How far in advance to send wedding invitations, and the RSVP deadline

Send wedding invitations six to eight weeks before the wedding. For a destination wedding, or one where most guests need flights or hotels, send them eight to twelve weeks ahead. Set the RSVP deadline three to four weeks before the date, which leaves time to chase late replies before the caterer and venue need your final numbers.

These are common practice in the US and the UK. Your own dates depend on your venue contract and how far your guests travel.

Why six to eight weeks?

Six to eight weeks is long enough for guests to book time off, arrange childcare and buy something to wear. It is also short enough that the invitation does not get put aside and forgotten. Send much earlier and people lose it. Send much later and some guests will already have plans.

If you sent save the dates, the invitation confirms a date guests already have in their diary, so the six week end of the range is fine for a local wedding. Without save the dates, lean toward eight weeks.

When should you send invitations earlier?

Move to eight to twelve weeks when guests need to travel or plan around something.

• A destination wedding abroad, where guests book flights, time off and sometimes passports or visas.
• A wedding on a UK bank holiday or a US holiday weekend, when hotels near the venue fill up early.
• A celebration over several days, such as a welcome dinner, the ceremony and a brunch the day after.
• A guest list where many people are coming from overseas.

Save the dates go out earlier again. Six to twelve months ahead is usual for a destination wedding, and four to six months for a local one. Our guide to destination wedding save the dates and early RSVPs covers that timeline.

When should the RSVP deadline be?

Set it three to four weeks before the wedding. The deadline exists for your suppliers. Caterers commonly ask for a final guest count one to two weeks before the day, and the seating plan, the place cards and the cake all depend on that number too. A deadline three to four weeks out gives you a week or two to chase the guests who have not answered, and you can still hand over firm numbers on time.

Read your catering and venue contracts first. Some ask for numbers earlier, especially for plated meals or large venues, and your deadline should sit a week or two before theirs.

Put the deadline on the invitation in plain words, such as "Please reply by 15 May". Vague phrasing like "RSVP soon" gets vague results.

What does a wedding invitation timeline look like?

Here is a common schedule for a local wedding. For a destination wedding, move the invitation date about four weeks earlier.

1. 01Four to twelve months before Send save the dates. Six to twelve months is usual for destination weddings.
2. 02Three months before Finish the guest list and collect phone numbers, emails or postal addresses.
3. 03Six to eight weeks before Send the invitations, with the RSVP deadline printed clearly.
4. 04One week before the deadline Send a short, friendly reminder to anyone who has not replied.
5. 05Three to four weeks before Close RSVPs on the deadline day.
6. 06The day after the deadline Message or call each guest who is still missing.
7. 07One to two weeks before Give the caterer and venue your final numbers and the dietary list.

Is the timing different in the UK and the US?

The ranges are much the same, with a few local habits worth knowing.

In the UK, evening invitations for guests who join after the wedding breakfast usually go out at the same time as day invitations, so nobody hears about the wedding second hand. Our UK evening wedding invitation guide has wording for those.

In the US, printed invitations often include a reply card with a stamped envelope. That adds postal time in both directions, so couples posting cards tend to send closer to eight weeks.

Across Europe, customs vary by country and by family. Guests flying in from another country need the longer destination timeline wherever the wedding is.

Does sending invitations by link change the timing?

A text or WhatsApp invitation arrives the moment you send it, so you save the postal days at each end. Guests still need the same notice to plan, though, so keep the six to eight week window.

A link helps most after it is sent. With CardToPage, you upload the invitation card you already have and it becomes a page with RSVP, directions, a countdown to the day and the event details. Replies collect on your dashboard as they arrive, and you can export the list when the caterer asks for numbers. If the ceremony time moves, you edit the page and the link stays the same, so you never have to send a correction to 120 people. The full website includes 100 RSVP replies and is a one-time payment.

What if guests miss the RSVP deadline?

Some will. Message each one personally the day after the deadline and keep it light, for example: "We are confirming numbers with the caterer this week. Could you let us know if you can make it?" For more wording, see our RSVP reminder guide.

If you still hear nothing a few days later, a phone call is quicker than another message. Do not count a guest who has not replied in your final numbers.

What else do couples ask about invitation timing?