When to Send Wedding Invitations

Q: How far in advance should you send wedding invitations?

Send wedding invitations 6 to 8 weeks before the wedding for a local event. For a destination wedding, or one with many out-of-town guests, send them 10 to 12 weeks ahead so people have time to arrange travel and time off.

Q: When should you send save-the-dates?

Send save-the-dates 6 to 8 months before the wedding for a local celebration, and 10 to 12 months ahead for a destination wedding or a peak-season or holiday-weekend date. If you are within about 4 months of the wedding, skip the save-the-date and send the invitation instead.

Q: What date should the RSVP deadline be?

Set the RSVP deadline about 3 to 4 weeks before the wedding, or 5 to 6 weeks for a larger or more complex event. This gives you time to chase missing replies and still hit your caterer and seating-chart deadlines, which usually fall a week or two before the day.

Q: Can you send wedding invitations too early?

Yes. Sending more than about 3 months ahead can backfire, because guests set the invitation aside and forget to reply, and your RSVP window becomes awkwardly long. That is exactly what save-the-dates are for — secure the date early, then send the formal invitation on the normal 6 to 8 week schedule.

Send them too early and guests forget to reply; too late and they have already booked something else. Here is the timing that consistently works — for local weddings, destination weddings, and everything in between.

The short answer: Mail wedding invitations 6–8 weeks before the wedding for a local event, or 10–12 weeks ahead if it is a destination wedding or many guests are travelling. Send save-the-dates 6–8 months out (10–12 for destination), and set your RSVP deadline 3–4 weeks before the day.

The wedding invitation timeline at a glance

8–12 months before: Save-the-dates for destination weddings, peak summer/autumn dates, and holiday weekends.
6–8 months before: Save-the-dates for a standard local wedding.
10–12 weeks before: Mail invitations for destination weddings or when lots of guests are flying in.
6–8 weeks before: Mail invitations for a local wedding. This is the headline rule.
3–4 weeks before: Your RSVP deadline (5–6 weeks for a large or complex wedding).
1–2 weeks before: Final headcount to your caterer and venue; build the seating chart.

Why 6–8 weeks is the sweet spot

Six to eight weeks gives guests enough notice to request time off, book a babysitter, and reply — without being so far out that the invitation gets buried in a drawer. It also lines up neatly with your own deadlines: most caterers and venues want a final headcount one to two weeks before the wedding, so an RSVP date three to four weeks out leaves a comfortable buffer to chase the inevitable stragglers.

If you send invitations four or five months early, the opposite problem appears. Guests think "plenty of time" and set it aside, your RSVP window stretches uncomfortably long, and you end up sending reminders anyway. The tool for locking in a far-off date is the save-the-date, not an early invitation.

Save-the-dates: secure the date early

A save-the-date is not the invitation — it is a heads-up. Its only job is to get your wedding onto people's calendars before they commit to other plans, which is why it goes out months ahead.

Local wedding: 6–8 months before.
Destination, peak-season, or holiday-weekend wedding: 10–12 months before, so guests can book flights and accommodation while options are open and affordable.
Inside ~4 months? Skip the save-the-date entirely and go straight to the invitation — a save-the-date arriving just before the invitation only causes confusion.

Send save-the-dates only to people you are certain you will invite. A save-the-date is effectively a promise: everyone who gets one must also receive a formal invitation.

Destination weddings need a longer runway

When guests have to fly, take days off, and pay for a hotel, give them more time at every stage. Save-the-dates go out 10–12 months ahead, and the formal invitation 10–12 weeks before the wedding rather than the usual six to eight. Include — or link to — travel, accommodation, and group-rate details so guests can plan the trip, not just the day.

Setting an RSVP deadline that actually works

Work backwards from your supplier deadlines. Your caterer and venue typically need final numbers one to two weeks before the wedding, and you will want a few days to build the seating chart, so an RSVP deadline three to four weeks before the day is ideal for most weddings. For a large guest list or a plated multi-course dinner, push it to five to six weeks to give yourself room to follow up.

Expect to chase replies

However clear your deadline, a handful of guests will miss it — it happens at every wedding. Build in a buffer, then follow up by text or a quick call in the days after the deadline. A friendly "just making sure we've got your spot saved!" works better than another card.

A worked example

Say your wedding is Saturday, September 12, 2026, locally, with mostly in-town guests:

Save-the-dates: send around January–March 2026 (about 6–8 months out).
Invitations: mail mid-July to early August 2026 (6–8 weeks out).
RSVP deadline: on the invitation, "Kindly reply by August 15."
Final headcount to caterer: the week of September 1.

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Frequently asked questions

How far in advance should you send wedding invitations?

6–8 weeks before a local wedding; 10–12 weeks before a destination wedding or one with many out-of-town guests, so they can arrange travel and time off.

When should you send save-the-dates?

6–8 months before a local wedding, or 10–12 months before a destination, peak-season, or holiday date. Inside about 4 months, skip the save-the-date and send the invitation.

What date should the RSVP deadline be?

About 3–4 weeks before the wedding (5–6 for a large or complex event), so you can chase missing replies and still hit your caterer's headcount deadline.

Can you send wedding invitations too early?

Yes. More than ~3 months out, guests set the invitation aside and forget to reply. Use a save-the-date to lock in the date early, then send the invitation on the normal schedule.

Do you send save-the-dates and invitations to the same people?

Everyone who receives a save-the-date must also receive an invitation — it is a promise. You can, however, add more people at the invitation stage who did not get a save-the-date.