A save the date is an early heads-up: it tells guests the date and place and asks them to keep the day free. The invitation comes later and gives them everything they need to attend: the program, times, directions, dress code and a formal RSVP. You send the save the date months ahead; the invitation follows once the plans are final.
Side by side
| Save the date | Invitation | |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Keep the day free | Invite and inform |
| Sent | 6 to 8 months before a wedding (8 to 12 for abroad) | 2 to 3 months before a wedding |
| Content | Names, date, city, “invitation to follow” | Program, times, venue, directions, dress code |
| Reply | Optional early RSVP | Formal RSVP with a deadline |
| Required? | No | Yes |
Do you need both?
The invitation, always. The save the date, only when guests need time to plan. For a wedding in high season, an event abroad or a party where many guests travel, it prevents the classic problem of people booking something else before they know your date. For a small dinner with friends who live nearby, you can skip it. The timing per occasion is in when to send save the dates.
If you send a save the date, everyone who gets one should also get the invitation. That makes the save the date a commitment to your guest list, so finish that list first. What goes on the card itself is covered in what to include on a save the date.
How the two work together
Think of the save the date as the trailer and the invitation as the film. The save the date sets the tone: the colors, a photo, the feel of the day. The invitation picks that up and adds the details. Using the same colors or fonts on both helps guests recognize the invitation as the follow-up.
With a digital save the date, part of the work is already done by the time the invitation goes out. Guests have added the date to their calendar, and an early RSVP gives you a first idea of numbers. How that works is in save the date with RSVP. Making the save the date itself is free; see how to make a free digital save the date.
Making the invitation
For the invitation you need more than a date: a program, times, directions to the venue, perhaps a guestbook and a reply per part of the day. You can make that with Eventinfo.pro, the online invitation service behind freesavethedate.online. Your save the date stays online in the meantime, so guests can find the date until the invitation arrives.
Ready to share your date? On freesavethedate.online you make a digital save the date for free, with an add to calendar button and early RSVP built in. Pick one of the save the date templates or create your free save the date right away.
Questions about save the dates and invitations
A save the date goes out early and only asks guests to keep the day free. The invitation comes later with the full program, directions and a formal RSVP.
No. A save the date announces the date; the invitation officially invites guests and gives them all the details they need to attend.
Yes. A save the date is optional. It is most useful for weddings, events abroad and parties where guests need to travel or take time off.