Wedding Stationery Timeline

Wedding Planning can be hard. Even when it comes to your stationery, there can be so many things to remember. When should you send out Save the Dates? What if it's a destination wedding? What should the "reply by" date on the RSVPs be? Here is my breakdown for all things wedding stationery. Scroll to the bottom to grab your free printable checklist.

As Soon As Possible

Start researching. Researching invitations is an easy way to get a feel for what you absolutely love and what you definitely want to avoid. It doesn't need to be formal and chances are you've already started! A Pinterest board is an easy way to collect your favorite things in one place. 

8-12 Months Before the Wedding

Before you can send out a Save the Date, make sure your date is saved! Book your venues to lock down a date and location.

Now would also be a good time to start working on your guest list. You never know how long it's going to take to get your list to a number you're comfortable with.

6-10 Months Before the Wedding

If you're planning on sending out Save the Dates, now is the time to do it. For a destination wedding or if a large portion of your guests are from out of town, you'll want to send out your invitations at least 8 months in advance. This will allow your guests the opportunity to plan out their travel and budget.

4-6 Months Before the Wedding

Begin working with a stationer to create your perfect invitation suite. Booking a stationer early will allow you to avoid rush fees and give you plenty of time to look over proofs. 

3-5 Months Before the Wedding

Order your invitation suite. When deciding when to order your suite, keep in mind the time it will take to assemble, address, and mail the invitations. 

Begin talking about other wedding stationery with your stationer. Some items to consider include:

• Rehearsal Dinner Invitations
• Ceremony Programs
• Wedding Menus
• Any Wedding Decorative Signage

6-8 Weeks Before the Wedding

Send out your invitation suite! Get those first impressions into your guests' mailboxes. If you chose not to send out save the dates, sending out your invitations 8 weeks in advance can give your guests a couple of extra weeks notice. Before bringing to the post office, make sure you have the correct postage amount. Extra details can add weight to your invitations and increase postage costs. You don't want all those envelopes being sent back to you.

​​Now is a great time to begin finalizing your day of signage

2-4 Weeks Before the Wedding

Gather up those RSVPs and finalize your headcount. Send out your headcount to any necessary vendors.

4-8 Weeks After Wedding

Send out your thank you cards.

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Grab your free printable checklist here