With your wedding just around the corner, it seems the decisions never end, from picking a venue to buying a dress-up to narrowing down a guest list. Then at some point down the timeline comes a question that most koalas have asked themselves, "What really is the difference between a Save the Date and a wedding invitation? Do we really need both?"

The short answer? Yes. Each one has its own unique and important role to play in your wedding communication timeline. In this article, we will break down the distinctions between the two, why both are helpful, when to send them, and how to make them work seamlessly together.

Quick Navigation
  1. What Is “Save the Date”?
  2. Save the Date Key Features
  3. Why are Save the Dates Important?
  4. What is a Wedding Invitation?
  5. Key Features of a Wedding Invitation
  6. Importance of Wedding Invitations
  7. How to Make Them Work Together?
  8. Difference between the save-the-date and the wedding invitation?
  9. Difference Between Save-the-Dates and Invitations
  10. The Similarities Between Save-the-Dates and Invitations

What Is “Save the Date”?

Save the Date
Photo by pikisuperstar at Freepik

A Save the Date serves as a notice we send to guests well in advance of the formal invitation to let them know about the basic details of your wedding. Its most important purpose is marking a date in the calendar of guests-especially concerning the need for traveling to your wedding, it can be on a holiday weekend, or it can be added to the guests being from outside of town.

Save the Date Key Features:

  • Sent 6-12 months prior to the wedding
  • It includes: Your names, wedding date, city/location (not necessarily the venue), and a note that a formal invitation will follow RSVP Details: How and when to RSVP should be included. It will be very easy to collect responses using online invitations like Paperless Posts.
  • Informal or formal according to your preference
  • It may or may not be related to your wedding theme
  • Printed or digital (both are acceptable)

Why are Save the Dates Important?

Save the Dates can be sent months or even sometimes by the year depending upon the venue and planning. It lets the guests have that long time planning for their schedules, accommodation, and travel arrangements. This is especially important for destination weddings since some guests have to take leave or arrange for childcare ahead of time. For local weddings, it is not only a show of warmth but also avoids any schedule conflicts.

What is a "Wedding Invitation"?

Wedding Invitations
Photo by sheetalkulthia at Freepik

A Wedding Invitation is the formal invitation to your guests to attend your ceremony and/or reception. It carries all the vital information your guest needs to RSVP and prepare himself/herself for the big day.

Key Features of a Wedding Invitation

  • Sent out 6–8 weeks before the wedding (earlier for destination weddings)
  • Includes: Your names, the wedding date and time, venue address, dress code (if any), RSVP instructions, and other event details including a rehearsal dinner or brunch
  • Style: Copasetic with the wedding theme styles, formal or semi-formal
  • Design: Often a pillar of the wedding stationery suite inclusive of RSVP cards, detail cards, and envelopes

Importance of Wedding Invitations

Save the Dates call in advance to mark the " Big Day," while the Invitation gives out the information everyone has been waiting for. It informs your guests about everything they need to know, and it also acts as your formal letter. It expresses yourself as a couple and sets the mood in which everyone is going to celebrate.

How to Make Them Work Together?

If you are going to send both, then they must match perfectly in terms of tone and clarity. Here are some tips:

  • Keep the guest list different, for example- Send wedding invitations only to those receiving the Save the Dates.
  • Select a cohesive design style- Save the Dates don't need to be precisely the same but should embody your overall wedding aesthetic.
  • State what is coming next clearly- Keep it simple such as, "Formal invitation to follow," to set the parameter.
  • Addresses should be double-checked early Sending out Save the Dates is a fantastic way to ensure addresses are correct AM bed website. before the printing of the invitation actually occurs in-house.

Bonus Tip:

Destination weddings: Save the date for 12 months and formal invites for around three months before the event.

Digital vs. Printed: Features such as cheaper and more available electronic save-the-date invitations create a winning cost-benefit, but the standard is still printed invitations to announce the big day. 

Etiquette Counts: Skipping the save-the-date method does not mean you can throw an invitation last minute; it is rude. Guests should be given time to RSVP and prepare.

What is the difference between the save-the-date and the wedding invitation?

The confusion exists between Save-the-Dates and Wedding Invitations, and because of that, sometimes a request-for-arrival is missed, or some information is simply miscommunicated, or worse-they cause the couple even more stress. Save-the-Dates are casual early notices of your big day, while invites are formal requests to attend and contain all details-time, place, dress code, and how to RSVP.

Consider Save-the-Dates to be the preview and the Wedding Invitation as the full function.

The difference between Save-the-Dates and Invitations

Save-the-Dates

  • Both forms of communication to announce your wedding event to folks are different with regard to time, tone, and purpose.
  • Send Save-the-Dates 6-12 months before the wedding. 
  • Include both your names, wedding date, and city/location.
  • Designed to help guests plan.
  • Typically more childish in tone-not for serious matters.
  • Don't have RSVP instructions or details.

Wedding Invitation:

  • The wedding invitation is 6-8 weeks into the wedding (considerably longer, 2-3 months, in the case of a destination wedding).
  • Include all necessary event details: time, venue, dress code, RSVP instructions, and what not.
  • That is a formal and vital element in the etiquette of weddings.
  • It often comes with RSVP cards, meal choices, and several add-ins.
  • Sets up how formal your event is going to be.

In short, the Save-the-Dates tells guests where and when-the Wedding Invitations, everything else.

The Similarities Between Save-the-Dates and Invitations

Of course, even though they are different from each other, here are some similarities between them:

  • Both are a part of your wedding communication plan, and the saving dates and invitation cards are often designed to align with each other in theme or style. 
  • Supposed to be the same guest-list-don't send a Save-the-Date to anyone you might not invite later. 
  • They prepare guests-be it taking leave, making travel arrangements, or just laying out their calendars. 
  • Both can be digital or printed-takes one depends on budget, preference, and event formality.  
  • Having both creates a connected experience from the time guests mark their calendars to the time they arrive at their venue.

Final Thoughts

Save the dates and wedding invitations serve different purposes yet complement each other perfectly in bringing about easy experience to guests. Save the dates create anticipation and notification; wedding invitations illustrate in detail how the celebration would be. Therefore, guests are made welcome, informed and excited about big events through saving the dates.  

So yes-send that Save the Date-and then send them an invitation they won't forget. After all, it will be a life celebrated and what better way to begin than in style and mindful?