Timeline for Sending Out Invitations
photo: Diana Light
There’s a ton of information out there about what to do and how to do it for weddings. This timeline is something I, a wedding invitation designer, came up with as a rule-of-thumb for those unsure of when to send things out.
Back in the day, sending the invitations out 2 months before the date was normal and worked. However, in the USA it’s become known that we are constantly shopping online, and getting things mailed our homes now more than ever.
With that, the postal services are overwhelmed and usually behind.
So earlier the better! But not too early where people forget to return their rsvp to you. Now’s a good time to decide if you want to do an online RSVP or traditional mail-in.
If you’re getting custom invitations created by a designer, you’ll want to book them as soon as you book your main vendors (Venue, Caterer, Photographer) as Invitations set the stage for your entire day.
Telling your guests WHEN to show up, WHERE to show up, HOW to show up, and with WHOM.
For me, I usually say contact minimum 4-5 months before you want to send out invitations.
Think: Consults, Design Choices, Proofs & Revisions, Printing, Assembly, and Mail time.
WEDDING STATIONERY SEND-OUT TIMELINE
Follow this as a general guideline.
DOMESTIC WEDDINGS
SAVE THE DATES: 7-12 months prior to event date
INVITATIONS: 3-4 Months prior (mostly local guests) 4-5 months prior (out of state guests)
THANK YOU CARDS: 1 month after
DESTINATION WEDDINGS
SAVE THE DATES: 10-14 months prior to event date
INVITATIONS: 5-7 months prior
THANK YOU CARDS: 1-3 months after
EVENT STATIONERY SEND-OUT (birthdays, bridal showers, etc)
INVITATIONS: 1-3 months prior (mostly local guests)
3-5 months prior (out of state guests)
THANK YOU CARDS: 3-4 weeks after
And don’t forget to set your RSVP date’s at least 5 weeks before your event!
You’ll need extra time to collect those rsvp’s in time to:
Get final counts to your vendors a few weeks prior to your date
Time to create day-of signage and details. Because you can’t complete these until you have your final guest count!
Track down guests who haven’t responded yet (there will always be one)
Time to send your “B” and “C” list if doing so. This is especially important for those who have to fill a minimum amount of seats for their event.
Stay tuned for more on all things invitations and what you need to have on there and why
