When is too early for invitations???

I've had the same thought as you. Most of our guests and family are flying in. Our wedding is September 27 and we're mailing our invitations this weekend. I don't know why they say to mail them so close to the wedding, but everyone's situation is different. Especially as we modernize. A lot of the etiquette was for a long time ago when people didn't live far away from their family. But remember that save the dates are also to help your family plan a year in advance. I bought save the date magnets at magnetstreet.com and they were really reasonably priced

If people will be traveling a long way to be there, a year is perfectly fine. If you want to, you could send out a newsletter the closer it gets to the date so people can be reminded.

Our wedding is September 27th and I just sent mine out. I honestly wouldn't send them a year before, people will forget or lose the invite or just not RSVP. Plus who you want to invite could change between now and then. I'd wait a bit longer

My uncle who is getting married this year in august had sent his out already. I guest bec he lives in a different state. I received my invite a few days ago.

If u dont want to get save the dates. There are other ways to spread the word. U can send emails or txt messages. Especially if its family and close friends. I know some ppl that have done it.

People will either forget or not reply with the RSVP since it's so far away.

I would invest in STDs for now.

Check groupon I got my save the dates for $27 on vistaprint nice ones on a magnet!

I was in that predicament too. I am doing email save the dates. I have designed myself and linked to a youtube vid of the proposal.

You can also do them through paperless post, they have some nice designs and I think are free or really cheap.

Don't send the invitations - way to early! I've never received an invitation a year out and in all honesty plans could change with such a long time in-between. Plus, some of the guests you plan on inviting could fall off the face of earth. I'd probably just forget about the wedding. Just send STD's. We have several people who are from out of town and we sent those invitations at around 10 weeks and the rest 8 weeks before the RSVP deadline which is the 23rd of this month.

I first read your date as 2014 and was going to say Nope, send them out now! It is too early for invites now, but definitely a good time to think about Save the dates if you're planning on sending them and if you want to give people advance notice! My wedding is the week after yours and I'm planning on sending my save the dates sometime in November 2014-January 2015 and planning to send my invites probably May 2015.

Another vote for Paperless Post email STDs. I could keep track of everyone who received them and was able to collect mailing addresses to keep for our invitation mailing this month. :-) It is definitely too early to send your invites - plans change a great deal in that amount of time.

Wow. There is absolutely no reason to send invitations a year in advance.

Invitations should go out 6-8 weeks before the wedding. Save the dates are the "notice" to far away guests. You should not send your invites until the end of May in 2015. Store them somewhere safe. No one knows their plans for July of 2015 yet.

Don't send the actual invitations, send save the dates!

I wouldn't send them that early. We have a lot of OOT guests and we're getting married on a holiday weekend. We didn't send save the dates even until 8 months out and invitations 10 weeks out. If you send them too early, people will forget and you'll end up tracking them down for RSVPs.

I have so many out of town guests, so I sent out invites 5 months ahead of time with an RSVP deadline for about 3 months before the wedding.

Definitely don't send out invites a year ahead. If you want people to know ahead of time, try calling, emailing, private facebook messaging, texting, etc.

Everyone is coming out of state for ours, so we're sending invites a year in advance so they can make summer plans and budget for airfare and lodging. Rates only get more expensive as the year progresses in the area where we're having the ceremony.

A year is way too early for invitations. I would send a save the date so people know it's coming and then send invitations closer to your wedding. I can't commit to anyone's wedding a year from now.

Even for people traveling far, a year out is pretty early. Most people don't know what they're doing in a year, and it's possible they will hang on to the RSVP card until the date gets closer, with the potential for losing it.

Speaking from personal experience, I'm not a very organized person - if you invited me to your wedding a year in advance I would definitely misplace the invitation! FH and I received an invitation four months ahead for his cousin's wedding and we both completely forgot about it!

You don't have to do save the dates - you could always send out a mass email to people on your invite list, or if you send out cards over the holidays, include a note to people about the wedding date. If you do decide on save the dates, there are really nice and inexpensive alternatives, or you could make your own.

Save the Date all the way. I sent my STDs about 11 months before the wedding, then my invitations with hotel information to OOT guests about 6 months out, and just today sent my invitation to anybody within an hour drive.

Edit: Just saw you want to avoid the cost of STDs. There have been ladies on here that find amazing deals. Like $25 for STDs. You have plenty of time. Search for a good deal and get some STDs.

Since your date is in the prime vacation season, it is fine to send them out a little early. About 12 weeks out would be okay, so you don't NEED a Save the Date. On a side note to others - Its okay to start looking and getting ideas for stationery early, but PLEASE don't order anything printed until 3-4 months before your wedding date, just in case details change.