It seems that time can go by so quickly when planning a wedding. This makes it even more important to keep a detailed checklist and timeline of when everything should be ordered, paid for, and in the case of wedding invitations, mailed out to guests.
You can order your wedding invitations as soon as you have the date and times of your ceremony and reception set. There is no reason to wait. Ordering your invitations early will give you more time to carefully stuff and address the envelopes without stressing that they will be done on time. However, if you really must have some sort of timeline, then make sure to order your wedding invitations at least six to eight months prior to your wedding date.
When placing your order for your wedding invitations, make sure to check with the company that the invitations will be delivered within a reasonable amount of time. You will want to give yourself at least a month to address and stuff those envelopes. This time can be made much shorter if you enlist the help of your bridal party! If you have hired a calligrapher, then add another month onto that estimate.
If you are including other information along with your wedding invitations, make sure to account for this time as well. Many couples choose to include information of local hotels where they have reserved rooms for out of town guests, as well as information on local attractions and the best restaurants in the area. It is also nice to send out directions to the ceremony location and from the ceremony location to the reception site. You will want these items to look nice and professional so give yourself time to find a decent printer.
Ordering your wedding invitations early is important because as you near your wedding day, you are subject to an even stricter timeline. You must send out your wedding invitations between six to eight weeks prior to your wedding. This will give your guests the amount of time they need to make their travel and accommodation arrangements and pencil you in on their calendar.
This six to eight week timeframe for sending out your wedding invitations is necessary. Remember that you must include RSVP information either on the wedding invitation or on a separate response card so that your wedding guests can let you know whether they will be attending. It is a good idea to set this RSVP date for one to two weeks before the wedding. If your reception site or caterer requires a headcount a week in advance, then set the RSVP date for two weeks before the wedding date. This will give you a full week to contact those people that did not send in their replies.
In a few words: order your wedding invitations as soon as you have a firm date, time, and locations for your ceremony and reception. Allow for time to address and stuff the envelopes. Allow extra time if you hire a calligrapher. Add even more time if you are adding additional items to the wedding invitations. Send out all wedding invitations six to eight weeks before your wedding date. Follow these simple guidelines and you can feel comfortable knowing that your wedding guests will be properly notified of your upcoming nuptials!
