Wedding invitation planning...you may not perceive just how many steps there admittedly are to organizing and preparing your invitations. From creating your guest list to finalizing all your ceremony and reception details, many things affect your wedding invitation preparations.
There admittedly are no absolute deadlines for many of the steps in your wedding invitation process. Although there are some normal timeframes that you may find helpful to avoid last-minute rushing since you have so many other things on your mind as well.
Here is a basic timeline to simply use as a guideline for your invitation planning:
9 months - 1 year
- Begin working on your guest list so you will know how many wedding invites (and maybe save the dates) to finally order (one per single adult, join or house invited).
- Start your wedding invitation shopping so you can narrow your choices down to only your favorites. Be sure to order samples, which are normally blank, so you can personally see the paper and design.
- If you are planning to mail out save the date cards to guests, begin searching for your favorite make of them as well.
7 to 8 months
- If you will be sending save the dates, place your order based on the estimate of guests to whom you will be mailing them as they are optional.
- Review sample wedding invitation verses and give some understanding as to how your wording will read.
6 months
- If sending save the dates, put in order and mail them.
- Select your wedding invitation make and gather all the details that will be printed on them such as date, times, name and address of location(s), etc.
- Determine what invitation enclosures or extras you will also be ordering - reception cards, response cards, pre-printed return address on envelopes, direction/map cards, attractive envelope seals, colored lining for inner envelopes, matching thank you cards or informal notes, etc. Some of these options may not be ready depending on your chosen style. You may also be able to order matching menu, table and place cards for your design. The more items you can order together, the more you will save by avoiding isolate shipping costs later.
- If you are including response cards, check with your dinner location to see how far in progress they need your final guest count so you can plump the Rspv date that will be printed on them (typically 2-3 weeks before wedding). You also need to decree whose address will be printed on the response envelope or postcard meaning they will receive the replies.
4-5 months
- Finalize your wording and place your wedding invitation order. Remember to order some extras now so you won't run out if there are last-minute guests to request and so you also have a few as souvenirs. If the selection is available, order some extra envelopes just to be safe.
- Review your guest list to make sure you have current addresses for everyone.
- Consider practice wedding stamps for mailing your wedding invites. Many online retailers give you the selection of choosing from pre-designed wedding postage or simply uploading a photo to create your own stamp design. Note - Be sure to have one of your ready-to-mail invitations weighed at a Post Office Before you purchase any postage stamps to make sure you are using the strict estimate for each invitation.
3-4 months
- Fold and/or assemble your wedding invitations, if necessary.
- Hand address mailing envelopes and write guest names on inside envelopes, if they are included.
- Purchase and apply postage stamps to the response card envelopes or response postcards, if they will be included.
- Assemble all wedding invitation pieces and insert them into already addressed envelopes.
- Take one fully assembled and sealed invitation to the Post Office to have it weighed to decree the strict estimate of postage needed.
- Purchase your stamps or order practice wedding stamps with accepted postage estimate required for mailing.
6-8 weeks
- Seal the envelopes, apply postage stamps and mail them all at the same time directly at a Post Office location.
3-4 weeks
- Prepare and mail any other wedding-related invitations...rehearsal dinner, post-wedding brunch, etc.
- Keep track of the response cards as they are returned by checking off their names from your guest list.
2-3 weeks
- Contact any guests who didn't mail back their response cards.
- Provide final guest count to reception/dinner location.
That pretty much takes care of all related to your invitations prior to your wedding. The only thing left to do is to write and mail out your wedding thank you cards, especially if you ordered them with your wedding invitations. They should be sent out about a month after the wedding and no more than three months after.
Again, this is just a guideline for your wedding invitations process but hopefully it will help you stay organized which is the key for all of your wedding planning.
Stay Organized With a Wedding Invitation Timeline