When to send wedding invitations: the timeline for every kind of wedding (US + UK)

The short answer: send wedding invitations six to eight weeks before the wedding. For a destination wedding, or a wedding on a holiday weekend, send them about three months before. Save-the-dates go out six to eight months before (ten to twelve months for a destination wedding), and RSVPs are normally due three to four weeks before the big day.

Get the timing right and guests have enough notice to book the day off, find a sitter and reply, while you still get your final numbers before the caterer needs them. Below is the timeline for every kind of wedding, a quick way to work out your exact send date, and what to do if you are running late.

When should you send out wedding invitations?

Send wedding invitations six to eight weeks before the wedding. That is the standard in the US and the UK for a local wedding. It gives guests about a month to reply before a normal RSVP deadline, which falls three to four weeks before the wedding.

Go toward eight weeks when the guest list is large, many guests travel, the wedding is in peak season (May to September), or you are asking for meal choices. Six weeks works for a small local wedding where most guests already know the date from your save-the-date.

Wedding invitation timeline at a glance

The RSVP column matches our wedding RSVP deadline guide, which explains how to pick the exact reply-by date.

How do you work out your exact send date?

Count back from your wedding date in three steps:

1. Find your vendor deadline. Ask your caterer or venue when they need final numbers. Most want them one to two weeks before the wedding.
2. Set the RSVP date one week before that. This gives you time to chase late replies.
3. Send the invitations four to five weeks before the RSVP date. Guests get about a month to answer, which is long enough to check plans and short enough that they don't forget.

Example: the wedding is Saturday, June 12, 2027. The caterer needs numbers by May 29, so the RSVP date is May 22. Four to five weeks before May 22 puts the mail date between April 17 and April 24, 2027, which is seven to eight weeks before the wedding.

For mailed invitations, post them three to five days earlier than that date in the US, or two to three days earlier with UK first-class post, and add a week or two for guests abroad.

How far in advance should wedding invitations be sent in the UK?

In the UK, six to eight weeks before is the usual minimum, the same as in the US. Many UK couples send them a little earlier, two to three months before, because summer Saturdays book up quickly and guests often travel across the country or from abroad.

A few UK details worth knowing:

• Day guests and evening guests. Send both invitations at the same time. Evening-only guests should not find out later than everyone else.
• Royal Mail timing. First class aims to arrive the next working day and second class within three working days, so leave a few extra days around bank holidays and at Christmas.
• "RSVP" wording. UK invitations often say "RSVP by 1st May" or "Kindly reply by 1st May". Both are correct. More examples are in our wedding invitation wording guide.

When do you send save the dates?

Send save-the-dates six to eight months before the wedding, or ten to twelve months before for a destination wedding, a holiday weekend, or a wedding with many overseas guests. A save-the-date only needs your names, the date, the town or country, and "Formal invitation to follow".

You don't need save-the-dates if the wedding is less than four months away; send the invitations instead. Everyone who gets a save-the-date must get an invitation later, so only send them to guests you are sure of.

Who gets one, what to write and how it differs from the invitation: when to send save the dates. A digital save-the-date is the quickest option and costs nothing to post. See our animated digital save the dates, which guests open on their phone.

Is it too late to send wedding invitations 4 weeks before?

Four weeks is too late for most weddings, because guests then have only one or two weeks before a normal RSVP deadline. It still happens (a lost batch, a printer delay, a quick wedding), and it can be saved:

• Send digital invitations today instead of waiting for printing and the post. Each guest can reply from their phone in seconds.
• Move the RSVP date as late as your caterer allows, often two weeks before the wedding.
• Call or text close family and the wedding party first, so the most important guests hear it from you.
• Follow up two or three days after the deadline with anyone who hasn't replied.

If you already sent save-the-dates, a late invitation matters less, because guests have kept the date free.

Can you send wedding invitations too early?

Yes. Invitations sent more than four months before a local wedding often get put on the fridge and forgotten. Replies come in slowly, and guests who answered early change their plans. Use a save-the-date for early notice and keep the invitation itself six to eight weeks out.

The exception is a destination wedding. Guests need flights, passports and time off, so three months (sometimes four) is right.

Should all wedding invitations go out on the same day?

Send the main batch on one day, so that nobody hears about the wedding from a friend before their own invitation arrives. Two exceptions are fine:

• Overseas guests: send theirs one or two weeks earlier so they have the same time to reply.
• A second wave (B-list): if a first-round guest declines, you can invite someone else up to about two weeks later. Their invitation should still arrive at least four weeks before the RSVP date, and use the same RSVP date as everyone else.

When do you send other wedding invitations and cards?

What should you do before the invitations go out?

Run through this list two to three weeks before your send date:

• Final guest list, with names spelled exactly as guests use them. Our guide on how to address wedding invitations covers couples, families and plus-ones.
• Addresses for paper invitations, or phone numbers and emails for digital ones.
• Wording checked by a second person: date, day of the week, start time, venue and RSVP date. The day of the week is the most common typo.
• Number of invitations: one per household, not one per person, plus about 10% spare. See how many wedding invitations to order.
• Postage if you are posting them: take one finished invitation to the post office to weigh it, especially square or thick cards.
• A way to track replies. A spreadsheet works. Personal online RSVP links are easier, because replies arrive in one list and you can see who to remind.

Send them on time, without the post office queue

InviteBatch makes a personal invitation for every guest from one design. Paste your guest list, and each guest gets their name on the invitation and their own RSVP link, ready to send by WhatsApp, text or email the same day. You can print the same invitations at home or at a print shop for guests who prefer paper, so a tight deadline is never a problem.

Related guides

• When to send save the dates
• Wedding RSVP deadline: when RSVPs are due
• Wedding invitation wording examples
• Wedding RSVP wording: 25 examples
• How to address wedding invitations
• How many wedding invitations to order
• How to print wedding invitations at home