 to 4 months before | 4 to 6 weeks before |
| Everyone local | Usually skip it | 4 to 6 weeks before |
Only send a save the date to people you will definitely invite. Taking someone off the list after they have booked a train is a conversation nobody wants. The whole calendar, from save the date to day-before reminder, is in when to send wedding invitations.
How do you turn the save the date into the full invite?
Open the same invite from "My invites" or your saved edit link. Switch the "Save the Date" function to The Wedding, add the haldi, mehendi, sangeet and reception with their times and venues, add the family line, the blessing and RSVP contacts, and remove "Formal invitation to follow". Then download again. Edits and re-downloads of a paid invite are free, so you pay ₹499 once for both.
If you want guests to RSVP per function and open each venue in Google Maps, upgrade to the invite website for the ₹500 difference. Couples who got engaged recently can start from the engagement invitation video page.
Questions people ask
Is there a save the date template on Nimantran?
No. There is no dedicated save the date design. You use any of the 7 designs with just the couple's names, the main date and the city, and a closing line like "Formal invitation to follow". Later you edit the same invite into the full invite.
Do I pay again when I turn the save the date into the full invite?
No. Once you pay ₹499 for an invite, you can edit it and download it again as often as you like. Add the functions, venues and family line when they are fixed, and re-download the new video for free.
Can I send a save the date before the venue is booked?
Yes, and many families do. Put the date and the city, and leave the venue and time out. Guests mainly need the date to plan travel and leave. The venue goes on the full invite once it is confirmed.
How early should an Indian wedding save the date go out?
Three to six months before the wedding. Go towards six months for guests flying in from abroad or a destination wedding, and around three months for a peak-season date with guests in other Indian cities. Then send the full invite 4 to 8 weeks before.
Can the save the date be in Hindi?
Yes. Choose Hindi or bilingual Hindi and English. Names can be typed in Devanagari, and the date appears as families write it, for example "शुक्रवार, 12 फ़रवरी 2027". If you name the function yourself, you can add a Hindi name too.
Make your save the date
Starts in Modern Minimal with one wedding function. Add your names, the date and the city. Turn it into the full invite later.
Start my save the dateFree to make and preview. ₹499 for the HD video when you love it.