rsvp deadline for "destination" wedding

I would not send invitations that early. Typically that is when you send Save the Dates so people know the date and location, but are not expected to RSVP until much closer to the event.

I would make your RSVP deadline about a month before. I think anything else is unreasonable.

Are you planning on sending out save the dates? I feel like for an international destination a year's time max sounds reasonable, with a formal invitation 2-3 months before the actual wedding date and RSVP 1 month before the wedding. Happy planning

I agree with pp that you need to send save-the-dates, up to a year in advance, so those with really busy schedules can plan ahead, but, honestly, sending invitations a year in advance will strike MANY people as "silly" and completely unnecessary. Your RSVP date should be 7-10 days before your first numbers are due to vendors. There are so many posts about brides wanting to be "really organized/able to plan," so they send their invites and/or make the RSVP deadline way too early. It almost always backfires. Just because they want something does not mean their guests will comply. Send people an invitation a year in advance and they are going to put it aside and forget about it because, "who knows what I'm going to be doing a year from now?!?!?" Except for your "industry people," most of your guests likely won't be able to commit any sooner than a month before the wedding, and for some, that might be too soon. If you give them a really early date, they are either going to blow you off or give you an answer that may well change later.

View Quoted Comment Wow... Alrighty then. Cheers.

Someone posted earlier about how 10 of their groom’s family members changed their response to declines two weeks before the wedding. The earlier you ask for RSVPs, the more likely you will have people change their answer as it gets closer. I wouldn’t have your RSVP date be more than 2-3 weeks before your final count is due.

I disagree with a lot of PP - if you're asking people to get visas to enter the country, they need the full invitation for their visa applications. I mean, they can get by with the STD, but the visa processor would likely see the formal invitation as more legit. So stick with your one-year invite plan. Then an RSVP deadline 2 months before. By then people will know if they are booking flights or not.

View Quoted Comment I understand it's not typical for brides to feel this way, but that's just me... I don't get the point of save the dates. Just send them one piece of mail that says we'd love you to come and that's it.
Plus our friends and family invited will be largely international and many will need visas so they'll be planning ahead anyway.
I'll keep the deadline suggestion in mind!

View Quoted Comment Exactly! Thank you for understanding especially about the visas! :-) I agree. I feel two months might be reasonable also. Still gives us time to adjust for guest transport plus speak with anybody we haven't heard from... All while I will still not be in the US myself. *internal stress bubbling*

View Quoted Comment Thanks for the positive response. Personally, I never planned to have nor cared for save the dates, (actually I've never been to a wedding where they used them,) but I think in some cases it may be helpful. Thanks for deadline advice! :-)

View Quoted Comment Ouch that's rough! Unfortunately I don't think RSVPs that close to the deadline will work for our loved ones...

I would make your RSVP deadline about a month before. Good luck!

View Quoted Comment

I didn't send save the dates either, so i totally get that. But in this case, sending invitations a year or more ahead of time seems kind of silly to me, especially if you don't need the RSVP for almost a whole year. Maybe just let everyone know in an email or text or however you communicate with most of the guest list what the date will be and where.

Over 100 of our guests came in from out of state, we sent save the dates 10 months out and invites 3 months out. Our RSVP date was 40 days out. I am 100% confident we would lose an invite sent 1 year early.