When Do You Mail Wedding Invitations?
Previous guidance recommended mailing your invitations 6 to 8 weeks before your wedding date. However, we find that is simply not enough time to notify your guests traveling from near and far, collect your replies, and plan for your day-of stationery. Ideally, we recommend sending invitations out between 12 and 16 weeks before the wedding. Keep reading for more information along with tips and recommended timing for save-the-dates and RSVP deadlines.
Check out our full guide to wedding
invitation vocabulary.
The Ideal Timeline
As mentioned above, for most weddings 12 to 16 weeks before the wedding date is the sweet spot for mailing your invitations. This gives your guests plenty of time to make travel arrangements, clear their schedules, and RSVP by the recommended deadline. Since so many weddings today, destination or not, include guests traveling from near and far, given the mail and your guests plenty of time is key.
That being said, for custom invitation designs, please reach out to us no later than six months in advance of your wedding date to secure a spot on our calendar. For save-the-dates, we recommend reaching out at least a year in advance.
Save-the-Dates
So, we’ve covered wedding invitations, but what about save-the-dates? We recommend sending these out 10 to 14 months before the wedding to give guests an early heads-up, especially if your event falls on a holiday weekend or requires travel.
What About RSVP Deadlines?
It’s recommended that your RSVP deadline should be about 4 to 6 weeks before the wedding to make sure you’ll have an accurate headcount in time to finalize catering, seating arrangements, and any day-of stationery items like place cards or menus.
Make sure to clearly state the RSVP deadline on your invitation or RSVP card to avoid last-minute chaos.
Tips for Perfecting Your Invitations
Order Extras
We always suggest ordering extra invitations in case of last-minute guest additions or errors in addressing. Our invitations are grouped in multiples of 25, so we always recommend going up in quantity category to be safe.Include Postage
Including proper postage for any RSVP cards that guests will be mailing back is a thoughtful touch that makes the process as smooth as possible for your guests.
In our experience, the key to a stress-free wedding mailing timeline is planning ahead and staying organized. With any questions about timing or how we can work together to create custom or semi-custom invitation suites, don’t hesitate to get in touch.
