As I sit hear preparing for the Easter Weekend, it’s been a wonderful day of sending emails and messages to clients confirming delivery of items in preparation for items for weddings this weekend and beyond!
I love this time of the day as not only to I get to relish in the lovely emails from my clients, thrilled with their end products, but I also get to remember why I started this business: to help people on their stationery, and wedding planning, adventures.
One of the biggest questions I get asked as a designer, is ‘when should I send my wedding invitations’. To which I always respond with two questions:
1. When is your wedding?
2. When does your venue require confirmation of your catering numbers (e.g. how far out).
I ask the first question because whilst I don’t believe that there is a right or wrong time to send invitations, I do believe in planning. I’m an ex-event manager with 15+ years of event planning behind me and I’ll give you my biggest tip, wipe the last two weeks of December off your planning calendar. Christmas is the busiest time of year for everyone and for those in the wedding industry, there is the added pressure that there is generally a three week shut down period over Christmas and New Year which basically means we need to have all of our artwork for any events during that period confirmed and to the printers in the first week of December.
But I digress.
So why do I ask the second question? Well, this is where a bit of maths can really help you set out your planning timeline and help you determine when you need to send those all important invites.
& the math is this.
From the date your venue requires confirmation of your final guest numbers, add (+) 2-3 weeks to chase guests who haven’t responded.
This is then your final RSVP date.
From your RSVP date, depending on the location of your wedding, allow 4-8 weeks for guests to respond to your invitation (longer, up to 6 months if guests are required to travel internationally).
From this date, depending on how you choose to produce your invites,
- If you are working with a designer (e.g. me!) allow 4-7 weeks for the design, production + delivery of your invites to you and then onto your guests
- If you are DIYing your invites (e.g. Canva!) allow 2-3 weeks for the design, production + delivery of your invites to you and then onto your guests
Now, that's just for physical invites… Digital invites are another kettle of fish and for this, I have a trusty Instagram that I have linked in below!
At the end of the day though, there is no right or wrong answer - you know what you are comfortable handling in terms of chasing up guests and liaising with vendors, so always go with your gut instinct and send them when you are ready!
1. When is your wedding?
2. When does your venue require confirmation of your catering numbers (e.g. how far out).
I ask the first question because whilst I don’t believe that there is a right or wrong time to send invitations, I do believe in planning. I’m an ex-event manager with 15+ years of event planning behind me and I’ll give you my biggest tip, wipe the last two weeks of December off your planning calendar. Christmas is the busiest time of year for everyone and for those in the wedding industry, there is the added pressure that there is generally a three week shut down period over Christmas and New Year which basically means we need to have all of our artwork for any events during that period confirmed and to the printers in the first week of December.
But I digress.
So why do I ask the second question? Well, this is where a bit of maths can really help you set out your planning timeline and help you determine when you need to send those all important invites.
& the math is this.
From the date your venue requires confirmation of your final guest numbers, add (+) 2-3 weeks to chase guests who haven’t responded.
This is then your final RSVP date.
From your RSVP date, depending on the location of your wedding, allow 4-8 weeks for guests to respond to your invitation (longer, up to 6 months if guests are required to travel internationally).
From this date, depending on how you choose to produce your invites,
- If you are working with a designer (e.g. me!) allow 4-7 weeks for the design, production + delivery of your invites to you and then onto your guests
- If you are DIYing your invites (e.g. Canva!) allow 2-3 weeks for the design, production + delivery of your invites to you and then onto your guests
Now, that's just for physical invites… Digital invites are another kettle of fish and for this, I have a trusty Instagram that I have linked in below!
At the end of the day though, there is no right or wrong answer - you know what you are comfortable handling in terms of chasing up guests and liaising with vendors, so always go with your gut instinct and send them when you are ready!