Save-the-Date vs. Invitation Wording: What Goes on Each (with Examples)

When I put a wedding suite together, I want the save-the-date and the invitation to match each other and stay easy to read. That only works when each card carries the right details, so here's what goes where.

A save-the-date holds the day. It has your names, the date, the city and "invitation to follow," with no RSVP. The invitation is the one that asks for a reply, with the venue, the times, any dress code and an RSVP deadline. Common guidance is to send save-the-dates six to eight months out and invitations six to eight weeks out.

What goes on each card

Save-the-date:

• Both names
• The date
• The city and state (the venue is optional)
• Your wedding website, if you have one
• "Invitation to follow"

Invitation:

• Who's hosting
• Both names
• The date and the ceremony time
• The venue name and address
• Reception details, if it's somewhere else
• Dress code, if there is one
• How to RSVP and by when

Save-the-date wording you can copy

The names and places below are made up. Swap in your own.

Formal:

Please save the date for the wedding of
Claire Bennett and James Ortiz
June 12, 2027
Charleston, South Carolina
Invitation to follow

Simple:

Save the date
Claire & James
6.12.2027
Charleston, SC
Invitation to follow

Relaxed:

We're getting married!
Hold June 12, 2027 for us.
Charleston, SC
Details to come

Invitation wording, depending on who's hosting

The first line changes with who's hosting. The rest stays the same.

When the couple is hosting:

Together with their families
Claire Bennett and James Ortiz
request the pleasure of your company at their wedding

When the bride's parents are hosting:

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Bennett
request the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of their daughter
Claire Bennett
to James Ortiz

When both families are hosting:

Together with their parents
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Bennett
and Mr. and Mrs. Luis Ortiz
Claire and James
invite you to celebrate their marriage

The lines people get wrong

• An RSVP on the save-the-date. Most guides leave it off. The reply belongs to the invitation.
• The registry on the invitation. Put it on your wedding website instead. Traditional etiquette leaves gift details out of the invitation envelope entirely (Emily Post Institute).
• Unclear times. "Half past four in the afternoon" or "4:30 pm" both work. Just don't leave guests guessing between morning and evening.
• No end time on the reception. It isn't required, but it helps guests plan babysitters and rides.

When to send each

Six to eight months ahead is common for save-the-dates, and eight to twelve months for a destination wedding, though some etiquette guides say three to six months is fine. Emily Post's planning checklist has invitations going out six to eight weeks before the wedding (Emily Post Institute). Many couples set the RSVP date three to four weeks before the day, so check what your venue and caterer need. Only send a save-the-date to people you're sure you'll invite. Once it's sent, it's hard to take back.

Fitting your wording into a template

Templates are laid out for a certain amount of text, so a few habits help:

• Keep each line short. If a line wraps, try splitting it into two.
• Type your longest names first and see how they fit before you fill in the rest.
• Check the date, the day of the week and the spelling of every name.
• Print one test copy at home before you print the whole batch.

Questions people ask