When do I send save-the-dates?

Dear PB Pro,

I’m hearing conflicting reports: What’s the correct timeline for sending out save-the-dates and wedding invitations?

– You’ve Got Mail

Dear You’ve Got Mail,

The timeline for save-the-dates and invitations depends on lots of things, but the main thing to consider is where you’re getting married.

For a local wedding…

Save-the-dates: 6 months before the wedding
Wedding invitations: 8 weeks before the wedding

For a destination wedding…

Save-the-dates: 1 year before the wedding, if possible. Your guests need enough time to plan for taking days off from work, coordinating transportation, booking hotels, etc.
Wedding invitations: 8 weeks before the wedding

Make sure your save-the-dates include enough pertinent information, like the date, location, and time of your wedding, hotel accommodations and group rate code (if you have one), your contact information, and the URL of your wedding website (if you have one).

Also make sure to give yourself enough time to order and address your wedding invitations. After you first place your order, the invitations probably won’t arrive for 4 to 6 weeks — and if you’re having your invites professionally designed, it might take even longer. If you’re using a calligrapher or hand-addressing the envelopes yourself, you’ll want about a month to complete this task.

The point is, decide on a design and order your invitations no less than 6 months — ideally 8 months — before the wedding day. Remember, you need to allow time for the post office to deliver the invitations and for the RSVP cards to come back to you. Waiting until the last minute is a recipe for stress!

— The PB Pro

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