Choosing when to post you wedding stationery can be a tricky decision to make. Send them too early and you risk guests misplacing your carefully created invites; send them too late and guests might find it harder to book time off or find accommodation and child care.
Luckily there are some tried and tested guidelines which will leave your guests with plenty of time to make arrangements, but not enough that they’ll forget about your special day.
But first things first, the design and printing of your stationery...
Off the Shelf Stationery Vs. Bespoke Design
Wedding stationery is a very collaborative process between the couple and the designer so it’s difficult to give couples a precise timescale.
In general we estimate that off the shelf stationery will take one to two weeks to customise and print, depending on quantities and customisations. While our bespoke designs typically take between two to four weeks depending on the complexity and quantities.
Don’t forget to add delivery (1-3 working days) on to these estimates.
Save the Dates
Save the Dates have the most basic, yet most important details of your wedding. They should include the date and the venue, or at least the location of your wedding.
If you’re getting married locally we’d recommend sending out your Save the Date cards four to six months in advance. If however, you planning a destination wedding abroad or your getting married around Christmas or the summer holidays, then it’s best to give your guests a little extra preparation time and send your Save the Dates out six to eight months before the big day.
Remember you only need to send Save the Dates to your day guests as evening guests are less likely to need extra notice.
Invitations
Invitations should be sent to both day and evening guests and should include everything your guests need to know, including the date, start time and venue. Many couples now send out an information card stating the dress code, plus one rules, end time, accommodation suggestions, the full address and directions to the venue, taxi numbers and a link to your guest list.
We suggest sending out your day and evening wedding invites, plus RSVPs two to three months before your wedding if it’s at home, and three to four months in advance if it’s abroad, during the festive season or summer holidays.
RSVPs
Most guests will RSVP as soon as they receive your wedding invite, but there’s always a few that leave it until the last minute, so it’s a good idea to give guests a date to respond by. This is usually three to four weeks before the wedding, though some couples leave it as late as two weeks.
If you’d like to get in touch about any of our wedding stationery or enquire about our bespoke wedding stationery service, please contact Pippa at pippa@jeevesco.co.uk.