When is the perfect time to send out invites?

How long before your RSVP date are you sending out your invites?

I chose 8/28 as my RSVP date (3 weeks before wedding date - due to reception hall one week prior to wedding date).

Traditionally, I believe invites should be sent between 6-8 weeks before the RSVP, but has anyone had any experiences (especially recently - May/June/July brides) with the responses? Anything you wish you would have known BEFORE, than you can relay to us brides-2-be?

I have a feeling that if I send them out too early (now through July 1st) before the RSVP, guests will just throw invites aside ("it's so far from now, I'll mail later") & forget to mail in and confirm their presence.

what do u think?

Thanks in advance!

Re: When is the perfect time to send out invites?

Invites should be sent out 8 weeks before wedding date with rsvp one month before.
This is what I was told.

I hope this helps, it all worked out for me, however you will always have a few stragglers.

Message edited 6/9/2004 8:15:59 AM.

Re: When is the perfect time to send out invites?

Here is my 2 cents. My invites were sent out April 12th with a response date for May 12th and my wedding is June 12th.

That being said, by May 22, I still didn't have about 100 responses (out of 320 invited). This is just going to happen, there is nothing you can do about it, so I suggest making the response date even earlier than 4 weeks before your wedding so you have time to make phone calls.

Also, I found that many people could not come because June is such a busy month with graduations, communions, etc., so I wish I'd sent them out even earlier. September may be less busy, I don't know.

Third - be prepared for lots of additions and subtractions in the few days right before the wedding - people get sick, break up, have business trips, can't get a ride, etc. and will cancel on you.

Lastly - if you invite singles with guests, also be prepared for people who will say things like, "I'm not sure yet if I'm bringing a guest, I'll let you know the week of the wedding." HELLO? Don't they realize you need to give final counts, do table arrangements, etc.?

Ugh, sorry, that was more of a vent than advice but hopefully some of it was helpful!

Re: When is the perfect time to send out invites?

I'm sending my invitations out Aug 23rd, RSVP is Sept 20th, wedding Oct 23rd. I HOPE I have ample time.

Re: When is the perfect time to send out invites?

I didn't send mine out yet, but my plan is..RSVP is Oct 16 (5 or 6 weeks before wedding date) I'm going to mail them the first/second week in Sep so people get them 4 weeks before the rsvp date.

Re: When is the perfect time to send out invites?

I'm mailing mine out the first week in August with an RSVP of September 19th and wedding is October 10th.

Re: When is the perfect time to send out invites?

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Posted by brideinapril
...however you will always have a few stragglers.

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I'm preparing myself for that... it sucks that people can't be considerate. It takes two seconds to put your name on the card, seal the already addressed envelope, and put in a mailbox...

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Posted by kpny622
Lastly - if you invite singles with guests, also be prepared for people who will say things like, "I'm not sure yet if I'm bringing a guest, I'll let you know the week of the wedding." HELLO? Don't they realize you need to give final counts, do table arrangements, etc.?

Ugh, sorry, that was more of a vent than advice but hopefully some of it was helpful!

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There are A LOT of single people coming to our wedding ~ and we've decided to not give the majority the "& 1" option. If we allowed it, we'd have an additional 30 people to add, to our already large list, of people we've never met before!

Thanks for your advice.. very helpful, and always feel free to vent.

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Posted by CaCRmr
I'm sending my invitations out Aug 23rd, RSVP is Sept 20th, wedding Oct 23rd. I HOPE I have ample time.

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Posted by Stacey04
I didn't send mine out yet, but my plan is..RSVP is Oct 16 (5 or 6 weeks before wedding date) I'm going to mail them the first/second week in Sep so people get them 4 weeks before the rsvp date.

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Posted by sammi102
I'm mailing mine out the first week in August with an RSVP of September 19th and wedding is October 10th.

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So everyone is pretty much in agreement... two months before the wedding date. Thanks a bunch for your help ladies. I will send them out on 7/10 (9 weeks before 9/18), to allow snail mail delivery... lol.

Re: When is the perfect time to send out invites?

I am getting married the same day as you and I mailing my invites by June 26th since my RSVP date is August 8th. I am giving people 6 weeks to RSVP but I know that there will still be people that will not RSVP on time or at all.

Re: When is the perfect time to send out invites?

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Posted by nylisa

I am getting married the same day as you and I mailing my invites by June 26th since my RSVP date is August 8th. I am giving people 6 weeks to RSVP but I know that there will still be people that will not RSVP on time or at all.

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Re: When is the perfect time to send out invites?

I just went to the post office and mailed out the invites!! yay. I put the rsvp date for july 20th, sent them today, and the wedding is aug 28th. I figured more time is better, since summer time is busy and people may need to make plans to travel.

Re: When is the perfect time to send out invites?

I need to tell the Manor East by August 18th (a month before the wedding) how many people I am having, so I picked August 8th so that I can have about 10 extra days to call those people that do not RSVP.

Re: When is the perfect time to send out invites?

I sent mine out 8 weeks before with a response date of a month before the wedding. Please be prepared that people will not respond on time for all of the reasons listed above.
My only regret was that some of our no's came in so late (after the RSVP date) that I wasn't able to invite more people

Re: When is the perfect time to send out invites?

I was going to send most of mine out this weekend. I am sending them a bit early hoping that people will respond early.

Re: When is the perfect time to send out invites?

I sent mine two months before the wedding, with an RSVP date three and a half weeks before the wedding. I think you should not send them any sooner b/c:

1. People will see how far away it is and put it aside planning to send in the rsvp later and forget.

2. People who are borderline won't know that far in advance.

3. If you send them with the right amount of time, you will create the urgency to rsvp promptly but still give them enough time to make plans.