When do you send your Wedding Invitations to your guests? When it comes to weddings, timing is everything. You want to give your guests enough time to clear their schedules and make preparations or travel plans, but not so much time that they forget all about your big day and miss your Rsvp date. 

• A good rule of thumb is to send paper invitations 3-4 months before your big day. 
• Emailed digital invitations are faster to send out. Allow 8-10 weeks before your Wedding.
• Video and website invitations with online RSVPs can be between 6-10 weeks.
• Destination wedding invitations need much more time, allow guests 8 - 12 months in order for them to be organized.
• If you utilise a 'Save the Date' card, your invitations can be sent out a little later, as your guests are already aware of the date and making plans ahead of time. 

Pink peony lying on a wedding invitation card

The type of invitation you choose will change when to send

In today’s modern age, there are more choices than ever in how your invitations are created and delivered. This will play an important part when you need to send them. Traditional paper invitations are still very popular when it comes to a formal event. Digital invitations are being utilized even more, due to their convenience, lower cost and being eco-friendly. They can be sent instantly and online rsvps make the communication process fast and easy. Animated video invitations and wedding websites are the newest format many couples are also preferring. Perfect for those who wish to be creative and when you have a large list of invitees, or when time is of the essence. Destination weddings demand invitations which can handle a lot of information also fall into a different category, because of the larger amount of logistics your guests need to work through. On top of all this, there is the helpful use of Save the Date cards, which may buy you more time, and allow you to send your Wedding invites a little later. Whatever the style, wedding invitations should always reflect the couple’s personalities and have all necessary information necessary for an unforgettable celebration!


When to send paper wedding invitations

Paper invitations are the most traditional. However, they rely on the mail system to deliver, and return rsvps. They also have slower creation times. Depending on the materials used, you may need to order them anywhere between 3-8 weeks before you even send them. A good rule is to send them 3-4 months before your big day. This will allow you to receive the returned rsvps, and confirm numbers with your venue or catering. There is always a percentage of guests who are late with their rsvp, and the reality is you will be chasing or calling a few guests to confirm their attendance after the rsvp date has passed.  


When to send digital wedding invitations

Digital invitations can be emailed images, simple animation weblinks or even a social media wedding page. They are quite popular due to their savings with time and money. Some, but not all, also include an online rsvp form for your guests to reply with. This speeds up the time considerably and a timeframe of 8-10 weeks would be appropriate for most wedding events.

 Bight sky with glowing invitation text written over the top in elegant font

When to send animated wedding invitations, or a wedding website

Video is becoming extremely popular and a very creative way to send a unique personalized invitation. Many videos can be included into a wedding website, or sent via messaging tools such as WhatsApp. This is also an extremely fast way to delivery your invite, convey a lot of extra information, and have the rsvps returned using an online form. 6-10 weeks is also recommended.


When to send destination wedding invitations, or invitations for very large weddings?

Planning a destination wedding comes with some extra considerations when it comes to when to send out invitations. You should consider budget, timeframes, complexity and when RSVPs are due. It's recommended that you should give guests plenty of advance notice, so sending them out between 8-12 months before the destination wedding can ensure that your guests have enough time to plan accordingly. This is especially true if you are leaving the country, and your guests require time to organize their passport, save for the tip, and find cost efficient travel options. With well-timed invites, you can easily create a smooth and stress-free journey in creating your dream destination wedding.

Wedding Invitation suite including a save the date card lying on a table with ribbon


How Save the Date cards can reduce stress for your Wedding planning.

Save the Date cards are quite a new part of the wedding invitation suite. They are typically a single card, or shorter animation that announces your wedding to guests, so they can keep the date clear in their calendars. It can also include the location of your wedding, so guests can prepare and budget for travel, or prepare for any particular theme you may be incorporating into your big day. You don’t have to include the time, venue or rsvp request. However, the day, date and city are key parts to the card. By using a Save the Date card you will have higher attendance numbers and give yourself more time to finalise all the details for your full wedding invitation. You could easily shave a few weeks off of all the suggested time frames above.

How we can help

As the wedding day nears, many couples express the feeling of being overwhelmed. Yet, with the proper resources and an efficient plan of action paving the way, you can manage it all with ease. Sending out your invitations in plenty of time to get them out is a major key for this process and we hope our advice on when to send your wedding invites have helped you better understand why it's so important. At Motion Stamp, we are dedicated to helping you get everything done without letting the stress consume you during such an important moment in your life. Let us be part of this exciting process as we provide you with quality products for unforgettable wedding invitations or even a personalized webpage to include your online Rsvp. Visit Motion Stamp today and start creating beautiful memories that will last forever!