Yes, you can use Mailchimp or Flodesk for save the dates when the people on your list meet each tool's permission requirements, while Greenvelope offers a dedicated save the date service that sends a designed card by email or text in supported countries, with an Add to Calendar link and optional mailing address collection. Mailchimp and Flodesk are email marketing tools, so they fit best when the audience already subscribes to your emails and an announcement is all you need. For wedding guests or an invitation-only business list, check the permission rules first, expect your mailing address in the email footer, and decide where the later invitation and its RSVPs will live.
This guide covers what each tool does and does not do for a save the date, what a 120-person list costs on each, and how to decide. This comparison is published by Greenvelope. Claims about Mailchimp and Flodesk are based on each provider's published pricing pages and help documentation, reviewed on November 9, 2026. It is a documentation review, not hands-on testing.
At a Glance
- The short answer: yes, for a list that meets the tool's permission rules. Mailchimp and Flodesk can both send a save the date email, schedule it (on Mailchimp, with a paid plan), and show recorded opens for each contact.
- Use Mailchimp or Flodesk when the audience already subscribes to your emails, such as a newsletter list for a public conference, an open house, or a fundraiser, and you already use the tool.
- Use a dedicated save the date service when the list is personal: wedding guests, clients, donors, or a board. This guide's recommendation for those lists is Greenvelope, which sends a designed card by email or text in supported countries, shows an Add to Calendar link once the date and time are set, and can collect mailing addresses inside the save the date.
- Check permission and the footer: both tools require permission to email a contact and a mailing address in every email. Being on a guest list is not the same as opting in to marketing email.
- Plan the next step now: a save the date asks for no RSVP, but the invitation will. Decide where the invitation and its RSVPs will live before you choose where the save the date goes out.
- Timing does not change with the tool: as a planning guideline, wedding save the dates go out 6 to 8 months ahead, 8 to 12 months for a destination wedding, and corporate conferences and galas 3 to 6 months ahead as a starting point.
Can You Use Mailchimp or Flodesk for Save the Dates?
Yes. Greenvelope's view is that Mailchimp or Flodesk is a reasonable way to send a save the date when three things are true:
- The people on the list agreed to get your emails. Mailchimp says permission is required by its Terms of Use, and Flodesk asks for express, first-party permission.
- An email announcement is all you need. You are comfortable building the email, adding a calendar link yourself, and showing a mailing address in the footer.
- You know where the invitation will come from. You can email the same subscribers again later, but collecting RSVPs takes a form, an integration, or a separate invitation service.
If any of the three is shaky, a dedicated save the date service is the simpler route.
Mailchimp or Flodesk for Save the Dates: Pros and Cons
Greenvelope sells save the dates, so weigh this table knowing where we sit. It sets the email marketing route against Greenvelope's save the date service.
| Route | Pros | Cons |
|---|
| Mailchimp or Flodesk | You may already pay for it and know how it works. Your subscriber list is already there. Low cost for a one-time announcement. Reports show recorded opens for each contact. | Built for opted-in subscribers, so a personal guest list may not meet the permission rules. Your mailing address shows in the footer. The calendar link and address collection take extra setup. RSVPs for the later invitation need a form, an integration, or another service. A sent email cannot be edited. |
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| Greenvelope | The save the date arrives as a designed card, by email or by text in supported countries. An Add to Calendar link appears once the date and time are set. Mailing addresses can be collected inside the save the date. The card can be edited after sending. The same contacts can be imported into an invitation mailing that collects RSVPs. | Paid service, with single-mailing and annual options. A separate tool to set up if you already use email marketing. |
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Mailchimp, Flodesk, and Greenvelope Compared for a Save the Date
Greenvelope and the two email tools handle the jobs of a save the date differently, and the table below goes job by job. Each cell describes that provider only. "Not described" means the documentation reviewed does not cover it, not that the feature is unavailable.
| What a save the date needs | Mailchimp | Flodesk | Greenvelope |
|---|
| Built for | Email marketing and automation for an audience of contacts | Email marketing for a list of subscribers, with forms, landing pages, and checkout pages | Invitations, save the dates, announcements, and cards sent to a guest list |
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| Who is on the list | Contacts who gave permission, which Mailchimp defines as express, verifiable consent to receive marketing communication | Subscribers who gave express, first-party permission. Pricing is based on the count of active subscribers | The people you are inviting, added by hand, imported from a spreadsheet or webmail, or pulled from your Greenvelope address book |
|---|
| The design | Pre-built email templates, with a limited selection on the Free plan | Designer email templates | Artist-designed save the date cards with editable wording, fonts, text placement, preset colorways, and envelope options; customization varies by design. You can also upload your own finished card image |
|---|
| Text message | SMS is an add-on to paid plans in select countries, after an application, according to the pricing page | Not described on the pricing page reviewed | By text message in supported countries |
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| Scheduling | Email scheduling is included with the Essentials plan or higher | An email can be scheduled for a later date and time, and it goes to everyone in the segment at the time it sends | Schedule Send on the Send step delivers at the date and time you set to all unsent contacts |
|---|
| Recorded opens | Reports list the contacts who did or did not open. Mailchimp notes that open tracking depends on images loading and that Apple Mail Privacy Protection can inflate open counts | View Results filters subscribers who opened, did not open, clicked, or did not click, with a CSV download | The Opened tab on the Send step lists the cards Greenvelope recorded as opened |
|---|
| Add to calendar | The help center describes linking to a public Google Calendar or Outlook event, or connecting the AddEvent integration | A built-in calendar link is not described in the help articles reviewed | An Add to Calendar link appears on the details page once the Date/Time is set |
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| Collecting mailing addresses | A signup form can include an Address field, which is hidden by default, where contacts provide their full address | A form can include custom fields, which are text only, with up to 6 total fields per form, including the name and email fields | A Collect Mailing Address setting, offered only with the Save the Date service, asks each guest for an address inside the save the date and saves it when the guest submits it |
|---|
| Opting out | An unsubscribe link is required in every email. An unsubscribe applies to that audience only | An unsubscribe link is required in every email. An unsubscribe applies to all emails from your account | Guests can opt out of further correspondence for an event. They can still view the card, but will not receive further reminders or mailings |
|---|
| Fixing a mistake after sending | A sent campaign cannot be stopped or edited | A sent email cannot be recalled or edited | The card can be edited for up to 5 months after sending, and existing card links show the updated card |
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| Starting price | Free plan for up to 250 contacts and 500 sends per month. Essentials starts at $13 per month for up to 500 contacts | The Free plan does not include email sending. Lite starts at $25 per month, or $19 per month with annual billing, for up to 1,000 subscribers, according to the pricing page | Paid service, with single-mailing and annual options. Single mailings start at $19 for a guest list of up to 20 people, with pricing based on list size and no subscription required |
|---|
Prices and plan details were read on each provider's own pricing page on November 9, 2026, in U.S. dollars. On all three, a recorded open is a signal, not proof that someone read the message.
What Mailchimp Does and Doesn't Do for a Save the Date
Mailchimp describes itself as an email marketing and automation platform, and its strengths show up when the save the date is going to people who already get your emails.
What works:
- A small list can cost nothing. The Free plan includes up to 250 contacts and 500 sends per month, with a daily send limit of 250.
- You can view recorded opens. Mailchimp's open tracking article describes a report that lists the contacts who did or did not open an email, with a CSV export.
- New subscribers can give an address. A Mailchimp signup form can include an Address field. For people already on your list, Mailchimp's Update Your Preferences link opens a profile form; check in your own account that the Address field shows there.
- A calendar link is possible. The help center describes adding calendar events by linking to a public Google Calendar or Outlook event, or through the AddEvent integration.
What doesn't:
- The list is supposed to be opted in. Mailchimp says permission is required by its Terms of Use and defines it as express, verifiable consent to receive marketing communication. Being on your wedding guest list does not, by itself, establish marketing permission, so read the audience requirements before you import one.
- Required footer information stays. Mailchimp's anti-spam requirements call for an unsubscribe link and a physical mailing address or P.O. Box in every email. Removing Mailchimp branding is listed as a paid plan feature.
- Scheduling is a paid feature. Email scheduling is included with the Essentials plan or higher.
- A sent email is final. Mailchimp says a sent campaign cannot be stopped or edited, so a wrong date means a correction email.
What Flodesk Does and Doesn't Do for a Save the Date
Flodesk is an email marketing tool with designer templates, forms, and landing pages, and it suits a host or business that already sends a newsletter there.
What works:
- The templates are design-led. Flodesk's pricing page lists designer templates, custom fonts, and forms and landing pages.
- You can schedule the send. Flodesk's guide to sending a newsletter says an email can go out now or be scheduled for a later date and time, and that a scheduled email goes to everyone in the selected segment at the time it sends.
- You can view recorded opens. The email analytics article describes filtering a sent email's results by subscribers who opened it or did not, and downloading a CSV report.
- You can try it first. The pricing page describes a trial of the paid features, including email sending, with no credit card required. Flodesk's account setup article says trial sends are limited to 500 people per day.
What doesn't:
- The list is supposed to be opted in. Flodesk asks for express, first-party permission to receive your marketing emails, with records of that permission. Its examples of lists that do not meet the guidelines include lists of agents, employees, students, or members.
- Ongoing sending requires a paid plan. After the trial, Flodesk's Free plan covers forms, landing pages, and link in bio pages, and the pricing page says it does not include email sending.
- The unsubscribe link and mailing address are required. Flodesk says every email includes a mandatory unsubscribe link and must carry a complete, valid mailing address. It notes that a P.O. Box or virtual business address can stand in for a home address.
- Address collection is a plain text box. A Flodesk form can include custom fields, which are text only, with up to 6 total fields per form, including the name and email fields.
- A sent email is final. Flodesk says that once an email has been sent, it cannot be recalled or edited.
This Greenvelope guide recommends using your existing email tool when you have an opted-in subscriber audience and only need an announcement.
- The event is open to your audience. A public conference, a store anniversary, a webinar series, or a fundraiser announced to everyone who follows the organization belongs in the newsletter your subscribers already get.
- Registration happens somewhere else. If the next step is a ticket page or a registration platform, the save the date only has to point people there later.
- You do not need to know each person's plans. Opens and clicks across the whole list are enough.
- The list is large and already consented. These tools are built to send to subscribers at volume.
If that is your event, keep the email short: the event name, the date, the city, and a line that says details will follow. Our business save the date email templates give copy you can paste into either tool.
When Greenvelope Fits Better
Greenvelope fits better when the save the date goes to specific invited people and an invitation will follow. Three situations come up most.
Wedding save the dates
Wedding guests are family and friends, not newsletter subscribers, and a marketing email to them shows your mailing address in the footer. On Greenvelope, a wedding save the date is a designed card that can open from an animated envelope addressed to each guest or household. You can turn on Collect Mailing Address under Details, Information, Advanced Options, and each guest is asked for a mailing address inside the save the date. The address saves to your address book when the guest submits it, which helps if printed invitations will follow. Our guide to save the date address collection walks through it.
Invitation-only business events
A client dinner, a board retreat, a donor gala, or a leadership summit goes to a chosen list, and the people on it should feel invited, not marketed to. A business save the date on Greenvelope can use an artist-designed template or your own finished card image uploaded as a JPG, PNG, or PDF. Guests see an Add to Calendar link once the Date/Time is set, and the Opened tab on the Send step lists the cards Greenvelope recorded as opened. For the full walkthrough, see how to send a business save the date online.
Lists with phone numbers but no email addresses
Some guests are easier to reach by phone. Greenvelope can send the same save the date by text message in supported countries. Choose each guest's channel by the contact details you trust, not by sending everything twice.
In all three cases, plan the handoff to the invitation. You can reuse eligible subscribers for a later invitation email in Mailchimp or Flodesk, but decide separately where you will collect RSVPs and whether you need a form or an integration. On Greenvelope, a save the date does not ask for an RSVP. When the details are ready, you create a separate invitation mailing, import the people you want to invite from your address book through Send, Add Contacts, Address Book, and collect RSVPs on the invitation.
What a 120-Person Save the Date Costs on Each: A Dated Example
Greenvelope costs more than a newsletter tool for a one-time email to 120 people, and this example shows the numbers side by side. This illustrative example assumes 120 opted-in email contacts, one per person, with no other contacts or sends in the account. It compares each provider's regular published U.S. plan charges on November 9, 2026, before taxes and optional add-ons, and it covers the save the date only. Trials are noted separately.
| Provider and plan | Published price | What to know |
|---|
| Mailchimp Free | $0 | Up to 250 contacts and 500 sends per month, with a daily limit of 250. Email scheduling and removing Mailchimp branding are paid plan features |
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| Mailchimp Essentials | Starts at $13 per month for up to 500 contacts | A monthly plan that adds email scheduling and removes Mailchimp branding. It bills each month until you cancel or change plans. Mailchimp lists a 14-day trial for eligible new customers, with payment information required |
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| Flodesk trial | $0 during the trial | Includes email sending, limited to 500 people per day. No credit card is required. The pricing page does not state the trial length |
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| Flodesk Lite | $25 per month for up to 1,000 subscribers | The lowest plan that includes ongoing email sending, on monthly billing |
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| Greenvelope single mailing | $119 for a guest list of up to 120 people | A flat price per mailing with no subscription required. Envelope, liner, stamp, and color customization are included |
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In this example, the save the date works out to $0 on Mailchimp's Free plan or a Flodesk trial, one month of Mailchimp Essentials at $13, one month of Flodesk Lite at $25, or $119 on Greenvelope. If you already pay for an email plan and stay within its contact and sending allowances, this announcement may add nothing to your bill. The email tools cost less for the announcement itself.
All three offer design tools and contact lists. Greenvelope brings together a designed card, an optional animated envelope, a calendar link once timing is set, and address collection inside the save the date. Greenvelope single mailings start at $19 for a guest list of up to 20 people, with pricing based on list size and no subscription required, and every person listed counts toward the tier. Paid accounts start with 500 text messages, with more available to purchase; additional text messages and optional custom design services cost extra. The invitation is a separate mailing. With single-mailing pricing, you purchase it separately; an annual membership can cover both mailings within its term and guest-count limit. A trial send to up to 10 people needs no credit card. For every tier, see how much Greenvelope costs.
Before You Send Through Mailchimp or Flodesk
Greenvelope's advice for a save the date sent from a newsletter tool is to make it read like a personal note, not a campaign. Before you send:
- Confirm the date is firm. For a wedding, that means the venue contract is signed. A save the date names the date and the city, not the full details.
- Check who is on the list. Send only to people you plan to invite, and read the tool's permission rules before importing personal contacts.
- Look at the footer. Your mailing address and an unsubscribe link will show. Use an address you are comfortable sharing.
- Send from a person. Use your names or the host's name as the sender, and a subject line such as "Save the date: Maya and Jordan, June 19, 2027".
- Add a calendar link once the timing is confirmed. Check that guests can open it without access to your private calendar, and test it while signed out and on a phone. If the start time is undecided, write "Time to follow" and give accurate calendar details with the invitation.
- Proof it twice. A sent email cannot be edited on either tool, so send a test and have a second person read the date, the weekday, and the city.
- Keep your own guest list. Save the names and email addresses in a spreadsheet so they are ready for the invitation, wherever you send it.
Two short examples you can adapt. The dates are illustrative.
Save the date
Maya and Jordan are getting married
Saturday, June 19, 2027
[City, State]
Invitation to follow
Save the date
[Company] Client Summit
Thursday, April 15, 2027
[City, State]
Invitation and agenda to follow
For more wording, see our save the date wording guide and corporate save the date wording examples.
How to Send a Save the Date on Greenvelope Instead
Greenvelope sends a save the date in five steps, and you can start in Trial Mode before you pay.
- Pick the design. Choose a save the date template, or upload your own finished card image, and edit the wording.
- Add the details. Under Details, Information, add the Date/Time so the Add to Calendar link appears. If the start time is not set yet, write "Time to follow" on the card and give accurate calendar details with the invitation.
- Decide on addresses. Turn on Collect Mailing Address if you will need them for printed invitations or thank you notes.
- Build the guest list. On the Send step, add contacts by hand, import a spreadsheet, or pull from webmail or your address book.
- Check, then send or schedule. Preview the card, send yourself a test, read it on a phone, confirm the guest list and reply-to address, and test every link and the calendar details. Then send now or use Schedule Send, which delivers at the date and time you set to all unsent contacts.
If something changes after it goes out, Greenvelope lets you edit the card for up to 5 months after sending, and existing card links show the updated card. Tell guests directly about an important date, time, or venue change as well. For the full walkthrough, see how to send save the dates online, or compare more options in the best digital save the date platforms.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you use Mailchimp or Flodesk for save the dates?
Yes, when your list meets the tool's permission requirements, though this guide recommends Greenvelope's dedicated save the date service for wedding guests and invited clients. Mailchimp and Flodesk can send and schedule a save the date email and show recorded opens, and they suit an audience that already subscribes to your emails. Both require a mailing address and an unsubscribe link in every email, and you will need to decide separately how the later invitation collects RSVPs.
Is Mailchimp free for save the dates?
It can be for a small list that meets Mailchimp's permission requirements. As of November 9, 2026, Mailchimp's Free plan includes up to 250 contacts and 500 sends per month, with a daily send limit of 250. Email scheduling and removing Mailchimp branding are paid plan features.
Can you send wedding save the dates with Flodesk?
Yes, if your guest list meets Flodesk's permission requirements. Its trial includes email sending within the trial limits, while ongoing sending requires a paid plan. Every email must include the required unsubscribe link and mailing address.
Can Mailchimp or Flodesk show who opened a save the date?
Yes. Mailchimp's reports list the contacts who did or did not open an email, and Flodesk's results view filters subscribers the same way, with a CSV download on both. Mailchimp notes that open tracking depends on images loading and that Apple Mail Privacy Protection can inflate open counts, so treat opens as a signal, not proof that someone read it.
Can you collect mailing addresses with Mailchimp or Flodesk?
Yes, with a form. A Mailchimp signup form can include an Address field for new subscribers, and a Flodesk form can include text-only custom fields, with up to 6 total fields per form including name and email. On Greenvelope, the Collect Mailing Address setting asks each guest for an address inside the save the date and saves it to your address book when the guest submits it.
How far in advance should you send save the dates?
As a planning guideline, send wedding save the dates 6 to 8 months before the wedding and 8 to 12 months before a destination wedding. For corporate conferences and galas, 3 to 6 months is a common starting point, with more time when guests will travel. Send only once the date is firm.
What happens if a guest unsubscribes from a Mailchimp or Flodesk save the date?
In Mailchimp, an unsubscribe applies to that audience; in Flodesk, it applies to all emails from your account. Mailchimp says a contact who unsubscribed needs to sign up again before you can send them marketing emails from that audience. Respect the choice, and ask the guest how they would like to receive the invitation.
Sources and Review Date
Provider pages were reviewed on November 9, 2026. Plans, prices, and features change, so confirm the current details on each provider's site before you decide.
- Mailchimp: marketing plan pricing, About Mailchimp Pricing Plans, Anti-Spam Requirements for Email, The Importance of Permission, About Open Tracking, Schedule or Pause a Regular Email Campaign, Manage Audience and Signup Form Fields, Update a Contact Profile, Add Calendar Events to Mailchimp, About Unsubscribes, Resubscribe a Contact, and Why We Can't Stop or Edit Sent Campaigns.
- Flodesk: pricing plans, How to get permission from your subscribers the right way, Setting up your Flodesk account, How to send a newsletter in Flodesk, Understanding your email analytics, Can I add a custom field to a form?, Why do I need a mailing address in my emails?, and Unsubscribes in Flodesk.
- Greenvelope: pricing, which mailing types collect RSVPs, and the help articles linked above.
Explore more guides in the Greenvelope resource hub: