How Big Is Your Guest List Do Your Guests Know And Are The Invitations A Formality
You might not have sent formal save the dates, but theres a good chance that your A list family and friends will know about your wedding and will have marked the date on their calendars already. If you have a relatively small guest list and you are confident that this is the case, again, you dont need to go too early with your wedding invitations. If you have a bigger guest list, where you are not in regular contact with many of them, it might be harder to communicate with via word of mouth. In this case you could send wedding invitations a little earlier to ensure everybody is aware.
So How Early Is Too Early For Wedding Invitations
Think about the points Ive highlighted and make your decision based on those:
Have you sent save the date cards? Are you confident your guests know and the invitations are a formality? If yes, you can wait a little later. If not, it would be sensible to go earlier. Do your guests need to book time off, travel or arrange accommodation either in the UK or abroad. If yes, give them plenty of notice especially if you are getting married in peak wedding or holiday season.
As a general rule I advise my couples to send wedding invitations out around 4 to 6 months before the big day. As little as 3 months before and as early as 12 is also perfectly normal. If youre really going to push me for an answer on how early is too early for wedding invitations then I would say no more than 12 months ahead of the big day. If you want to send something more than a year in advance Id advise a save the date card and follow up with the invitations 4 to 6 months later.
I hope this blog has been useful. If you are in the throes of planning your wedding invitations and stationery be sure to get your copy of my ultimate checklist and timeline. Its an essential tool for working out exactly what stationery you do and dont need, how many of each and when you should be ordering
Wedding Shower Vs Bridal Shower
On top of being a celebration, this life event is also a right of passage. A bridal shower symbolizes maturation, and the celebration usually consists of the bride, her close friends, the extended family, and friends of the bride’s mother and future mother-in-law. Traditionally, only women attended bridal showers
While Bridal showers are still the most common, many couples choose to have a combined wedding shower. A wedding shower is any kind of pre-wedding celebration that honors one or both of the people who are getting married. While bridal showers have been standard practice in the wedding industry for years, Zola is happy to see that showers are expanding to be a more inclusive event.
A wedding shower celebrates the couple as a whole, rather than the individuals themselves. This celebration of the couple is a more significant reflection of the premarital journey and reinforces the couple’s choice for unity.
Wedding showers are a popular choice for couples who cannot invite everyone they know to their wedding day. Wedding showers are especially popular if the couple is from two different geographic locations, or if the couple is eloping, having a destination wedding, or even a quickie ceremony at the courthouse.
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When To Send Wedding Invitations & Save The Dates
Please note:
When to send wedding invitations for local weddings, weddings with out of town guests, and destination weddings.Traditional etiquette dictates that wedding invitations should be sent 6-8 weeks before the wedding. But if you have a destination wedding, you may need to send your invitations much earlier so guests have time to make flight and hotel arrangements. On the other hand, if youre having a local wedding with few out of town guests, and youve already sent out Save the Dates, you can get away with sending your formal invitations later.
In this post, we tell you exactly when to send your Save the Dates, when to send your wedding invitations, and when to make your Reply-by date for RSVP cards depending on what type of wedding youre having.
Here, well dig a little deeper into your wedding invitation timeline well talk about when you should order your invites, how much time to allow for addressing them, when guests need to send back their RSVPs and how much time that leaves you to finalize seating arrangements and catering head counts with your final guest list.
How To Navigate The Rsvp Deadline And Get People To Respond
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How long should guests have to RSVP for weddings? Ideally, the RSVP date should fall three to four weeks before the wedding, and the wedding invitation should be mailed six to eight weeks prior to the wedding. “This way, it’s close enough that your guests feel like they can’t put it off, yet it’s not so close that they’ve made other plans,” explains Arizona-based wedding planner Chandra Keel, owner of Chandra Keel Events.
Even with a wedding RSVP deadline in place, you’ll be surprised at how many guests ignore it. The semi-flaky folks only get flakier and the people who can’t come assume it’s cool to just not respond at all. News flash: it’s definitely not cool. No matter how hard you try or how big or small your big day is, there will always be those guests you legit have to hound for an answer one way or the other.
Now that you know how long to give guests to RSVP for a wedding, here are some tips on how to actually get them to do it.
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Can You Send Wedding Invitations 6 Months In Advance
Its OK to send your save the date cards out 6 -12 months before. However, if you send your invites as much as 4-6 months early, you risk them getting lost or your guests actually forgetting the date as its so far off in the future.
Keeping this in consideration, What does M mean on an RSVP?
Many response cards will include an M followed immediately by a line. In keeping with more formal wedding tradition, the line is here as a way to kickstart your reply. The M stands for the first letter of the title you prefer to go by, be it Mr., Mrs., Ms., or Miss. (Quick tip: Ms.
Secondly Is it rude to send wedding invitations early? Sending them too early or too late can likewise be impolite, so here are basic wedding invite timeline rules: Save the date cards can be sent out as early as a year from your wedding date. Invitations should be sent to your guests six to eight weeks in advance of your wedding.
Is a year too early to send wedding invitations?
Once you have sent your save the dates out, for a locally held wedding, sending your wedding invitations out around 8 weeks in advance is fine. Deciding on when to send a wedding invitation requires striking a balance between spreading the word in good time and being close enough to the date itself.
Should We Include Our Registry Info On Our Invitations Or Save
Including registry info on the wedding invitations or save-the-dates is considered impolite because it can give the impression you’re asking for gifts. But go ahead and put your registry info directly on your wedding website . If you’re planning on having a wedding shower, you can put your registry info on the bridal shower invitations . You can also tell your wedding party, parents and close friends where you’re registered, and let them fill guests in.
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When Is The Correct Time To Send Wedding Invitations During Covid
Another question Im getting more these days is when is the best time to send wedding invitations during Covid?. My best advice is to get your wedding invitations out sooner rather than later Id say 3-6 months in advance, where possible.
My reasoning for this is, because of changing Covid restrictions, you may not be clear how many people you can have in attendance on the day. For that reason, start with the core people that you know you want to share your day with and send the invitations to them.
Once they reply , you can expand the in-person invitations to the next round of guests.
The fact is when planning a Covid wedding you need to be aware that until the very day of your wedding, restrictions can change on a whim. Your guests will understand this, so theyll be very understanding no matter how many weeks before wedding invitations are received.
Have You Sent Save The Date Cards
Save the date cards are a great way to get an early marker in the diary with your guests, but theyre not essential and not everybody wants to go to the expense of sending them out. I usually say that if you have sent save the date cards then you can wait a little later to send your wedding invitations. Your guests should have the big day in their planner and the invitation is primarily to confirm all the finer details.
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How To Address Save The Date Cards
A save the date card should go to every guest invited to your wedding, including members of your wedding party and family members. Using the same etiquette rules for how to address wedding invitations, weve provided the following guidelines for how to address your save the date cards with your guests in mind:
To a single guest, use the appropriate titles, Mr., Mrs. or Ms.
Mrs. Jones
San Francisco, CA 14002
Save the Date with a plus one, use the title Mr. or Ms. with the last name of the primary guest and write and guest.
Mr. Jones and Guest
San Francisco, CA 14002
Wedding Rsvp Deadline Etiquette
Set your RSVP due date for 3-4 weeks prior to the wedding day. This has a few key benefits:
- Setting your RSVP deadline 3-4 weeks from the big day gives you the chance to follow up with anyone who hasnt responded in time.
- You are able to finalize your seating chart when you set the RSVP deadline a few weeks before the wedding day, rather than waiting until the last minute.
- Securing all RSVPs at the deadline allows you to share that information with your caterers, so they can begin to prep for the wedding day.
You want to set your RSVP deadline to be at least a couple weeks in advance of when you actually need that information from your guests. There will inevitably be wedding guests who do not send their RSVPs back in time, and this gives you the time you need to follow up with them after sending the wedding invitations.
Green Wedding Shoes Pro Tip: Make it easy for your guests to complete and send back your RSVP card before the deadline dont forget a stamp and a response envelope when you send your wedding invitations!
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Can You Skip Save The Dates
Save the dates are going to be critical for some weddings but not necessarily all. If you are planning a destination wedding or will have many guests traveling, save the dates should not be skipped. If you have a lot of local attendees, or are planning on a shorter timeline, you can skip save the dates.
When To Send Wedding Invitations With No Save
If you choose not to send save-the-dates, feel free to send your wedding invitations out a bit earlier than if you had. In the 8 to 16 week range, you may want to lean more towards 16 weeks before the wedding for invitations if you did not send guests a save- the-date. This way, guests have a little more warning and more time to plan.
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When To Send Your Personal Website
Personal websites are becoming increasingly popular and common, especially for destination weddings. Its a great probably the best way to communicate all the details.
You should aim to have your personal website set up as soon as you get engaged and have confirmed your venue and date. Even if you dont have all the details yet, the date and location are enough to get started. You can always update the site on a regular basis once you start confirming additional details.
I wrote a post reviewing the best personal websites for destination weddings and I also give some tips for the information you should include on it.
What To Include On A Shower Invitation
Before you pop those bridal shower invites in the mail, make sure youve included all of the following important details:
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Destination Wedding Stationery Timeline
Keep yourself on track! When planning a successful wedding celebration, its important to get tasks done on time, especially when youre planning a destination wedding.
No doubt you have every intention to get your wedding invitations out on time, but have you thought about all the other stationery pieces youll be sending? From Save the Dates to Rehearsal Dinner Invites to Wedding Announcementswhew!
Heres the timeline you need to know what to send and when to send.
Destination Save the Dates
Order Save the Dates: 12+ Months Before Your WeddingA destination save the date timeline is simple: they can be ordered as soon as you set your location and date! We suggest ordering them at least a year in advance. Even though our save the dates print and ship super quickly, its always nice to have extra time to assemble and address them.
*Tip: Create your wedding website and add it to your save the date cards.
Mail Save the Dates: 9-12+ Months Before Your WeddingDestination Save the dates should be sent a 9-12 months before your wedding. The more time your guests have to plan, budget for and book their travel, the better!
Destination Wedding Invitations
Order Wedding Invitations: 6+ Months Before Your WeddingDestination wedding invitations should be ordered at least 6 months before your wedding. This will give you time to assemble and address the invitations.
Other Destination Wedding Stationery
Are Evites Ok For Wedding
However, like the many other things that are going the paperless route, email wedding invitations are gaining popularity. But, according to Lizzie Post, an etiquette author, co-president of The Emily Post Institute, and host of the Awesome Etiquette Podcast, going paperless is still not appropriate for a wedding.
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