Although your wedding day may be months away, there is no doubt that it is first and foremost in your mind. Put it in the minds of your friends and family as well by sending save-the-date cards, which inform would-be guests of when and where the wedding will be. Though not required, they are helpful, particularly if many guests will have to travel to the wedding, if it will take place during a busy holiday weekend, or if accommodations nearby are scarce. Send save-the-date cards four to six months before the wedding, or even earlier if extensive travel plans must be arranged. The cards can be handmade or printed by a stationer. While they are almost always less formal than wedding invitations, save-the-date cards create the first impression that your guests will have of the wedding, so you want them to reflect the style of the event. But even if you will have a traditional wedding, you can express yourself in creative ways, such as by making a save-the-date reminder in the form of a refrigerator magnet or tourist postcard. For a formal event, the cards can be worded simply: "Please save the date of Saturday, the ninth of November, for the wedding of Ann Jones to Mark Brown." For a casual wedding, you might say something like "We're getting married! Please save the date: November 9, 2002, New York City. Invitation and details to follow," with your names below. You may choose to put only the essentials on the card. Or you might include more information, such as accommodation and travel details, to help guests make their plans. You can even send a packet with brochures, an itinerary of wedding events, and maps of the area. Save-the-date cards do not require a reply. You may want to include a phrase explaining this to your guests and also letting them know that the invitation will follow. No doubt a few guests will respond anyway, telling you how much they liked your card and that they can't wait to join you at the wedding.