— Guide
When to send wedding invitations
Send wedding invitations six to eight weeks before the wedding. That gives guests time to book leave and travel, and brings replies in two to three weeks before your venue needs final numbers. These are our suggestions rather than rules, and guests who fly in need more notice.
A simple timeline
Move each step earlier if many guests live far away.
- Save the date, three to six months before, closer to a year for a wedding abroad
- Wedding invitation, six to eight weeks before
- Guests travelling from another country, two to three months before, or a save the date first
- Engagement party, three to four weeks before
- Henna night, two to four weeks before, ideally alongside the wedding invitations
- RSVP deadline, two to three weeks before the wedding
Why not much earlier?
An invitation that arrives five months ahead gets read once and forgotten. Plans change, and guests who replied early may need to change their answer. A long warning is what a save the date is for. The invitation can then follow at the usual time.
Is it rude to send invitations early?
Not rude, just less useful. A little early is fine, especially for guests who travel. Very early invitations tend to bring late surprises, so if you go early, send a short reminder message nearer the day.
In the UK and elsewhere
Advice in the UK is much the same, six to eight weeks, and some couples send closer to three months ahead. For a wedding in Turkey or the Balkans with guests coming from Europe or further, go by the guests who travel furthest.
If you're already late
With less than four weeks to go, call or message the people who matter most before the link arrives, and set a closer RSVP deadline. A personal word makes a late invitation feel considered rather than forgotten.
Timing with a digital invitation
A link arrives the moment you send it, so there's no postal buffer to plan around. You can fix a time or venue after sending and the same link shows the update, but guests won't reopen it on their own, so send a short message when something changes.
Frequently asked questions
How many weeks before the wedding should invitations go out?
Six to eight weeks. Go earlier for guests who need flights or time off.
When should I send invitations to out-of-town guests?
Two to three months before, or send everyone a save the date first and the invitation at the usual time.
When should the RSVP deadline be?
Two to three weeks before the wedding, a few days before your venue and caterer need final numbers.
Do I send invitations to everyone at the same time?
Ideally yes, so no one hears about the wedding from someone else first. If you have a reserve list, keep the gap short.