The Invitation Timeline
One question that is often asked, and worried about, is when to actually plan and send invitations. When is too early, and when is too late? Here is our brief suggested timeline to ease all your concerns, working backwards:
Day of Stationery
4 weeks before your wedding, start work on your "Day of" stationery, including menus, seating charts and the order of service.
RSVP Date
This should be set to 4 weeks before your wedding (but also take into consideration the venues requirements).
Mail Out
Send out your invitations 6-8 weeks before the RSVP date to give your guests plenty of time to respond and receive. Keep in mind that if you are having a destination wedding this will need to take place much earlier in order for guests to organise travel, time off work, and clear all schedules (at least 3 months before is ideal).
Letterpress Print & Design
All letterpress should be printed 3-4 weeks before your mail out date. And the design should be organised 3-4 weeks previous to the print date.
Save the Dates
The all-important Save the Date in this day and age, should be mailed out 12-6 months before the wedding if you are having a long engagement. They are also key for an engagement party to get the date in the minds of your guests as soon as possible.
Because there is so much going on, here are our tips for making this process stress-free and easier for you:
- Collect names and addresses in an excel spreadsheet so every single envelope you need to send (from the Save the Date, all the way through to the wedding invitation and thank you cards), can have the envelopes printed. This will save you so much time and handwork.
- Always allow extra time for any handmade / custom / bespoke pieces including calligraphy, custom shape envelopes and letterpress.
