Any newly engaged couples here? Whether you’ve been to a zillion weddings yourself, haven’t been around a reception since you were young enough to fall asleep on a chair in the corner when everyone else is on the dance floor, or even never attended a wedding at all, when it comes to invitations, one of the biggest questions we get asked is “when is the right time to send them out”? And the answer is, it’s totally up to you. There’s no hard and fast rules as it depends things like when, were, and really how chill you are with your planning.
You might want to take into consideration a few things which can affect your timeline and your guests’ plans such as your venue location, how far away your big day is, how responsive your guests are, and anything else going on in the world which may impact attendance. My heart goes out to any covid brides out there who were trying to compile RSVP’s without last minute changes, I know I was stressed to the max.
To give yourself a better idea, ask yourself these questions:
Am I having a destination wedding, or does a large portion of my guest list need to make travel arrangements?
If yes, keep in mind hotel and flight availability (especially if your big day is around any public or school holiday periods) and giving your guests enough time to make plans in advance within their budget.
How much time is there between now and the wedding?
If you’re on the ball and have locked in a) your venue and b) your date more than 12 months in advance, consider sending a Save the Date to let your guests know to expect an invitation (and begin the countdown!). If it’s under the 12 month mark, a Save the Date is completely personal preference. Being under 12 months is a great time to start compiling all the inspo and reach out for a custom Invitation quote to get the ball rolling on design. When thinking of sending them out, we think anywhere between 4-6 months is ideal.
Anything under 4 months is of course still doable and worthwhile, there are just again some important things to consider such as:
Do my guests have enough time to RSVP?
Are they typically quick responders by nature, or do you have a feeling you are going to be chasing multiple guests for their attendance?
Do I have enough time to compile my RSVP’s and provide my venue with final numbers?
Our suggestion is to make your RSVP 1-2 weeks prior to your venues deadline.
Do I have enough time make final changes to my On the Day Stationery?
Things like Menus, Place Cards and Seating Charts are personalised items and you need to make sure you’re allowing time for communicating any changes, those changes to be made, printing to be organised and delivery to be completed all before your wedding. Who want’s the unnecessary stress of cutting it fine and and waiting on confirmation of deliveries the week of your wedding? Not us!
There’s a whole lot to consider, but at the end of the day put yourself in your guests’ shoes, how much notice would you want? We hope this guide was helpful, if you have any questions or are wanting a custom quote for your invitations, just say the word.