When should I send out my wedding invitations?
You’re engaged
Congratulations on your big news! Now you’ve set the date to ‘tie the knot’ with the love of your life, it’s time to plan ahead and schedule everything in plenty of time to avoid disappointment.
Here at #TLPS we have put together a little guide to help you know when you should find your perfect stationery designer, what’s the perfect timing for sending those invites to your family and friends in the post, as well as what to include and how to chase for those essential RSVPs (trust us – people like to take their time!).
When should I find my stationery designer?
A lot of people leave booking their wedding stationery designer until the last minute. No, no, no! It’s important to remember: the best stationers get booked up pretty quickly. Also, the best stationers would want to deliver your dream wedding suite to a high standard so give them plenty of time to work their magic. There’s no harm in being organised! In fact, please don’t hesitate to contact us, we have a lovely design studio here in Nantwich and would love to spend some time discussing your ideas over a coffee and cake!
When do I need to send my save the dates?
Sending out a ‘Save the date’ is a great idea – especially if you’re arranging a wedding abroad or the destination is a little tricky to get to. The usual timescale for sending ‘Save the dates’ is 10-12 months prior to your wedding day. However, keep in mind that guests may need extra time to plan for busy periods such as Christmas and Easter.
You don’t have to go into military-style step-by-step instructions and detailed specifics just yet, but this pre-invitation is a handy way to give guests a nice heads up and get your date in their diaries.
It also gives your guests plenty of time to request time off work, book accommodation, arrange childcare and save money.
4-6 Months – Posting Out Your Invitations
When should I send out my main invitations?
You need to send your main invitations out around 4-6 months in advance. People may say that this is far too early, however we would disagree! By sending your invitations out in advance, you are giving your guests plenty of time to respond. Then you still have time to gather all the essential information to pass to your suppliers such as the wedding caterer, or your stationery designer for all those beautiful ‘On the Day’ items.
Nobody likes a big rush right before the wedding and trust us – there will be lots of other things you have to deal with on the lead up to your big day, so we try to make this stage as stress-free as possible. Give yourself time, and don’t worry – you are prepared for this! Which leads on nicely to…
When should I make my RSVP date?
This is a tricky question, and one where people can get frustrated. Of course, as a bride, you would love everyone to come and join you on your special day. It’s totally understandable you would want to know your exact numbers ASAP. However, you are never going to get everybody to respond in a short turn around.
We have all been there – you finally get the precious invite, admire it and then you put it somewhere “safe” to respond to at the weekend. Next thing you know, it’s 6 weeks later and you’ve still not returned the RSVP card!
So, for an RSVP date, it’s best to set this no later than 2 months before your wedding day. This will give you a chance to chase any non-replies and contact your stationery designer, provide them with all the details for the ‘On the Day’ wedding stationery design work, and allow time for proofing and printing.
Remember, some venues require confirmation of final numbers as early as six weeks beforehand so keep this in mind when sending out your final wedding invitations.
Yey! Finally you’re getting married! So here’s to the Big Day!
Next steps…
So you’re ready to organise some beautiful wedding stationery for your Big Day – what next?
The TLPS team are here to help you get organised and design the most beautiful wedding stationery to set the tone for your Big Day. We work hard to help our #TLPS couples navigate the tricky world of wedding invitation etiquette, as well as guide and advise you when it comes to your printing processes and material options – ensuring that your wedding stationery designs are quite unlike any others, perfectly reflecting you both as a couple.
Read more about our wedding stationery design service here
We recommend booking in for an initial discovery meeting – either here in person at our beautiful Nantwich-based shop and studio, or virtually over Zoom if more convenient – allowing us to discuss your ideas in detail and start the process of exploring your individual stationery style with our expert designers. All over a lovely coffee and piece of cake of course!
It’s your chance to get to know our Creative Director Cara and team a little better, review our work, tell us what you like and ask any questions.
We’ll then send through an. overview of ideas and costs for you to consider following the meeting – taking the hassle away from planning your wedding stationery budget.
