Wondering When to Send out Your Wedding Invites? Read on...
So you're getting married, congratulations! It's an exciting time. Planning a wedding involves many details. You know right? You're knee deep in details right now. You've got a list of to-do's a mile long and a head full of dreams. And one of the first tasks is to decide when to send out the all-important wedding invitations. We've created a comprehensive guide to help you navigate the timing of sending wedding invitations.
Proper etiquette dictates specific timelines for sending invitations based on various factors. In this blog post we'll cover when to send out wedding invitations for local weddings, how early to send invitations for destination weddings and the timeframe of when you should send invitations for overseas wedding destinations. We've also covered how far in advance to send wedding Save the Date cards to your guests.
1. Local Weddings
For local weddings, it is customary to send out wedding invitations 6 to 8 weeks before the big day. However, if you are getting married in peak wedding season or during December - January holiday season, it would be reasonable to send out your invitations as early as 3 to 4 months in advance. This allows guests enough time to block out the date, respond with RSVP and make necessary arrangements to attend the wedding.
2. Destination Weddings
Getting married on an island? Or planning your nuptials at a rural country estate? Will the majority of your guests be attending from out of town and have to book flights or accommodation? Destination weddings require more advanced notice for guests to plan their travel arrangements. It is recommended to send out wedding invitations for destination weddings a minimum of 3 months in advance. This gives guests ample time to book flights, accommodations, and take time off work.
3. Weddings Abroad
For weddings overseas, where guests may need to obtain passports or visas, it is advisable to send out invitations even earlier. Aim to send wedding invitations for weddings abroad 6 to 8 months before the wedding date to allow guests to make necessary travel arrangements, arrange passports or visas and book accommodation. And remember your guests will possibly need sometime to save up for a big trip! Whilst there is no set timeframe for sending out invitations for an overseas wedding, the exact timing will depend on the popularity of the location and complexity of travel arrangements. Your own judgement should be used here, however, we would recommend that you send the invitations for an overseas wedding no earlier than 12 months in advance. An advance "Save the Date" card is well advised for weddings abroad.
4. RSVP Deadline
When sending out wedding invitations, be sure to include an RSVP deadline. Typically, the RSVP deadline should be set for 4 weeks before the wedding date. This gives you enough time to chase up any non-responses, finalise seating arrangements, catering numbers, and other logistical details.
5. Save the Dates
If you plan to send out Save the Date cards, do so 6 to 8 months before the wedding date. Save the Dates are especially important for destination weddings or weddings that fall on holidays or long weekends. For overseas weddings you could send your Save the Date up to 12 months in advance of the wedding, or 6 months prior to sending the invitations. Save the Dates give guests a heads up to mark their calendars and start planning for your special day.
So to summarise, you should sent out your wedding invitations:
- 6 - 8 weeks in prior for local weddings
- 3 - 4 months prior for local weddings in peak wedding season or during December - January Holidays
- 3 - 6 months prior for destination weddings
- 6 - 8 months prior for overseas weddings, depending on popularity of location, no more that 12 months in advance. Send a Save the Date also.
- 4 weeks prior for RSVP deadline
- Send Save the Dates 6 - 8 months in advance, or 12+ months in advance for overseas weddings.
Remember, proper timing is crucial when it comes to sending out wedding invitations. Whether you are planning a local wedding or a destination wedding, following these guidelines for when to send wedding invitations, will ensure that your guests have enough time to RSVP and make arrangements to attend your wedding. Most importantly, it will mean that all the most special people in your lives should have enough notice to ensure their attendance at your big day. Timing and organisation is the key to a successful and stress-free wedding planning process.
If you are in the process of choosing your wedding invitations, we've got a blog all about how to choose the perfect wedding invitations that you may find helpful.