When to send wedding invitations
Save-the-dates six to eight months out, invitations six to eight weeks before. Here’s the full timeline.
Wedding timing has a well-worn rhythm, and following it keeps guests relaxed and your RSVPs on schedule. The two anchors: save-the-dates six to eight months before the wedding, and invitations six to eight weeks before, with an RSVP cutoff two to three weeks out. Destinations and holiday weekends move earlier.
Save-the-dates: 6–8 months out
Save-the-dates exist to protect your date on people’s calendars before they book anything else. Send them six to eight months ahead for a local wedding, and eight to twelve months ahead if guests will need flights and hotels. A digital save-the-date is efficient here: the same link becomes your full invitation later, so you are not paying for two separate mailings.
Invitations: 6–8 weeks before
The formal invitation goes out six to eight weeks before the wedding. That gives guests enough time to finalize travel and reply, without so much lead time that they set it aside and forget. For a destination wedding, send closer to three months out so guests can lock in travel.
RSVP cutoff: 2–3 weeks before
Set your reply-by date two to three weeks before the wedding so you can give the caterer and venue an accurate count and finish the seating chart. With a digital invitation, RSVPs collect in one place and you can re-send the same link to anyone who has not responded — no separate reply cards to track. When you are ready, the digital wedding invitation handles the save-the-date, the invitation, and the RSVP on one link.
Frequently asked questions
Do we need save-the-dates and invitations?
Save-the-dates are optional but recommended when guests travel or the date is near a holiday. With a digital invitation the two can be the same editable link, so it costs nothing extra to do both.
How early for a destination wedding?
Send save-the-dates eight to twelve months ahead and invitations about three months before, so guests have time to book flights and accommodation.