When to Send Save the Dates and Wedding Invitations: A Comprehensive Guide
Planning a wedding involves juggling countless details, and one crucial aspect is knowing when to send out your save the dates and wedding invitations. While there is no set answer, I wanted to provide some realistic timelines so you can decide what works best for you and your day.
Let's start with save the dates. In our busy lives, it's essential to give your friends and family ample time to mark their calendars and make arrangements for your big day. This is especially crucial for summer weddings or during busy periods when schedules fill up quickly, or if you are having a destination wedding that may require additional travel plans for your guests. Save the dates can be designed relatively quickly and don’t require any additional details, so they can be sent as early as when you have confirmed a date and location for your big day. Sending save the dates can also take the pressure off sending your main invitations out, as it gives you more time to secure all the details and timings for your celebration while knowing that your guests have it marked in their calendars.
As for timing, ideally you would want to send your save the dates out around 10-12 months before your wedding day. This generous timeframe allows your guests to plan accordingly, adjust their schedules, and make any necessary arrangements. Additionally, if you're tying the knot during a season packed with weddings, sending save the dates earlier ensures your special day takes precedence in your guests' plans. After all, who wouldn't want to be the first event on everyone's calendar?
Now, for the star of the show—the wedding invitations. These meticulously crafted pieces of stationery hold the honor of officially inviting your loved ones to celebrate with you and hold all the details and arrangements that you’ve spent months preparing. If you sent save the dates, wedding invitations can be mailed anything up to 8 weeks in advance of your day, but are usually sent around 4-6 months out. If you didn’t send save the dates it would be advised to send them earlier, (as much as a year in advance), as this gives your guests more time to make arrangements.
To help you stay organised, here's a handy wedding stationery timeline:
As early as possible: Book in your design time with your stationer! Whenever you plan to send your save the dates and invitations, it’s best to reach out early to secure availability for your bespoke designs.
10-12 months before: Finalise your guest list, gather addresses and send out your save the dates. This is also a great time to think about setting up your wedding website (if not using RSVP cards) - a digital hub for all your wedding-related information.
8-10 months before: We’ll start the process of designing your bespoke invitations, if you haven’t already at the save-the-date stage. This gives us enough time to collaborate, create all the artwork and put together your suite, ready for your invitations to be printed and assembled for when you want to send them out.
4-6 months before: Send out your carefully crafted wedding invitations. Don't forget to start thinking about your on-the-day stationery around this stage, such as menu cards, signage and order of service.
1-2 months before: We’ll be finalising all your on-the-day stationery and sending to print.
1-2 months after: Show your appreciation with thoughtful thank you cards, expressing gratitude to your guests.
Although there is no one right answer, timing is key for wedding invitations, and a little planning goes a long way. Whether you choose to send save the dates or just one set of invitations with all the details, take a look at your plans and decide realistically how far in advance your guests will need to know about your date and location.
Remember, you can always reach out with your questions and we can work together on a timeline that works for you!
