You’ve chosen the perfect date, secured your dream venue and now it’s time to tell your loved ones when and where to be. Choosing when to send out your wedding invitations can be a tricky decision with a few factors coming into play. So let us lay out some guidelines to help you plan in these key dates!
Do you need Save The Dates?
You may be wondering what a Save The Date is – it’s a far less detailed version of your wedding invites which asks guests to add the date to their diary before a formal invite. Save The Dates are usually more important if your wedding is on a popular date eg. a Saturday in summer, or if you are wanting your guests to travel a little further afield. It’s certainly not an essential, but it can be a lovely way to begin the pre-wedding buzz between your friends and family. It may be worth us mentioning that Save The Dates usually only go out to guests who you’d like to attend the whole day, rather than just the evening.
When to send Save The Dates
If you’ve decided Save The Dates are the right move for you, you can do these as soon as you have your venue booked. Most wedding planners will suggest that the ideal timeline for Save The Dates is around 9 months before the big day. With that said, if you’re super organised and have 2-3 years until your date, perhaps wait a little while longer, and if your date is closer, go straight for the invites.
What to include on your Save The Dates
Save The Dates are usually much shorter than a formal wedding invitation, all they need to include are your names, the date & the venue. Save The Dates don’t usually include an RSVP, as at this point you’re only asking for people to keep the date free.
When to send Wedding Invitations
Most wedding planners will recommend that you send out your formal wedding invitations 6 months prior to the date for day guests, and 3 months prior to the date for evening guests.
What to include on your Wedding Invitations
You’ll want to create separate wedding invitations for your day guests and your evening guests. Your day guests will be joining you for your wedding breakfast, so they’ll need to know your menu and be able to respond with their choices.
For day guest invites, you’ll want to include your names, date & time and venue. On the other side, add your menu choices and any information you need to give your guests about parking, accommodation etc. On a separate card you’ll have an RSVP where your guests will need to be able to say whether they can make it or not and be able to pick their menu choices for the wedding breakfast. This card needs to have your contact details so that they can send back their information.
For evening guests, you can do all of the above but forget about the menu and choices.
We see so many gorgeous invitation designs at The River Mill, placed in lovely flat lay photos which set the tone of the day. If you’re looking for a wedding stationery designer, head over to our recommended suppliers list to find the best of the best.
Team River Mill x