A Save the Date Card tells your guest to do exactly that, reserve the date in their diary. While it does give some brief information about when and where your wedding will be held, the role of this card is to allow guests to plan ahead and also let them know that a more informative, formal invitation will be sent at a later date.
The information on your Save the Date Card includes the request (e.g. 'Please Save the Date'), your names, wedding date, location and a line of text to let them know they can expect a formal invitation. You can also include a wedding website URL if you have one.
As it gets closer to your wedding date, you’ll need to send out your actual wedding invitations. The role of the invitation is both to invite your guests and to give more detail about the event. Your invitation should formally invite friends and family to come to celebrate the marriage between you and your partner with invitational lines written from yourselves and / or your respective families. Your invitation should also include all of the information your guests need to attend. This includes the venue/s and date/time on the invitation card itself, along with any additional information you want to include in additional insert cards such as RSVP, details cards, map card etc.
When should you send a Save the Date Card?
You will need to send some kind of official invitation to guests for your wedding. Save the Date Cards, however, are entirely optional. Generally, it is never too soon to send a Save the Date. Once you have finalised the important details, you can let your guests know. As a guide you want to send them out 6 - 12 months ahead of your wedding. For destination weddings, you may wish to allow a little longer.
By sending these cards, you’re letting people know to reserve that date in their calendar, so they don’t make other plans for that time. They can then also ask for time off work, confirm travel plans, save money and arrange childcare if needed. The timing for formal wedding invitations is much later, usually 2 to 3 months before the wedding.