I haven't offered a helpful tip in awhile and thought that some of you might appreciate this one. When I first meet with couples, one of the first questions they always ask is, "How early should we mail our invitations?" This is my simple standard answer:
Start with your wedding date and work backwards. Invitations are generally mailed 6-8 weeks prior and RSVP deadlines can be set 4 weeks after your mail date.
These are my not-so-simple disclaimers:
If you're having a destination wedding, you'll probably want to bump up this timeline a bit. The most common scenario for my destination wedding clients is 2-3 months prior...although I've had some clients who mailed their invitations as early as 4-5 months prior. Factor in things like save the date cards, and your timeline may need to be adjusted. (Send invitations on the earlier side if you've opted not to send save the dates.)
And speaking of save the date cards, when should those be mailed? Generally, 8-12 months prior to your wedding is a good time because it allows enough time for your guests to make necessary travel arrangements.
Finally, how early should you order your invitations? Earlier than you think. Unless you're going to buy pre-printed invitation shells and feed them through your laser printer at home, you should seriously start thinking about your invitations about 6-8 months before the wedding. Custom design studios go through a lengthy design/approval process to ensure that you get exactly what you want. It's always good to give their creative minds as much time as possible so they can pencil you into their production schedules before they get swamped with other orders.
Happy planning!
