What About Rehearsal Dinner Invitations When Should We Send Those Out
After your guests have received your wedding invitation, they might be wondering if theres a rehearsal dinner and if theyre invited. We recommend sending out your rehearsal dinner invitations a week or two after sending out your main wedding invitations. That way, your guests will have enough time to adjust travel plans if needed. Rehearsal dinner invitations should be sent separately from your wedding invitations, even if the guest list is generally the same.
When To Send Wedding Invitations: Everything You Need To Know
02/28/21 | Expert Guidance, How To
One of the biggest questions Im asked by wedding planning couples is when to send wedding invitations to ensure we dont insult anyone?
It definitely helps to know when to send your invites so youre not leaving it too late for guests. But, also, knowing when to mail your wedding invites helps you to plan when to order them
So, Ive rounded up all your burning questions about the best time to send wedding invites
Give Guests Options For Rsvp
Everyone likes options, and realistically, the more ways your guests can say yes or no to the wedding, the better for you, right? While mail-in cards are still the traditional choice, not everyone uses the mail as they once did, points out event planning expert Sandy Hammer, co-founder of AllSeated. List a phone number, email address, or wedding website guests can also RSVP at on your invites to boost your response rate.
“If you do decide to stick strictly to mail-in cards, make them easy to fill out and pre-stamp a self-addressed envelope for each guest,” suggests Hammer.
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When Do You Send The Invitations If You Cant Afford Express Postage
Allow yourself an extra week if you are using a regular mail service rather than express postage, and consider the delays that may occur for international guests, particularly if youre sending any invitations to developing countries. Its extremely common to use standard mail to keep your costs low, so dont feel you have to spring for the express postage! Just make sure you know how long you need to allow for postage times when you make your plans.
Can You Send Wedding Invitations Via Text
Short answeryou can absolutely send your wedding invites via text message. It may not be traditional, but wedding invitation messages sent by text are getting more and more common, and for good reason.
Texting your wedding invitation out to guests offers you greater flexibility, faster communication with your loved ones, and more convenience.
This is also the best way to go if you want to avoid any delays in the process or share a link to your wedding website.
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Who Should Get A Bridal Shower Invitation
The only rule you need to know is that everyone invited to the shower should also be invited to the wedding. That being said, you can keep the bridal shower to an intimate group of friends and/or family, or have a blowout with dozens of friends. Talk it over with the bridal shower hostess to find out what they have in mind.
When Should I Send Thank
For gifts received during the engagement party and shower, send a thank you within two to three weeks of the festivities for gifts sent before the wedding date, send a card as soon as possible, but definitely before the wedding for gifts given on the wedding day itself, mail a thank-you note within three months and for gifts received after your wedding, send one within two to three weeks.
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Sending Wedding Invitations On A Budget
Wedding invitations can cost a lot more than youd expect. Aside from purchasing enough cards and envelopes for your guest list, you also have to worry about postage. If you have a lot of friends scattered around the world, these letters can rack up your bill even faster.
Thankfully, there are plenty of ways you can save money on your wedding invitations.
One of the best ways to trim your expenses is to create your own invitations. Not only is this approach more affordable, but the results are also more personal and special.
Skip the fancy bridal shops that have booklets of expensive templates. You can be in control of every design element to ensure you love how your cards look. Many couples frame their wedding invitations or keep them in a photo album to remember their special day. Making your invitations together as a team is a fun way to create something both of you will cherish for the rest of your lives.
These customizable invitations give you the option to send in a variety of ways. You can print them from home or at your local print shop, email them online with RSVP and full event management system, or save them as a high-quality image to share on social media or other messaging apps.
The rest of the world is digital now, which means its no longer tacky to send an online invitation. If you do decide to ditch mail altogether, its another great way you can save money.
When To Mail Invitations To Overseas Guests
One of the most common questions we get is when should I send out invitations to family and friends from other countries? This is a really important question to ask, and shows that youre considering all your guests! We recommend allowing four months, in case of any postal delays. That way, those guests still have time to get organised. There is no need to send out two lots of invitations at different times. If you know you have to factor in international guests, why not get organised and send all the invitations out four months prior to the wedding? Of course, four months isnt a rule for every situation, and the exact answer to when do you mail invitations for overseas guests will depend on whether youre sending them from Australia to New Zealand, from Australia to the UK, or from Australia to Antarctica.
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When Should I Ask For The Rsvps Back
Even after sending your save the dates and wedding invitations months in advance, there is always a handful of people who leave it until the last minute to RSVP! Clearly state on your RSVP and wedding invitations a specific date you want them back by and make this date between 2 3 weeks before the wedding, giving you enough time for a final head count. Dont be afraid to give a friendly reminder in person or via email about the due date a week or so before hand and if there is anyone who hasnt gotten back to you by the cut off date, pick up the phone. After that, their time is up!
When To Send Save The Dates For Destination Weddings: 6 To 12 Months Before The Wedding
Planning a destination wedding? Perhaps no other type of wedding requires more planning than a destination wedding.
With destination experts around the world, including Mexico, London, Italy, and France, the importance of giving wedding guests enough time to plan and save up for such events. Its recommended sending out cards at least six months to a year in advance.
A timely save the date card that announces not only the date of your big day, but also the faraway place you plan to tie the knot is the proper way to invite your guests to your destination wedding.
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Nicole And Andy 05/22/21
Washington, DC
Nicole and Andy had inquired in early March about their invitations and save the dates. Luckily their date felt safe but with the uncertainty of everyones financial situations, they decided to send digital save the dates.
This made me think of ways I could help couples continue their planning, with the added bonus that I would have work to look forward to . So instead of my usual 25% booking deposit, I decided to extend any couples inquiring for their 2021 wedding, a reduced booking deposit of 10%. Hopefully with this small offering, couples feel a bit more comfortable planning for their future without overextending themselves during this period.
Nicole and Alex are currently proceeding with the Play Collection, pictured above.
When Should You Send The Save The Dates
As soon as possible! If you’re asking your guests to book travel and accommodation, it’s best to give them plenty of time to organise their plans. So it should be longer than it is for a home-based wedding where six to eight months is the norm. For a destination wedding, we would suggest sending your save the dates nine to twelve months ahead, if you can, to make sure it’s in the diaries of the people you want to be there. You might also want to include travel details for your guests at this point, rather than in the invitations.
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When Should You Send Invitations If Guests Need Extra Time To Save
If youre having a destination wedding and asking guests to travel, its understandable that some of your guests will need time to save up for their flights and other expenses. Dont assume that everyone has cash on hand. A save the date will come in handy to give your loved ones a heads up to start putting money away for your wedding. You can send this out as soon as you know dates and location. You dont need every detail finalised, just let them know June 15-18 2019, Bali or similar so they can do some research on ticket costs and plan things ahead.
The Etiquette Of Destination Weddings
Planning a wedding is tricky at the best of times but when youre inviting guests to travel for a destination wedding, its a whole other world of etiquette and logistics to navigate. Jetting off to tie the knot surrounded by beautiful scenery and sharing it with your loved ones really can be more than worth it though.
So we’ve mapped out answers to some of the most frequently asked destination wedding queries to help you launch this most special of journeys.
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Save The Date Etiquette
Depending on your wedding plans, there are different etiquette suggestions for save the dates. You want to give your loved ones as much advance notice as possible, allowing them to request time off work , make travel and accommodation arrangements, and address any other factors.
If your guests are within driving distance or have easy access to public transit, the suggested time frame is 4-6 months before the wedding. If, on the other hand, youre planning a destination wedding, the suggested timeframe doubles. For destination weddings, particularly those that require international travel , try to send out save the dates six months to one year before your big day.
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.
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How To Word A Wedding Response Card
Response or reply cards are included with a wedding invitation to give you an accurate guest count for the reception. They are not used for ceremony-only invitations. The card and envelope are engraved or printed in the same style and paper stock as the invitation, but in a smaller size. Often they are included as part of an invitation set. Heres how to word a wedding response card.
If Our Wedding Reception Is For Immediate Family Only Is It Okay To Invite People To The Ceremony Only
This is a tricky situation. Standard etiquette dictates that everyone who attends the ceremony should be invited to the weddingthat means the ceremony and the reception. By inviting guests to one and not the other, it could send the message that you want them there for the actual ceremony but you either don’t want to pay for their plate at your party or don’t care enough to have them there to actually celebrate your newlywed status.
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When To Send Your Wedding Invitations
Now you know what your wedding invitations should say and how they should say it. So when should you mail your wedding invitations? 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.
- Invitations for destination weddings should be sent to your guests three months in advance of your wedding.
Designing your wedding invitations and sending them out can be a wonderfully exciting part of wedding planning. If you follow the basic rules of wedding invitation etiquette, they will succeed in fostering your guests excitement in anticipation of your special day.
Want more advice about your wedding stationery? Check out our post on wedding thank you etiquette!
Keep It Classy: A Shower Is Not Risque
This is not the place for lewd party games or inappropriate behaviorsave that for the bachelor and bachelorette parties. Instead, a shower should be elegant and propper with a focus on the joys of marriage.
Games are encouraged, and refreshments should be served. Some showers include a sit-down meal. Whatever specifics you choose to adhere to, try to picture it as a semi-formal affair.
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Choosing Your Wedding Invitation Style
The wording and design, from typeface to the color, weight, and even texture of the paper, all subtly shape how your wedding will be perceived. If you’re planning a casual beach wedding, for example, then that should be conveyed from the start in the design of the invitation. On the other hand, if you picture your wedding guests in tuxedos and floor-length gowns, then the invitation should be equally formal in tone and style. Here are more style options to consider when creating your wedding invitations.
