WEDDING 101: When is too early to send out wedding invitations
When should I send out wedding invitations?
I get this question quite often from couples who are planning a wedding. When they book their wedding date and add on an engagement session they always ask - when? I am going to break it down for you today but remember that weddings do not have to be traditional or strict. Weddings can be however you envision don't feel like you have to stick with tradition. Really.
Swaying from tradition when it comes to wedding invitations.
Is there a too early? Yes. Don't send out invitations too early. Now are you planning to elope or choosing a destination wedding? Than YES, send. You want to be able to send out Save the Dates immediately if you are planning a destination wedding or elopement. This gives your guests enough time to plan according especially if you are traveling internationally as well. And since 2020, let's be honest, we need more planning time.
Save the Dates are a nice way to announce your wedding date prior to a formal invitation, while some use it as their invitation. If you are sending a formal invitation remember to only send out Save the Dates to actual guests. Never send them to people you don't intend to invite.
Don't know who to invite to your wedding? I have a quick 30-second guide here.
You should send Save the Dates four to six months prior to the wedding date. I mostly see magnets for Save the Dates which a lot still live on my fridge actually. When you send these start planning your formal wedding invitations to be able to send those 6-8 weeks prior to the wedding date.
When you send your formal wedding invitations be ready to track your RSVPs. You should have a guest list typed or written and easily keep track there. I have a wedding planning guide if you need a good guest list tracker. Nowadays a lot of couple use a free website service to track their guest lists and gather addresses so explore that if you want an easy digital version. Also you can save time and headache and use Basic Invite's free addressing service for your wedding stationary. The RSVP will be crucial especially if you are tracking dinner requests.
If you are thinking about signing up for a Free website service to collect address and provide guests with basic information, check out Basic Invite. I am a vendor partner with them and they have some great resources to find vendors, provide a registry and lots more.
When should you expect wedding RSVPs?
You should expect to receive RSVPs 2-4 weeks before your BIG day. I do so see quite a few couples utilize social media for this purpose and make an "event" on Facebook and have people respond there. Maybe consider making the event private so you don't feel pressured to just invite people to invite - stick to your guest list!
When you hit the 3-6 week mark start ordering your wedding day stationary, this may be any printed signage and such. This can also be a follow up on RSVPs from people you haven't heard from and add in your vendors if needed. Also start planning your rehearsal dinner and make sure you invite the people you want there. Don't expect people to just show up!
Remember these are all suggestions - plan how you want. Less stress the better!
Where do I get wedding invitations?
Save the Dates and wedding invitations are so personal and can be as custom as you want them. You may already have a good idea of what you want and a style you are looking for. When choosing your wedding stationary it is important to remember stick with your colors and use your high resolution engagement portraits.
So where to shop for wedding invitations?
I always choose BasicInvite.com. There are so many options there but they have a great variety of photo options and ones without photos, more traditional. Not only do they have so many to choose from but the color selection is out of this world. There are so many color options that the invitations or whatever you may be creating that they truly will be custom. You can even shop by "wedding vibe" for all your stationary needs.
You can opt in for some gold, rose gold or silver foil but they also carry seal and send invitations - no envelopes needed but they always started carrying CLEAR invitations. They are really beautiful and modern and CLEAR. You have to see them, go here real quick.
Basic Invite is also a family owned company printing in Utah for over 15 years. Here are some other obvious reasons to order from them:
Don't forget to order at least a few extra wedding announcements and your stationary all together. You can keep it it you want in an album or box but also your photographer may use them the day for details shots. I don't always get the Save the Dates or formal invitations but when I do I keep them in their original envelope and try to keep it in a really good spot to keep for the wedding date.
2 Comments
Apr 22, 2022, 10:17:51 AM
Alec Mills - Such great information for those planning their wedding! Super useful resource for invitations, which can be super overwhelming!
Apr 22, 2022, 8:52:18 AM
Corey - This is really helpful! Sending invitations seems like such an easy "to-do" item, but when you get down to it, there is a lot involved and it requires thoughtful planning. The Basic Invite website looks really easy, I'll have to check that out!