Last Updated on June 15, 2025 by Joy Editors
The right timing for save-the-dates marks a crucial first step in your wedding planning trip. Most couples stick to the traditional timeline of 6-12 months before their big day. Times have changed though. Many couples now send these announcements up to two years ahead.
Our wedding planning experience taught us the importance of perfect timing for all correspondence. Wedding invitations usually go out 4-6 months before the celebration, assuming you’ve already sent save-the-dates. Destination weddings need extra planning time. Your guests will need 4-6 months at minimum to arrange their travel plans. Peak season weddings from May to September need even earlier notices. Sending invitations 6-8 months ahead helps prevent your guests’ calendar conflicts.
In this piece, you’ll learn the best timing for both save-the-dates and invitations. We’ll cover everything from destination wedding specifics to RSVP management. Our delivery tips will help your wedding communication flow smoothly from beginning to end.
When to Send Save the Dates
The right timing for your save-the-dates lays the groundwork for all your wedding communications. Several factors affect when you should send these announcements, like where you’re getting married and your guests’ situations.
Ideal timeline for local weddings
Local weddings work best with save-the-dates sent six to eight months before the big day. This gives your guests enough time to take off work, sort out their travel plans, and budget for your celebration.
You might want to aim for the eight-month mark if you’re planning a holiday weekend wedding or getting married during peak season. Your guests will need extra time to plan since these dates often come with busy schedules and pricier travel costs.
Sending save-the-dates too close to the wedding can create problems. Four months or less before the wedding is too late. At that point, you should just send the formal invitations instead.
Make sure your wedding website is up and running with details about hotel blocks and registry before you mail the save-the-dates. Early planners can then access all the information they need right away.
How early is too early?
Advance notice matters, but you can overdo it. The sweet spot is usually within a year of your wedding date. Anything beyond 12 months might make guests forget about your special day or double-book themselves.
Destination weddings need a different timeline. These celebrations should be announced 9 to 12 months ahead. This extra time helps guests plan for international travel, get passports, arrange visas, and save up money.
Wedding etiquette has changed since the pandemic. Some couples now announce their dates 18 months to two years ahead. This trend shows up mostly among younger couples who have lots of friends getting married each summer – they’re basically calling dibs on their preferred date.
What to include in your save the date
Simple save-the-dates work best. Stick to the basics instead of cramming in details that might change later.
Your save-the-dates should list:
- Your names (first names for a casual feel, full names to avoid confusion)
- The wedding date (or date range for multi-day events)
- Location (city and state/country is enough; save the venue address for later)
- “Invitation to follow” note
- Wedding website URL (if you have one)
Some details don’t belong on save-the-dates. Registry info, exact timing, dress codes, and meal choices should wait for formal invitations or go on your wedding website.
Address your envelopes to show exactly who’s invited. This helps avoid confusion about plus-ones or kids.
Save-the-dates give guests their first peek at your wedding style while sharing just enough info to start planning. The formal invitation will come later with all the details about your celebration.
Timing Your Wedding Invitations
Your wedding invitation timeline becomes the next vital step after sending save-the-dates. Wedding invitations officially ask guests to attend your celebration, so perfect timing maximizes guest participation.
Standard timeline if you sent save the dates
The conventional timeline suggests sending formal wedding invitations six to eight weeks before your wedding date once save-the-dates go out. This timing gives guests enough notice to plan while keeping your wedding fresh in their minds.
Modern wedding planners suggest 10-12 weeks instead of the traditional six to eight weeks, especially when you have destination weddings or holiday season celebrations. This extra time helps with postal delays and busy guest schedules.
Note that sending invitations over 12 weeks early might cause guests to forget their RSVP status or change their response later. Late invitations create stress for everyone trying to make last-minute plans.
What if you skipped save the dates?
Your invitation timeline needs adjustment without save-the-dates. Send invitations four months before your wedding to make up for the missing early notice. This gives guests enough time to clear their schedules.
Wedding experts suggest 10-12 weeks advance notice for local weddings without save-the-dates. Destination weddings need much earlier notification – about 9-12 months before the celebration.
Couples with shorter engagements should send wedding invitations at least three months before the celebration.
When should you send out wedding invitations?
Your specific circumstances determine the best timing for wedding invitations:
- Standard weddings: 6-8 weeks before the wedding date
- Holiday season weddings: 10-12 weeks in advance to account for busy schedules
- Destination weddings: 12-16 weeks prior to allow for travel arrangements
- Weddings with international guests: 8-10 weeks ahead to accommodate shipping delays and customs clearance
International guests need 9-10 weeks notice before the wedding. Etiquette experts recommend sending all invitations at once, but these guests need extra travel planning time.
Set your RSVP deadline 3-4 weeks before your wedding date. This allows time to follow up with non-responding guests, finalize headcounts with vendors, arrange seating, and handle last-minute changes.
Wedding planners suggest working backward from your wedding date to create your stationery timeline. This gives you buffer time for design, production, or mailing delays.
Mail invitations before Thanksgiving since postal services get swamped between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. Send everything before Thanksgiving if your wedding falls shortly after the holiday season.
Destination Weddings and Special Cases
Planning a destination wedding comes with its own set of challenges that will change your usual timeline. The logistics aren’t just trickier for you—they’ll also affect how your guests prepare.
Why destination weddings need more notice
Your guests will need extra time to plan for a destination wedding. A local celebration is simple, but your loved ones will need to take care of several things:
- Buy plane tickets (including international flights in some cases)
- Get their hotel rooms sorted
- Ask for extra time off work
- Find someone to watch their kids
- Maybe update passports or get visas
- Save up for all the travel costs
These factors mean you should send save-the-dates 9-12 months ahead of your wedding date. You might want to send them even earlier for international locations or places where guests might need over a year to plan—right after you’ve locked in your date and venue.
The formal invitations should go out 4-6 months before your big day. This gives everyone enough time to make their plans while having all the latest details about your celebration.
Tips for international guests
International travel adds extra complexity that needs special attention. Your save-the-dates should remind guests to check their passport expiration dates since renewal can take 4-6 months.
Let your guests know about:
- What they need to enter the country
- Any health documents or shots they’ll need
- How to handle money exchange
- What to wear and local customs
- Ways to get around after landing
Point your guests to the U.S. Department of State website for the latest travel advisories and important resources. It’s worth mentioning that some places have specific entry rules—like immigration e-tickets in the Dominican Republic or Mexican Visitax payments—that guests should know about beforehand.
Using a wedding website for updates
A wedding website becomes crucial for destination weddings. Get it up and running when you send those save-the-dates, and make sure all the key details are there before the formal invitations hit the mail.
Your destination wedding website should cover:
- Detailed travel tips (best airports, how to get around)
- Where to stay and how to book
- Cool local spots to eat and things to do
- What weather to expect and what to pack
- A full schedule of wedding events
- Answers to questions everyone asks
The website works great as your main communication hub throughout the planning experience. Keep everyone in the loop about schedule changes, important deadlines, or new details. This way, you won’t have to answer the same questions repeatedly, and everyone gets the same information.
Some couples skip traditional printed materials like menus and seating charts in favor of their wedding website—this works really well for destination events where things might change at the last minute. This earth-friendly approach lets you update information instantly without extra printing costs.
Send quick alerts about website updates through email or text as your wedding gets closer, especially for time-sensitive stuff like weather updates, what to wear, or travel alerts.
Managing RSVP Deadlines and Guest Responses
RSVP collection and management can be one of the most stressful parts of wedding planning. You can make this process smoother and avoid last-minute chaos by setting up the right deadlines and tracking systems.
Setting a realistic RSVP deadline
Your ideal RSVP deadline should be three to four weeks before your wedding date. This timing works best because it gives you enough time to finalize your guest list without being so early that guests forget about it.
Early deadlines don’t always work better. You need accurate numbers to:
- Create your seating chart
- Confirm meal counts with caterers
- Book appropriate transportation
- Reserve the correct number of tables and chairs
Your vendors will need final headcounts about one to two weeks before the wedding. Set your RSVP deadline at least two weeks before your vendor’s cutoff date. This buffer lets you track down anyone who hasn’t responded.
Tools to track responses
Paper tracking is a thing of the past. Digital tools make the whole process much easier:
Wedding websites now come with built-in RSVP systems that update your guest list automatically. The Knot stands out as a popular choice that links RSVPs to your guest list and helps you track meal choices and gifts.
RSVPify brings powerful features to the table. It lets you group guests by household so one person can respond for everyone. You’ll have control over plus-one permissions and can use custom tags for targeted messages.
Joy works great for couples who want something simple. It sends live RSVP updates wherever you are. Zola takes a similar approach by sending instant email and push notifications for each response.
How to follow up with guests
Some guests will miss your deadline no matter what you do. Give them about one week after the response date before you start following up. This extra time accounts for any responses mailed right on the deadline.
Phone calls work better than emails for follow-ups since emails might end up in spam. Keep it friendly with something like “Just calling to see if you’ll be able to attend our wedding”. Stay positive even if you feel frustrated.
Give specific deadlines to uncertain guests. “Please let me know by Tuesday” sounds better than “within 48 hours”. If you’re missing several responses, a personalized message through text, social media, or email might help.
Accurate guest counts play a vital role in vendor coordination and budget management. Good planning and smart follow-up strategies will help reduce your pre-wedding stress.
Mailing and Delivery Tips for Invitations
Your wedding stationery experience ends with making sure your beautiful invitations arrive safely at their destinations. Good mailing prep helps you avoid damage and delays that can get pricey.
Postage considerations
You’ll want to get the postage right the first time to avoid returned mail headaches. A standard Forever Stamp costs USD 0.73 right now, but wedding invitations often need extra postage. Your best bet is taking a complete invitation to the post office for weighing. Most wedding invitations weigh more than an ounce, which means you’ll need to add USD 0.28 per extra ounce.
The shape of your envelope makes a difference. Square or unique shapes will cost you an extra USD 0.46 because regular machines can’t process them. The same goes for invitations with wax seals, ribbons, or thick materials.
Sending invitations to guests abroad costs quite a bit more at USD 1.65 per stamp for First Class International. You should mail these 8-10 weeks before your wedding so they clear customs in time.
Protecting delicate designs
Ask your post office to hand-cancel your invitations. This means they’ll stamp each envelope by hand instead of running them through machines. Some locations do this for free, while others charge the non-machinable fee.
Here are some ways to add extra protection:
- Use inner and outer envelopes as a traditional safeguard
- Put invitations in clear plastic sleeves that keep them safe while showing the address
- Choose mailer boxes for very delicate designs that need maximum protection
Skip the street-side mailboxes. Of course, handing your invitations directly to a postal worker gives you peace of mind and keeps them safer.
Digital vs. printed invites
Digital invitations have clear advantages over paper ones. They’re much cheaper since you don’t pay for printing or postage. These invites arrive instantly and come with RSVP tracking that makes guest management easier.
Paper invitations, though, are great keepsakes and work better for older guests or those who aren’t tech-savvy. In fact, digital invites sometimes end up lost in spam folders or busy inboxes.
A lot of couples now use both options—they send digital save-the-dates first, then follow up with paper invitations that include online RSVP options. This mix gives you the best of both worlds and helps keep your stationery costs under control.
Conclusion
The right timing of your wedding correspondence helps guests plan well in advance. This piece outlines everything you need to know about save-the-dates and formal invitations that will make your planning a soaring win.
Local weddings need save-the-dates 6-8 months before your celebration. Destination weddings require 9-12 months of advance notice. Your wedding invitations should go out 6-8 weeks before your big day for standard weddings and 12-16 weeks ahead for destination events.
Your RSVP deadline needs careful thought. A deadline 3-4 weeks before your wedding gives you enough time to finalize vendor details. On top of that, it helps to use digital tracking tools to manage responses efficiently. This saves you hours of manual work.
Wedding stationery means more than just paper and postage. It creates the first impression of your celebration and gives guests vital information. The time you invest in proper timing makes everyone’s experience smoother.
Wedding planning can feel overwhelming at times. Breaking down your stationery timeline into smaller steps makes things easier to handle. Your wedding communications give guests their first peek into your special day, so doing it right matters.
Without doubt, each wedding brings its own unique circumstances that might need timeline adjustments. What matters most is giving guests enough notice while keeping yourself sane through the planning. Once you’ve sent those perfectly timed invitations, you can focus on what’s important—celebrating your love with everyone who matters most.
