Sending out invitations

Next month would be way too early to send out invitations for a September wedding. Many people probably do not yet know if they can commit to attending or not. Invites should be sent out 6-8 weeks ahead of time (or possibly even 8-10 weeks for a destination wedding). If you do send them out super early, be aware that some people might RSVP "yes", but then have something else come up closer to the wedding and need to change their reply (or the reverse scenario - some might RSVP "no" simply because they do not know their work schedule or what they'll have going on at that time). Since you sent out Save The Dates, people are already aware of your date, and I would recommend that you send out the invitations 6-8 weeks before your wedding.

I would wait. Another reason why people wait to send their invitations is because not everyone can make a set plan 8 months in advance. Some can't be sure they'll have the time off or can secure childcare, stuff like that. And yes, even well meaning people can still forget to reply when they've been waiting to send it in to make sure plans don't change. I would wait until the long-end of a normal timeline for invites, if you have some quick "no" replies then you can invite others.

Something to keep in mind as well, if it's found out, some people can become offended knowing they're on a B-list. I wouldn't care personally, but if that's your plan you should be thinking of that as well.

There's no way I would be able to rsvp to a wedding 8 months ahead of time. For a September wedding, wait until June at the earliest. What are you setting as your rsvp deadline?

8 months is way too early. 6-8 weeks is the standard range for sending out invitations. Also, B lists are frowned upon. If someone on your B list learns they were only invited because someone on your A list said no, that may hurt some feelings.

We have friends who decided to send out invitations way early (like you're intending) and had an RSVP date 3 months before their wedding. We RSVP'd "yes" but were then unable to go, due to circumstances beyond our control.

People aren't going to "forget" to go to your wedding, but they may forget to RSVP, since it's so early. Also, you're going to have a lot of people whose plans changed/work didn't cooperate, etc.

Lastly, I agree with Meghan - B lists hurt feelings.

We sent our invites for our May 22 wedding in 2 batches some in June 2021 and the rest in November 2022.
I was super excited to do it so the quicker you get things ticked off the list the less stress and more organised your feel.
So many of the people responded to ours within a couple of weeks and I only had to chase like 2 people who couldn’t come anyway.
Go for it it’s sooo exciting!

If you do send them out early, still have the RSVP one month out from the wedding, as Becky mentioned people may RSVP but change their minds. I am sending mine out at the end February since there are so many weddings and I doubt a majority of people kept the save the dates I sent out in August, but my RSVP is May 1.

Send invitations 6-8 weeks before.

Do you still need to send official invitations anymore? Guess I have a sep question, digital or hardcopy?

Many people are not technologically savvy and they see a social event as requiring a physical invitation and they view an electronic invitation as meaning the event is extremely informal, which may not be what you have in mind. Even if someone is familiar with technology, a physical invite is easier and handier in many situations. A black tie wedding requires physical invites. Many social events have physical invites so they are not archaic. Plus who doesn’t like to get mail that isn’t junk or bills?



Do not send them earlier than 8 weeks because they will be lost and forgotten. Do not send them after 6 weeks before the wedding because people will assume they are last minute afterthoughts to fill a seat.
Always send some type of save the date information 6-12 months before the wedding as soon as the venue is booked because that means everything is set in stone so you can move forward. For decades, people made phone calls at 6-12 months to give a heads up to everyone local and far away that they would be receiving an invitation. For unknown reasons, phone call method is considered taboo in the current generation in favor of email and magnets. Also the current generation doesn’t view local guests as needing the information before 6 weeks when the invites are sent but they need the same amount of advance notice to schedule time off. But no one near or far can commit to anything before 4 weeks, so rsvps should not be due 2+ months before the wedding.

I sent it out a year in advance because venue is out of town and I have wedding anxiety! Lol! I don't think there's a time where it's too soon.

View Quoted Comment Did you send save the dates at a year out or invitations? 1 year is too early and no one can commit to anything at that point and the invitation will get lost and forgotten, but save the dates sent at a year are appropriate. 2 months before the wedding is the appropriate standard time when they are sent, no earlier.

View Quoted Comment I feel like 1 year is sufficient time to make accomodations. Most vendors require a final count about two months before the wedding and that's too close for my comfort.

I agree that 6-8 wks is not enough time to plan to attend an event (at least not with certainty). In my profession, our calendars start booking up at least 6 months in advance I just started scheduling for June ‘22, meaning there are several weekends between now and then that would be foreclosed. I would also need more time than that to arrange for childcare & pet care if I had to travel (not to mention look for good prices on travel & accommodations). Since my guest list is over 50% people in my same profession, we sent our invitations out 4 months in advance. Our guests have appreciated it & we’ve had a great response so far. There are only a few expected stragglers, but the rsvp date is still a month away (6 wks before the wedding). As others have said, things may come up between now & then that cause people to have to cancel, but since that could also happen right up to the day of your wedding, I’m at a loss for how that matters so much. I also don’t understand the “lost or forgotten” argument, since you’d likely be calling people who didn’t rsvp.


Since you sent STDs, 8 months seems a bit early to me, but that’s really up to you to know what your guests have to do to get your date on the calendar. Perhaps sending them out in batches (saving the 6-8 wk mark for those who have fewer responsibilities to plan around) would work? Just expect to get attacked by some members of the etiquette police lol. Do what works best for you 😊

I am also planning a September wedding (9/10/22).

I sent my save the dates out in October of 2021 so people can start planning (I'm a planner, by nature).

I am planning on sending my invites out in May.

Don't listen to those who say it has to be within "6-8 weeks" --- we are living in weird times. Everything goes these days!

Happy planning!

That’s extremely early. You should be sending out like 2 months before. Not many people know if they can commit to something so far in advance

Hi ! I think next month is a good time to send out invites. It’s what I’ll be doing since my wedding is set for 9/2022 as well. & I totally agree “I forgot” is so annoying just be straight up and say you can’t make it.

I think that’s way too early, but if you do this I’d be prepared that you’ll have a lot of people either change their response or forget to RSVP and you’ll have to follow up with them. Especially with how quickly things are still changing due to Covid, I can’t imagine anyone knowing what they will or won’t feel comfortable doing 8 months from now.

Hello!

I may be the outlier here, but I don't plan to listen to the 6-8 weeks rule so that I can invite anyone else if we get some "No" RSVPs. I just had to RSVP for a wedding this week that isn't until May 2022. Baring any unforeseen circumstances, people usually know if they plan to go or not within 4 to 6 months of the wedding. I think you are fine sending them out in March or April.

Especially in COVID times, it doesn't matter if people RSVP'd a month out or 6 months out, they could always change their mind last minute. So, you might as well set an early RSVP deadline to make your life easier!

I already sent our Invitations - they are more like formal save the dates - but guests need to reply. We're following up with the people who RSVP with a formal invitation.