When to send wedding invitations
Pick your wedding date to see when each piece of stationery goes out. The latest dates come from Bridewell's planning checklist.
Save-the-dates
8 to 6 months before
Once the date and venue are booked and the guest list is final enough.
Invitations
8 to 6 weeks before
Print the reply-by date on the card.
RSVP deadline
4 to 3 weeks before
Gives you time to chase late replies.
Final head count
8 days before the wedding
For the venue, the caterer and the seating chart.
Good to know
- Destination wedding or a holiday weekend? Send both earlier: guests need time to book travel and time off.
- Give guests at least two weeks between the invitation and the reply-by date.
- Order stationery a few weeks before you mail it: printing, addressing and postage take longer than they seem.
Collect replies without the chasing
In Bridewell each household gets its own RSVP link: guests answer for themselves — attendance, meals, dietary needs — and the answers fill in your guest list. Sending invitations by email from Bridewell is part of Premium.
Set up RSVPs freeQuestions, answered
When should save-the-dates go out?
8 to 6 months before the wedding, or 12 to 8 months for a destination wedding. Send them once the date and venue are booked and your guest list is settled enough that nobody gets uninvited.
When should wedding invitations be sent?
8 to 6 weeks before the wedding, or about 3 months before for a destination wedding. That leaves guests time to answer before the reply-by date and you time to chase late replies.
When should the RSVP deadline be?
4 to 3 weeks before the wedding. The venue and caterer usually need the final head count in the last week or two, and the seating chart needs it too.