2. Going off-color. Your friends might think a wacky save-the-date card featuring a dog with cartoon-like eyes swigging from a bottle of tequila is fun, but your relatives will wonder about you. Keep the save-the-dates on the classic or classy side, and personalize them with a photo of the two of you, great colors, a border, and so on. There's a lot you can do to be original without crossing the borders of taste.

3. Not notifying guests that there's a magnet inside the envelope. The magnet save-the-date card is a popular choice now, but if you don't write on the envelope that a magnet is enclosed, the recipient could place the envelope on top of a computer disk and erase it. It's always best to put a 'magnet enclosed' note on the outside of the envelope.

4. Not putting enough information. Always make sure you include the wedding location, such as your hometown or a destination wedding locale, along with the date so that guests can make travel plans. Just having the date is not enough. Guests need to know how many days they'll need to take off of work.