When To Mail Invitations

First there’s no hard steadfast rule. I hate rules. I’m typically a rule follower but I question the validity of every rule and especially who is telling me to do what. ANYWAY you do what makes sense for your wedding! With that, these are general recommendations.

When do you mail Save the Dates?

Typically Save the Dates are mailed 6 to 9 months ahead of your wedding date. You want to give your guests ample time to plan to attend. I for one love to plan. I like to know what’s going to happen and when. So give your type A planners more time especially if you’re having a destination wedding or if you have a lot of out of town guests. Leave them with no excuses!

When do you mail Wedding Invitations?

Again, you want to give your guests ample notice but not too much time that they feel like they can procrastinate on planning or sending in their reply card. Usually wedding invitations are mailed 7 to 12 weeks in advance. Ten weeks out tends to be the sweet spot for just enough time but not too much. Your invitation is the first time your guests get an idea of what to wear (probably the most dreaded/anticipated detail for guests right???), dinner options, and time of day for the ceremony.

When should your RSVP date be?

If you need place cards and seating charts made I would recommend 5 weeks before the wedding date. There will always be people that forget to reply (hello, it’s me) and you will need to hunt them down and get their confirmation. Better to allow for the forgetful crew and the late responders than have your seating chart ruined by Uncle Baby Billy. Reply cards are an important piece to the puzzle.

When should you mail Rehearsal Dinner invitations?

If you are going to mail them separately I would suggest mailing a week or two after you mail the main invitation. That way it doesn’t come before the wedding invitation. Some couples choose to include them with the main invitation which is a totally valid option. Yet again, it’s what you prefer!

What about other events?

Bridal tea, Sunday brunch, arrival cocktails, whatever party your hearts desire, we usually include these with the main invitation bundle as separate details cards. We can design them so they coordinate with the overall look but use different papers, envelopes, illustrations, or ink colors to differentiate. I personally love designing multiple pieces (um duh I love designing)… it’s so satisfying seeing them all together!

Moral of the story… when you can, it’s better to give your guests ample time to plan, respond, search for the perfect outfits. Ultimately, you make the rules but good design takes some time.