Save the date cards can be thought of as miniature, more simply designed and briefly worded invitations. They are not to be used in place of invitations, but in addition to them. Save the date card serve one crucial purpose: to tell people of a special event well ahead of time (we're talking six to eight months ahead of time; more if the guest will need to make travel arrangements in order to attend!) so that they can clear that calendar date. Save the date cards contain information pertaining to the type of event, and the day, date and time the event is being held on. The rest of the information about that event, such as what to wear, what to bring, where to go to, etc., should be included with the regular invitation.
Save the date cards are typically thought of as a necessity for planning a wedding, but really, you can use save the date cards for any special event. Save the date cards are perfect for any event where you want to make sure your guests have plenty of advance notice about an upcoming even that you are planning, but you don't want to send the invitations themselves out too early, for fear of them becoming lost.
As mentioned earlier in this article, save the date cards should have only the basic, required information on them. This includes the type of event (wedding, birthday party, baby shower, etc.), the date (example: February 12th, 2004 or the 8th day of March, 2009), the day (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, etc.) and the time (1:00pm, 11 in the morning, 6pm-8pm, etc.). All other information should go on the invitation, as planned.
Your save the date cards should be sent out six months to eight months in advance of the special event that you are planning. However, if your guest will be coming from out of town, and may need to make arrangements for time off from work, babysitting, traveling (air fare, train, directions for a long road trip) and lodging (hotel, motel, crashing with a friend), then you should be considerate of these extra steps and make sure that they receive their save the date cards nine months or even twelve months in advance. Remember, this is your special event and you want your guests to be able to attend, so make sure that they can plan their schedule accordingly!