Save the date or invitation?
A save the date asks guests to keep the day free. The invitation asks them to come, with the times, the address and a date to reply by. The save the date goes first, months earlier, and only when guests need the notice.
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Save Our DateChecked on Thursday 1 October 2026
Side by side
They do different jobs, months apart.
| What differs | Save the date | Invitation |
|---|---|---|
| What it says | Your names, the date, and the town or venue if you know it | Everything: times, the full address, dress code, gift list and how to reply |
| When it goes | 6 to 8 months before, earlier for a wedding abroad | 3 to 4 months before |
| Who gets it | Guests you're certain of | Everyone invited, late additions too |
| What guests do | Keep the day free, book time off and somewhere to stay | Reply, and plan the day itself |
| Asks for a reply | No | Yes, by a date |
| Do you need it? | Only when guests need the notice | Always |
When to send both
Send a save the date when guests need time to plan: a wedding abroad, a bank holiday weekend, a date more than eight months off, or a list where lots of people travel. It holds the day before diaries fill, and the invitation follows with the details once you have them.
When the invitation will do
With six months or less to go, or a small wedding where everyone already knows the date, skip the save the date. Send the invitation now. It does both jobs.
A link first, paper later
Plenty of couples send the save the date as a link, because it's quick and nobody needs a postal address yet, then post a printed invitation once the details are settled. Guests get the date the evening you send it, and the card to keep comes later.
Questions
Is a save the date the same as an invitation?
No. A save the date only asks guests to keep the day free. The invitation is the formal ask, with the details and a request to reply.
Does a save the date mean you're invited?
Yes. Anyone who gets one should expect an invitation, which is why couples send them only to guests they're certain of.
Do you RSVP to a save the date?
No. You reply to the invitation. If you already know you can't make it, a quick message to the couple is kind, but nobody expects one.
Can a save the date and an invitation go to different people?
The invitation can go to more people than the save the date did, such as late additions or evening guests. It shouldn't go to fewer.
Make your save the date
Making one is free, and you only pay £12 when you publish.
Make your save the dateWhen to send save the dates · Save the date wording, with examples