Wedding stationery timeline: When to Send Save the Dates, Invitations & RSVPs
Planning your stationery doesn’t need to be stressful. Use this timeline to know what to send, and when, plus exactly when to finalise on-the-day pieces like menus and place cards. Save it, pin it, and you’re set.
At-a-glance timeline
12–16+ months
Decide style, budget, guest estimate
Book your stationer / order a sample pack
8–12 months (9-12+ months for destination weddings)
Send Save the Dates
Start your wedding website
12-16 weeks (3–4 months) before
Post day invitations (evening invites can go slightly later)
6-7 weeks before
Order on-the-day stationery (menus, place cards, order of service, welcome sign …)
1–2 weeks before
Have your on-the-day items
Quick maths: you typically need ~60–70% of your guest count in invitation sets (one per household), plus 5–10 extra for spares, photos and keepsakes.
Save the dates
Send Save the Dates 8–12 months before your wedding. For destination weddings or peak dates, send them 9–12 months ahead so guests can plan travel and time off. Include your names, the date, the location (city or region) and the line “formal invitation to follow.” If you have a website, add a short URL or QR code. If your engagement is short or your wedding is local and small, you can skip Save the Dates and move straight to invitations a little earlier.
Invitations (day and evening)
Post day invitations 12–16 weeks before the wedding. If you are sending evening invitations separately, send them 10–12 weeks before. Your envelope typically includes the invitation, a details card (with timings, travel, accommodation, dress code and gift information) and an RSVP method, either a postcard or a website/QR link. Order one invitation per household rather than one per person, and add five to ten extras for last-minute guests, keepsakes and photography.
Rsvps
Set your RSVP deadline for four to six weeks before the wedding. Collect full names as you want them to appear on place cards, dietary requirements and any menu choices your venue needs. A website or QR code is the easiest way to track replies, but email or a postcard also works if you record all responses in a single spreadsheet.
On-the-day stationery
Finalise on-the-day pieces two to four weeks before the wedding, after your RSVP list is complete. Typical items include a seating plan, place cards, menus, table numbers or names, orders of service and welcome or bar signs. Before you approve the proofs, check spellings and accents, ensure table numbers match your seating plan, and confirm times and venue details.
Special scenarios
Short engagement (under six months).
Skip Save the Dates. Send invitations as soon as possible, ideally eight to ten weeks ahead, set a three- to four-week RSVP window and keep on-the-day items simple so you can approve them quickly.
Destination or holiday-weekend weddings.
Send Save the Dates earlier, ideally nine to twelve months ahead. Send invitations four to six months before, and include travel tips, accommodation suggestions and any group plans.
Order of operations
Book stationer / order samples
Lock Save-the-Date wording → print & post
Gather venue/logistics → design invitations
Approve proofs → print & assemble
Track RSVPs → build seating plan
Finalise on-the-day items (print 1–2 weeks before)
Pack wedding-day box (spares, pins, tape, pens)
Quick answers
How many invitations do I need?
Count households, not guests, and add five to ten extras.
Do I need a separate evening invitation?
Send a separate card if details differ; otherwise include evening guests in the same send.
When should I order on-the-day pieces?
Start layouts once invitations are out, then finalise right after the RSVP deadline.
