When to send wedding invitations and set your RSVP deadline

Good timing gives guests enough notice and gives you final numbers before your caterer needs them. Here is the timeline most planners use.

The timeline

When	What
6–8 months before	Save-the-dates (10–12 months for destination weddings)
6–8 weeks before	Wedding invitations (3 months for destination weddings)
3–4 weeks before	RSVP deadline
2–3 days after the deadline	Friendly reminders to guests who haven't replied
2 weeks before	Final numbers to caterer and venue

How to choose your RSVP deadline

Work backwards from the date your caterer or venue needs final numbers, then subtract a week for late replies. That's your RSVP deadline. Put it on the invitation in a simple line such as "Kindly reply by May 1, 2027".

RSVP wording you can copy

• Kindly reply by May 1, 2027
• Please RSVP by the first of May
• We have reserved [2] seats in your honor. Kindly reply by May 1 (useful to make the party size clear)

Reminder wording

Hi Emily! Just a friendly reminder to RSVP for our wedding when you have a minute. It helps us so much with planning. Here's your invitation: [link]

## Make the deadline easy to meet The easiest way to get replies on time is to make replying take ten seconds. With a personal invitation link, guests can reply from their phone the moment they read it, and your dashboard shows exactly who you still need to chase.