Wedding planning can be a full time job! When it comes to sending save-the-dates, invitations for the bridal shower and bachelorette party, the wedding invitations and thank-you cards, timing is everything. We created a helpful guide for mailing various wedding announcements.
Save-the-Date-Cards
Knowing when to send your wedding save the date is a common concern. The decision on how far in advance to mail them out will depend greatly on when and where you plan on having your wedding.
Sending save-the-dates are especially important if you are planning a holiday or destination wedding so all of your intended guests can plan accordingly. But, when should they go out? As soon as possible or at least seven months prior to the big day. The cards should include only the basic important information: the name of the bride and groom, the date or dates of the event, and the location.
Wedding Shower and Bachelorette Party Invitations
Bridal Shower and Bachelorette invitations should be sent with at least a month of lead time to allow invited guests to make arrangements to attend and allow time for RSVPs.
Send your shower or bachelorette invites about four weeks before the date of the party.
Wedding Invitations
One thing to keep in mind – if you send your invitation too far in advance, people can lose them or forget your date. On the flip-side, if you send them out too late then not all your guests will be able to come.
Generally, wedding invitations should be sent eight to twelve weeks prior to the event. The official wedding invitation which includes the response card, directions and any other important information you need to send your guests should be mailed out on a Saturday so that they arrive in the beginning of the week, when people are more likely to pay attention to their mail.
Thank-You Cards
Remember, the longer you take to send out a thank you note, the more pressure you’ll feel to make it extra special and heartfelt. If you know you’ll have to send them out anyway, then it’s best to plan your schedule for sending thank you notes as soon as possible.
Thank-you cards for all wedding gifts should be treated with a sense of urgency and sent within one month of the actual wedding. However you should also send thank-you cards for help you receive during the course of planning your wedding. Even if you are several months or even a year from the big day, start a list now to include all helping hands which usually begin from the moment you are engaged.
You should send thank-you cards for gifts received at any pre-wedding celebration within a week or two of the event (such as showers or engagement parties). Keeping a spreadsheet of who gave what, complete with addresses will make this process much easier when it’s time to express your sincere appreciation.
Follow this simple guideline, and rest assured that the news of your wedding won’t be overlooked or missed. Success is all in the timing!
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