Wedding Invitation Etiquette: Timing And Sending Out Early

Wedding planning can be a stressful time, and knowing when to send out your wedding invitations is an important detail. It's essential to give your guests enough notice, especially if they need to make travel arrangements or take time off work. So, when is the best time to send out wedding invitations?

The general consensus is that wedding invitations should be sent out six to eight weeks before the wedding. This gives guests plenty of time to RSVP and make any necessary plans without being too early, which runs the risk of guests forgetting or misplacing the invitation. However, if you're planning a destination wedding or your wedding falls on a holiday weekend, it's advisable to send out invitations earlier – around three months in advance.

Some couples also choose to send out Save the Date cards four to six months before the wedding, especially if guests will need to travel or make accommodations. This gives guests a heads-up to mark their calendars without having to provide all the detailed information about the wedding just yet.

So, while there is no one-size-fits-all answer, sending your wedding invitations six to eight weeks in advance is generally considered the sweet spot to ensure your guests have enough time to plan without being too early.

Invitations for destination weddings

Planning a destination wedding? It's important to give your guests plenty of notice. Here are some tips to help you get your timing right and ensure your guests have all the information they need.

Save the Dates

Save-the-date cards are not essential, but they are a fun way to get your guests to mark their calendars, especially if many of your guests have to make travel arrangements or if accommodations near the wedding site are limited. Send these out four to six months before the wedding, or even earlier if your wedding is in a far-off destination that may require more extensive travel arrangements.

Invitations

Ideally, you should send your invitations around 12 weeks before your wedding date. This gives your guests plenty of time to reply, book travel arrangements, and purchase a gift. If you're only inviting a few international guests, it's fine to send their formal invitation at the same time as other guests, but be sure to give them a heads-up by calling or emailing them with the details. That way, they have enough time to prepare their travel arrangements.

RSVPs

Your invitation should include a way for guests to respond, such as an RSVP card and pre-addressed envelope or the option to respond via your wedding website. The deadline for RSVPs should be indicated and should be no later than one month before the wedding date. This gives you and your vendors enough time to make the necessary preparations for your big day.

Creative Ideas

There are lots of creative ideas for destination wedding invitations. You could opt for a passport-style invitation or a boarding pass design. These set the tone for your wedding and let your guests know they'll be travelling to celebrate with you.

Save-the-date cards

If you're sending physical save-the-date cards, you'll need to factor in the time it takes to choose a design, order, and ship them. For custom-made luxury save-the-date cards, it's recommended to start researching and reaching out to stationery designers eleven to twelve months before your wedding. For ready-made designs, you can order them eight to nine months in advance.

If you're sending digital save-the-date cards, you can purchase them quickly and have them shipped to you within two to three weeks. However, you'll still need to set aside time to research and choose a design.

RSVP deadline

When setting an RSVP deadline, it's important to give your guests enough time to respond. Asking for RSVPs no later than one month before the wedding is common advice, as it gives you and your vendors ample time to make the necessary preparations. This timeline also provides a brief window for guests to receive the invitation and make their decision, while still allowing you to get a final headcount and make last-minute adjustments if needed.

However, it's worth noting that there are some circumstances where you may want to adjust this deadline. If your wedding falls on a major holiday, such as Christmas, it is advisable to send invitations earlier and set an earlier RSVP deadline, as people will need more time to plan. Similarly, if you have a large number of international guests or are planning a destination wedding, it is recommended to send invitations earlier to account for travel arrangements. In these cases, setting an RSVP deadline of around six weeks before the wedding may be more appropriate.

On the other hand, if your wedding is more casual or local with mostly domestic guests, you may have more flexibility with the RSVP deadline. While you still want to give your guests enough notice, you could consider setting a deadline of four to six weeks before the wedding. This will allow you to finalize details closer to the date while ensuring you have the necessary information for planning.

Regardless of the specific deadline you choose, it's essential to clearly communicate the date on your invitations and give your guests ample time to respond. This will help ensure a smooth planning process and an accurate headcount for your big day.

Invitations for local guests

If you are sending invitations to local guests, it is generally recommended that you send them out six to eight weeks before the wedding. This gives your guests enough time to clear their schedules and make any necessary arrangements, without being too early that they forget about the wedding.

However, there are some circumstances in which you may want to send out invitations earlier. If your wedding falls on a major holiday, such as Christmas, it is advisable to send invitations further in advance, as people will need to plan their holidays.

On the other hand, if you are having a destination wedding, it is customary to send invitations out around 12 weeks before the big day. This is to give your local guests enough time to book travel and accommodation.

It's also worth noting that if you are sending out Save the Dates, you should do so around four to six months before the wedding. This will give your guests a heads-up to mark their calendars and ensure they don't make other plans.

Timing for international guests

If you're inviting international guests to your wedding, it's a good idea to give them a little more notice than local guests. This will allow them ample time to make travel arrangements and accommodations. As such, it's recommended that you send out your wedding invitations to international guests around nine to twelve weeks before the wedding. This is especially important if you're having a destination wedding, where most or all of your guests will be travelling from abroad. In this case, you may even send out invitations as early as a year in advance.

If you're only inviting a small number of international guests, it's perfectly fine to send their invitations at the same time as those of your other guests. However, it's a good idea to give them a heads-up in advance by calling, texting, or emailing them with the details. This will allow them to start making their travel arrangements. Be sure to also provide them with information about booking accommodations, such as hotel rooms.

In addition, it's important to have all the relevant information available on your wedding website as soon as you send out your save-the-dates. This may require you to start planning for hotel room blocks and transportation options earlier than expected, but it will be beneficial in the long run. By doing so, your overseas guests will have easy access to all the necessary information, and you'll be able to tick a few more tasks off your to-do list.

When it comes to requesting RSVPs from international guests, it's a good idea to give them the option to respond digitally. This will prevent you from having to wait for their responses to arrive by mail, which can take significantly longer.

Frequently asked questions