Wedding Invite Timeline

PAPER PARTS & PIECES

Wedding invitation suites typically consist of several parts: a ceremony card with the details of the ceremony (traditionally with a layer of tissue paper on top), a reception card explaining reception details, a response card with its stamped/addressed envelope (yes, it’s proper etiquette to provide return postage), a map or some other card with directions to the ceremony/reception and hotel information for out-of-town guests, and an inner and outer envelope. The rules aren’t hard and fast, however, you can combine information on a single card, omit the tissue paper, or really think outside the box with your design if that suits the style of your wedding day. For example, your response card might be a simple postcard.

INVITATION WORDING

Traditionally, whoever is hosting (read: paying for) the wedding will be listed first on the invitation. But it’s best to work this out on a case-by-case basis with open communication between the couple, the bride’s parents, and the groom’s parents. Some couples today who are paying for the majority of their wedding say “Mary Bride and John Groom, together with their families, request the honor of your presence at their marriage.” An experienced professional will be able to assist you more with wording.

ADDRESSING ADVICE

To address the envelopes, you can run them through your printer in a beautiful font, handwrite them yourself, or hire a hand-letterer to do the job for you. Hand lettering gives a

These are not hard and fast rules (except for the thank you cards!), but they serve as a starting point.

Destination Weddings (D) Timeline is on the top, and Local Weddings (L) are on the bottom.

SAVE-THE-DATES

(D) 8-12 MONTHS (L) 6-8 MONTHS

INVITATIONS

(D) 3-4 MONTHS (L) 4-8 WEEKS

Save-the-dates give your guests a friendly headsup. They are not always necessary, but are never a bad idea. Your guests may decide to turn your destination wedding into a getaway trip, so those save-the-dates can be sent up to a year in advance. There is such a thing as too early! Send invitations so that your guests’ maximum anticipation lines up with your big day. Invitations for destination weddings should be sent far enough in advance for your guests to make their travel plans.

RSVP DEADLINE

(D) 3-5 WEEKS (L) 2-3 WEEKS

Your RSVP Deadline will depend on how much lead time your wedding professionals need. The first one to consider is your caterer’s meal count. Check with each vendor to determine when they need a final number, and set the RSVP return date for a week before that.

THANK YOUS (D) IMMEDIATELY (L) IMMEDIATELY

Believe it or not, you’ll start receiving gifts even before you walk down the aisle. Send thank you cards immediately. Once you’re back from your honeymoon, kick it into high gear to get them out no later than six weeks after the wedding.

beautiful first impression and can even act as a sort of frameable gift to your guests. Avoid using labels at all costs, even clear ones as they just don’t convey an elegance or special-ness that a wedding deserves.

If you want to keep things formal/classic, here are some tips for the etiquette of addresses. Street names, cities, and states should be written out completely (no abbreviations). To address a married couple, use “Mr. and Mrs. Tom Smith.” For an unmarried couple living together, use “Mr. Tom Smith and Miss Judy Jones.” If every member of the family is invited, use “Mr. and Mrs. Tom Smith & Family.” If you don’t want young children at your reception, then politely say “adults only” somewhere in the invite.

Include your return address on the back of the envelope. Placing it on the back is less crowded and leaves room for the guest’s address to shine on the front. You can handwrite your return address, or in this case, printed labels are an acceptable shortcut. You’ll also want to make sure that the return address matches the primary host. Is it Mary Bride and John Groom, or Mary’s parents?

STAMP STUFF

One last critical tip: before you send all of your invites, take one to the post office. Have it weighed to confirm the postage cost in case it weighs more than the normal envelope or is an odd shape. The last thing you want is for all of your invitations to be returned as “insufficient postage!” So stop at the post office, make absolutely sure all is right with your stamps, pop those gorgeous invitations in the mail, and take a deep breath. Your wedding is officially underway! B NARROWING YOUR GUEST LIST

IN 30 SECONDS

or less

Not sure who to invite? Use this quick guide to help you in that process!

Are they family?

Are they the immediate family or the spouse of your immediate family?

yes no

Immediate?

yes no

Friend?

yes no

(aunts & uncles, grandparents, etc) Have you talked in the past 5 years?

yes no

yes no

Do you like them? Have you talked in the past 6 months?

yes no

yes no

Have you talked to them in the past 5 years?

yes no

Coworker?

yes no

Do you spend time together outside of the office?

Would you be upset if they didn’t invite you to their wedding?

yes no yes no

Ex?

yes no

Everyone else

Can you imagine your big day without them?

no yes