Wedding Invitation Timeline

As soon as you set the date

• Begin looking for an invitation design to suit your wedding style
• Decide on enclosure cards
• If you have guests coming from a long distance, it is advisable to send out hold-the-date cards as soon as your plans are firm, so that guests can make travel arrangements

Four months before the wedding

• Make your final invitation selection and place your order

Three months before the wedding

• Begin addressing invitations
• Set up system for keeping track of replies. We suggest that the hosts give all of their guests a number. They can write the number lightly on the back of the response card and can use this to keep a list of returns. This will also help in case a guest forgets to write their name on the response card

Two months before the wedding

• Determine exact postage needed (take a fully assembled invitation ensemble to your local post office to be weighed to determine exact postage needed)
• Finalize invitations for mailing and determine mailing date - it is customary to send wedding invitations 6 weeks before your wedding, although 8 weeks is becoming more common

Three Weeks Before The Wedding

• Make your response date 2-3 weeks before the wedding. Caterers usually need to know 2-3 weeks in advance how many people they will be serving

Wedding Day

• Send out wedding announcements - to announce your wedding to those that you did not invite to the wedding

After the Wedding

• Wedding etiquette states that newly married couples have up to two months to send written thanks for wedding and shower gifts received Thank you notes are available pre-printed with an appreciation verse for acknowledging gifts quickly, and can be followed-up with handwritten note after the honeymoon

How Far in Advance to Send out Wedding Invitations

• It is customary to send wedding invitations 6 weeks before your wedding, although 8 weeks is becoming more common
• Summer or holiday wedding invitations should be mailed 8 weeks in advance to give family and friends time to schedule
• If you have guests coming from a long distance, it is advisable to send out hold-the-date cards as soon as your plans are firm, so that guests can make travel arrangements
• Make your response date 2-3 weeks before the wedding. Caterers usually need to know 2-3 weeks in advance how many people there will be
• Wedding announcements, to announce your marriage to those who you did not invite to the wedding, should be sent out the day of the wedding