Evening Wedding Invitation Etiquette: Defining The Start Of Night

When it comes to wedding invitation wording, the goal is to provide guests with enough information so that they know when and where the wedding will take place. While there are no hard and fast rules, there are certain conventions to follow. For instance, it is recommended to send invitations four to eight months in advance, and to include the date and time of the ceremony, with the option of adding reception to follow if the reception is in the same location. The time should be written out in full, with no numerals, and any time after 5 pm is considered evening.

Evening wedding invitations are for guests joining you for the evening party only

Evening invitations can be sent out later than the daytime invitations. While daytime invites are usually sent out four to eight months ahead of the wedding, evening invitations can be sent out six to eight weeks before. This is because evening guests are less likely to need to book time off work or accommodation. It's also likely that your evening guest list is more flexible and subject to change.

Evening invitations can be sent out at the same time as daytime invitations, especially if you're sending the daytime ones out at the later end of the scale (around four months ahead). This will give you ample time to receive replies and confirm final numbers for your venue and caterers.

If you're inviting international guests, it's a good idea to give them a heads-up by calling or emailing them with the details, as well as information about booking hotel rooms. It's also recommended that you send their invitations out a minimum of 12 weeks in advance.

When it comes to the time on your invitations, it's worth noting that any time after 5 pm is considered the evening. You don't have to write "in the evening" on your invitations unless there could be confusion over whether it's morning or evening.

There are different ways to write the time of day on your invitations, depending on how formal your wedding is. For more traditional, formal invitations, you would write out the time fully, with no numerals, e.g. "half after three o'clock". For more casual invites, you can write the time as "4pm" or "5:30pm".

Send evening invites 8-12 weeks before the wedding

Evening wedding invitations are for guests who will be joining you for your evening party only. You don't need to send them to guests who will be with you for the whole day.

The timing of your evening invites will depend on when you send your day invites. If you send your day invites at the later end of the scale (four months ahead of the wedding), it's recommended to send your evening invites at around the same time. This will give you enough time to receive your replies and confirm final numbers for your venue and caterers.

If you send your day invites earlier (around eight months ahead of the wedding), you can send your evening invites later (six to eight weeks after). There are a few reasons for this:

• Evening guests might need less time to plan and book time off work.
• Your evening guest list is likely to be less set in stone and more subject to change.
• You might want to 'upgrade' guests. For example, if you have guests on your day list that you 'need' to invite but that probably won't come, and guests on your evening list that you'd like to invite for the full day.

Evening invites should be sent no later than eight to twelve weeks before the wedding. This will ensure you have enough time to get your replies and confirm final numbers with your venue and caterers.

Evening guests may not need as much notice as all-day guests

Evening guests are those who are invited to join the wedding party after the main ceremony and reception. They are usually sent separate invitations, which can go out later than the 'all-day' guest invites. Evening guests may not need as much notice as all-day guests, and there are several reasons for this.

Firstly, evening guests are less likely to need to book time off work or arrange accommodation, so they won't need as much notice. However, if they do need to make these arrangements, it's important to give them as much notice as possible. Secondly, the evening guest list is often less set in stone than the day guest list. Friend groups and relationships can change, so you may not want to commit to sending invitations too early. Finally, catering for the evening party is usually more flexible than for the wedding breakfast, so evening invitations can be sent closer to the wedding date.

Evening wedding invitations should be sent out no later than eight to twelve weeks before the wedding. This gives guests enough time to plan and respond, and allows the couple to confirm final numbers with the venue and caterers. If 'all-day' invitations are sent out around eight months in advance, evening invitations can be sent six to eight weeks later. However, if 'all-day' invitations are sent four to eight months in advance, evening invitations should be sent at the same time.

You can send evening invites after receiving replies from all-day guests

Evening wedding invitations are for guests who will be joining you for your evening party only. You don't need to send them to your 'all-day' guests, who will already be there.

There are no hard and fast rules about when to send evening wedding invitations—it's up to you and your wedding. However, it's recommended that you send your ''all-day' wedding invitations four to eight months ahead of the wedding. If you send them closer to four months in advance, you should send your evening invitations at around the same time. This will give you enough time to receive replies, and confirm final numbers for your venue and caterers.

If you send your ''all-day' invitations eight months ahead, you can send your evening invitations later—six to eight weeks after. There are a few reasons why you might decide to send your evening invitations later than your day ones:

• Evening guests might need less time to plan or book time off work.
• Your evening guest list is likely to be less 'set in stone' than your day list.
• You might want to 'upgrade' guests. For example, if you have guests on your day list that you 'need' to invite but that probably won't come, you can delay sending your evening invites until after you've received replies from your day guests. This gives you the opportunity to send full-day invitations to those 'upgraded' evening guests in the event of any original day guests being unable to attend.

Even if you decide to send your evening invitations after your day ones, it's recommended that you send them no later than eight to twelve weeks before the wedding.

Evening invites can be sent digitally, but give guests ample time to RSVP

Evening wedding invitations are for guests who will be joining you for your evening party only. They don't need to be sent to guests who will be with you for the whole day.

Evening invites can be sent digitally, but it's important to give guests ample time to RSVP. The recommended timeline for sending out wedding invitations is six to eight weeks before the wedding. This gives your guests enough time to clear their schedules and make travel arrangements if necessary. It also means you can request RSVPs sooner, allowing you to get a final headcount, invite guests on your B list if needed, and complete your seating charts before the week of the wedding.

If you're sending paper invitations, it's best to send them out at least six weeks in advance to account for shipping and delivery time. For international guests, it's recommended to send invitations nine to ten weeks in advance, or even up to a year if possible. Giving your guests plenty of notice is essential, especially if they need to request time off work or make travel plans.

When it comes to the RSVP deadline, it's generally recommended that responses are due about one month before the wedding. This gives you enough time to finalise details with your venue and caterers. However, it's worth noting that some sources suggest setting the RSVP deadline to two to four weeks before the wedding.

While there's no one-size-fits-all approach to wedding planning, keeping these timelines in mind will help ensure that you and your guests are on the same page, and that your special day goes as smoothly as possible.

Frequently asked questions