Sending them too early or too late can likewise be impolite, so here are basic wedding invite timeline rules:
- Save the date cards can be sent out as early as a year from your wedding date
- Invitations should be sent to your guests six to eight weeks in advance of your wedding.
- Invitations for destination weddings should be sent to your guests three months in advance of your wedding.
When should you send out wedding invitations?
Finding the right time to send out wedding invitations can be a difficult balancing act. The general rule of thumb is to send invitations 8 to 12 weeks before the date (2 to 3 months out). You can set a date on the card for guests to RSVP by so that you can get a headcount, but prepare for some guests to fail to meet that deadline.
How far in advance should you Set Your Wedding Date?
However, if your wedding date falls on a holiday weekend or takes place in a far-off destination, it is strongly recommended to give you save the dates much earlier, such as 6 to 12 months before your wedding date. You must include a way for your guests to respond to your wedding invitation.
How far in advance should you send save the date?
Save-the-dates are sent out before wedding invitations, and the general rule of thumb is to send them between 6 and 12 months before the wedding. If your engagement is on the longer side, it’s common to send the save-the-date 12 months out.
How far in advance should you RSVP for a wedding?
You want to set your RSVP deadline to be at least a couple weeks in advance of when you actually need that information from your guests. There will inevitably be wedding guests who do not send their RSVPs back in time, and this gives you the time you need to follow up with them after sending the wedding invitations.
Is 3 months too early to send out wedding invitations?
The general rule of thumb is to send invitations 8 to 12 weeks before the date (2 to 3 months out). You can set a date on the card for guests to RSVP by so that you can get a headcount, but prepare for some guests to fail to meet that deadline.
How long before you get married should you send out wedding invitations?
six to eight weeksInvitations should be sent to your guests six to eight weeks in advance of your wedding. Invitations for destination weddings should be sent to your guests three months in advance of your wedding.
Is 4 months too early to send wedding invites?
Put simply, you want to give your guests as much notice as possible, especially if it takes them a while to RSVP. As such, it's customary to send out your save the date around 6-12 months before the wedding and your invites at least three to four months before.
How much time do you give guests to RSVP to a wedding?
How long should guests have to RSVP for weddings? Ideally, the RSVP date should fall three to four weeks before the wedding, and the wedding invitation should be mailed six to eight weeks prior to the wedding.
What is the etiquette for wedding invitations?
Traditionally, invitations go out six to eight weeks before the wedding. That timeline gives guests plenty of leeway to clear their schedules and make travel arrangements if they don't live in town. If it's a destination wedding, give guests more time and send them out three months ahead of the wedding.
What does M mean on an RSVP?
In keeping with more formal wedding tradition, the line is here as a way to kickstart your reply. The "M" stands for the first letter of the title you prefer to go by, be it Mr., Mrs., Ms., or Miss.
Is 10 weeks too early to send out wedding invitations?
Ideally, the best time to send out wedding invitations is six to eight weeks before the wedding. This doesn't just give your guests lots of time to clear their schedules for the day, it also means you can request your wedding guests' RSVPs sooner (two to three weeks before the wedding is appropriate).
When to send wedding invitations if no save the date?
When to Send Wedding Invites. Put them in the mail: 2-4 months before the big day. If you're not sending Save the Dates (or are having a destination wedding), you'll want to get our invites out closer to the 4-month mark.
When to send wedding invites no save-the-date?
If you're not sending save the dates, the best time to send out wedding invitations is 9 to 10 weeks before the wedding. Just two weeks more gives a little more of an indication.
Is a year too early to send save-the-dates?
As a general rule of thumb, it's a good idea to mail your save-the-dates four to six months before the wedding—or even earlier if you're planning a destination wedding that may require more extensive travel arrangements.
Can I skip save-the-dates?
You can skip save-the-dates… but only in certain situations Only skip the save the dates if: Your wedding is in the next 3 months. You'll need to contact them directly and jump in on invites right away. (If it hasn't happened yet, an engagement party is the perfect way to start.
When should you arrive at a wedding?
Arrive Early to the Wedding Ceremony Ideally, guests should schedule time to arrive 30 minutes before the invitation start time of the ceremony (expect to carve in extra time for larger wedding guest lists).
When to send wedding invitations with no save the dates?
If you choose not to send save-the-dates, feel free to send your wedding invitations out a bit earlier than if you had. In the 8 to 16 week range, you may want to lean more towards 16 weeks before the wedding for invitations if you did not send guests a save- the-date.
Why do brides send out wedding invitations early?
Many brides want to send out their invitations early so that they can confirm their numbers with vendors, but sending wedding invitations too early can be a mistake. Often, guests end up leaving the invitation in a pile of mail and forget to respond, or they cannot commit to a date so far in advance. In other cases, they may RSVP “yes” and then forget about it because so much time has passed between their RSVP and the actual event.
Why are wedding invitations important?
Wedding invitations – and RSVPs – are important for a number of reasons. Not only do you want your closest guests to make it to the wedding, you also need a guest count to tell the venue for tables, chairs, and seating arrangements, and to tell caterers and other vendors so that you have the right amount of food, drinks, and so on.
What is a save the date?
A save-the-date is different from a proper wedding invitation. They typically stand as a placeholder for the real invitation to ensure that guests know to clear their schedules on that day, or avoid committing to any other events. Save-the-dates are sent out before wedding invitations, and the general rule of thumb is to send them between 6 ...
When to send save the date?
Save-the-dates are sent out before wedding invitations, and the general rule of thumb is to send them between 6 and 12 months before the wedding. If your engagement is on the longer side, it’s common to send the save-the-date 12 months out. In light of COVID-19, couples across the globe have had to reschedule their weddings.
Can you send out RSVP invitations too early?
Ultimately, you can send out your invitations whenever you want, but you should keep in mind that guests may forget that they RSVP’d or simply forget to answer if you invite them too early. If you’re worried about guests being double-booked, use a save-the-date to encourage them to mark their calendars. A wedding website, perhaps even with email updates, is another great way to remind guests about your upcoming celebration.
What is the importance of timing in a wedding?
Timing is a significant factor when you’re planning a wedding. When to book suppliers, when to throw engagement parties and bridal showers, and how early to send out your wedding invites are all challenging tasks that require time and attention. When you have reserved your venue and set a wedding date, you might be thinking, ...
When to include RSVP card for wedding?
any wedding-related activities. You may also include an RSVP card that is approximately four weeks before your big day , with a ‘please respond by date’ note. Don’t forget a signed, self-addressed envelope. Wedding etiquette often requires that you leave your invitation suite with gift or registry information.
What should the wedding invites state?
You should state the wedding time, date, month, and year. Don’t forget the full details of the place where and when it is held.
What is included in a wedding invitation?
The main invitation, a response card, and any other enclosure card that provides useful details for your guests. Reception card, travel, accommodation card, dress card, website card for weddings, etc. are included in a typical wedding invitation suite. A reasonable rule of thumb is to announce the wedding when you want the marriage to begin ...
Can you use formal wording on wedding invitations?
You and your fiancé may feel like using formal wording on your wedding invites, and it's ok, but keep it simple and sincere. Some fundamentals must always be included, regardless of how formal or informal the phrasing on your wedding invitation is.
Can you send out invites too early?
You may send out your invites whenever you like, but you should bear in mind that your guests can forget that you invited them if they receive it too early . They may RSVP or fail to reply. Use a save-the-date to allow them to mark their calendars if you’re concerned that visitors are double-booked.
Sending Wedding Invitations On A Budget
Wedding invitations can cost a lot more than youd expect. Aside from purchasing enough cards and envelopes for your guest list, you also have to worry about postage. If you have a lot of friends scattered around the world, these letters can rack up your bill even faster.
When To Order Stationery Sample Packs
When should you mail your invitations? Before you even get to that question you have go right back to the beginning of the timeline and ask: when do I order a stationery sample pack? .
Destination Wedding Stationery Timeline
Keep yourself on track! When planning a successful wedding celebration, its important to get tasks done on time, especially when youre planning a destination wedding.
The Importance Of Completing Your Registry First
Your wedding registry should be live and fully functional, with gifts of varying monetary value, by the time your shower invitations are sent. But to avoid any miscues for your guests or extra work for the host, we recommend completing your wedding registry even earlierabout two months before your shower date.
When To Order Wedding Invitations: A Timeline
Sending invitations at the right time isnt just a matter of etiquette. Its vital to ensure that the entire wedding process runs smoothly. Time things correctly and you give yourself breathing room to properly plan seating, the reception, and the event itself. Leave yourself too little time and youll be scrabbling to rearrange the seating plan.
Your Wedding Stationery Timeline
Using this free wedding stationery timetable will help you choose when to send out your wedding invitations and save the dates for your big day.
Everything You Need To Know About When To Send Wedding Invitations
Did you know that the United States Postal Service handles nearly 500 million pieces of mail each day?
What To Include On A Shower Invitation
Before you pop those bridal shower invites in the mail, make sure youve included all of the following important details:
If Our Wedding Reception Is For Immediate Family Only Is It Okay To Invite People To The Ceremony Only
This is a tricky situation. Standard etiquette dictates that everyone who attends the ceremony should be invited to the weddingthat means the ceremony and the reception.
What Time Should We Put On Our Wedding Invitations
A good rule of thumb is to call the wedding for at least half an hour to 45 minutes before you want the ceremony to begin, and state that time on your invitation. Its also important to be very intentional with what you plan to have guests do for that window of time before your ceremony starts. Its important to make this very purposeful.
When To Send Invitations & Save
If youre having an at-home reception , I suggest mailing separate save-the-dates for your destination wedding and at-home reception but send them at the same time.
When Do The Invitations Go Out If Im Delivering Them By Hand
If you are hand-delivering your wedding invites that have been preceded by a save the date, we recommend you ensure your invites are out 4-6 weeks before your big day. If you are delivering by hand, we would recommend a premium print type such as foil stamped wedding invitations. However, where there is no save the date, allow three months.
What About Rehearsal Dinner Invitations When Should We Send Those Out
After your guests have received your wedding invitation, they might be wondering if theres a rehearsal dinner and if theyre invited. We recommend sending out your rehearsal dinner invitations a week or two after sending out your main wedding invitations. That way, your guests will have enough time to adjust travel plans if needed.
The Best Hacks To Cut The Hassle
Luckily, in an uncertain era, digital invites are more acceptable than ever. Guests are also dealing with this weird new world, so they understand that there may not be formal save-the-dates, and there may be last-minute invites.
When Do You Send Out Wedding Invitations If Youre Hosting A Hometown Wedding
With hometown weddings, you can be a bit more flexible when it comes to when to send wedding invitations. Usually about six to eight weeks before the event is a sufficient amount of time, if a majority of your guests arent traveling a long distance to your event.
How To Address Save The Date Cards
A save the date card should go to every guest invited to your wedding, including members of your wedding party and family members. Using the same etiquette rules for how to address wedding invitations, weve provided the following guidelines for how to address your save the date cards with your guests in mind:
Wedding Rsvp Deadline Etiquette
Set your RSVP due date for 3-4 weeks prior to the wedding day. This has a few key benefits:
When To Send Out Your Wedding Invitations
When to send out your invitations will vary depending on your personal circumstances, as each couples wedding is unique.
Formal Or Casual: What To Include
First, decide what will be written on your invitation and how it should be worded. You and your fiancé may feel that since committing to one another is a very significant event, you would prefer to use formal phrasing on your wedding invitations.
When To Send Wedding Invitations With No Save
If you choose not to send save-the-dates, feel free to send your wedding invitations out a bit earlier than if you had. In the 8 to 16 week range, you may want to lean more towards 16 weeks before the wedding for invitations if you did not send guests a save- the-date. This way, guests have a little more warning and more time to plan.
When To Order Save The Dates: 6 To 12 Months Before The Wedding
So when should save the date cards be sent? And how does a destination wedding affect the timeline? In general, order, design, and send out save the date cards at least 6 to 12 months in advance of your wedding date. If you miss the 6 to 12 month period, try sending and ordering your save the date cards as soon as possible.
How early is too early for wedding invites?
How early is too early for wedding invites? This is a question that many couples face when planning their big day. There is no definitive answer, but there are some things to consider when making this decision.
Can I send my wedding invitations 3 months in advance?
Most couples send their wedding invitations six to eight weeks before the wedding, but is it possible to send them three months in advance? The answer is yes, you can send your wedding invitations three months in advance, but there are a few things you need to keep in mind.
Is 9 months too early for save the dates?
When it comes to wedding planning, there are a lot of things to consider. One of the earliest decisions you’ll need to make is when to send out save the dates. Some couples send them out as early as nine months before the wedding, while others wait until a few months before. So, is nine months too early for save the dates?
What is the average RSVP rate for weddings?
When it comes to planning a wedding, one of the most important things to consider is how many guests will be attending. This number can vary greatly, but it’s important to have a general idea so you can plan accordingly. One way to get a sense for how many people will be at your wedding is to look at the average RSVP rate.
What is the etiquette for wedding invitations?
When it comes to wedding invitations, there are a few key etiquette rules that everyone should follow. Here is a rundown of the most important ones:
Is 4 months too late for save-the-date?
The answer to this question really depends on your specific circumstances. If you have already sent out invitations and have a date set, then it is too late to send out save-the-dates. However, if you have not yet sent out invitations and you are still considering a date, then it is not too late to send out save-the-dates.
Why do you have to RSVP early for a destination wedding?
With a destination wedding, you'll be glad you have an early RSVP deadline because then you'll have plenty of buffer time to make sure every guest is accounted for, as well as get a sense of when people will be arriving and departing so you can plan pre- and post-wedding events accordingly.
Can you RSVP on a wedding invite?
While mail-in cards are still the traditional choice, not everyone uses the mail as they once did, points out event planning expert Sandy Hammer, co-founder of AllSeated. List a phone number, email address, or wedding website guests can also RSVP at on your invites to boost your response rate.
When do you send out save the dates if you’re hosting a local wedding?
We recommend sending save the dates between four and eight months in advance of your nuptials for hometown weddings. If a good portion of your guests are traveling to your event or if your event is taking placing over a holiday weekend, send save the dates around eight months in advance, but if most people are local, four to six months ahead of time is fine—anything later than four months in advance, your guests may already have conflicts on their calendars. As with a destination wedding, your wedding website should be relatively complete by the time those save the dates go out. Your guests will likely refer to your wedding website immediately after receiving your save the date to check your registry and other details, and the last thing you want is them to be greeted by a blank page.
Where should I buy my save the dates?
When it comes to purchasing your save the dates, you have several options. You could buy your save the dates through an online stationer like WeddingWire Invitations, which allows you to browse a variety of options, customize your wedding stationery, and receive free samples easily and conveniently. If you'd prefer to see a wide range of options in person, you might opt to work with a local stationer in your area. Check sites like WeddingWire to find a stationer near you who is well-reviewed.
What shouldn’t I include on my save the dates?
The major wedding etiquette no-no is including specific registry information on your save the date. This information can be included on your website, but shouldn’t be added to any printed materials. You also don’t need to be specific about your wedding venue, exact timing, or dress code. Your guests don’t need that information at this early point.
Can I send electronic save the dates?
Traditional wedding etiquette dictates that save the dates should be printed and sent via snail mail. However, times have changed and for couples who are planning with a really tight timeline or an extremely large guest list, online save the dates can be a quick and easy solution. For formal weddings, though, printed save the dates are still best. If you're going the online route, there are plenty of websites with thousands of templates to choose from so you can find the save the dates that best suit your wedding style.
Do you need a wedding website after a save the date?
As with a destination wedding, your wedding website should be relatively complete by the time those save the dates go out. Your guests will likely refer to your wedding website immediately after receiving your save the date to check your registry and other details, and the last thing you want is them to be greeted by a blank page.
Do you send save the dates to all guests?
Your save the dates should be sent to all of your guests, which means you should have a finalized guest list before sending them out. Some couples create A, B, and C guest lists and only sending save the dates to those on the A-list, but that’s not something we recommend. In fact, we don't recommend having A, B, ...
Do save the dates have to match?
While your save the date should reflect the style of your wedding (formal or casual), it’s doesn’t have to match the rest of your paper goods. In fact, you probably don’t even know what the rest of your paper suite will look like at this early point, so don’t sweat it!
When Should You Send out Bridal Shower Invitations?
Overall, the best time to send out wedding shower invitations is anywhere between four and eight weeks before the event. That said, the six-week mark is a widely accepted sweet spot, with an RSVP deadline at least two to three weeks before the event. This time frame gives guests ample time to book their calendars and find a gift, but still affords the host time to prepare for the final headcount.
How long before a wedding do you have to RSVP?
That said, the six-week mark is a widely accepted sweet spot, with an RSVP deadline at least two to three weeks before the event. This time frame gives guests ample time to book their calendars and find a gift, but still affords the host time to prepare for the final headcount.
What time do showers take place?
Most showers take place during a weekend to ensure the maximum number of guests can attend, and the prime hours for a shower are between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. Part of the host/hostess’s job is to keep the party on the decided schedule, and a rough outline of the day's events will help.
What is a wedding shower?
A wedding shower celebrates the couple as a whole, rather than the individuals themselves. This celebration of the couple is a more significant reflection of the premarital journey and reinforces the couple's choice for unity.
How many people are allowed to attend a wedding shower?
Many couples will have an average of 1-3 showers thrown on their behalf during the engagement period: one from each side of the family, and sometimes one from work colleagues. Thirty guests is a widely accepted maximum number of attendees for a wedding shower, as a group larger than 30 tends to be challenging to manage—particularly if the guest of honor will be opening presents.
Is it wrong to throw a bridal shower?
Shifting away from a traditional bridal shower in favor of a couple's shower also allows friends and family who might not be able to attend the wedding event to participate in the celebration of matrimony in a meaningful way. There is no right or wrong way to throw a shower, but there are still those who believe that certain bridal shower etiquette and traditions are not to be altered.