When Should You Send Wedding Invitations? The Timeline

Why timing your invites takes so much pressure off

Most couples underestimate not how much a timely invitation can do — they underestimate how reassuring clear dates are. Good timing saves money (no rush printing fees, no stress orders for catering), reduces the number of follow-up questions, and ensures your favorite people can actually make it. In short: keeping an eye on the clock frees your head for the fun decisions.

In this article we’ll take you by the hand — with realistic time windows for different wedding types and a reverse timeline you can adopt straightaway. We’ll also show how digital invitations and smart RSVP tools simplify a lot.

Save-the-Date vs. Invitation — what’s what?

Save-the-Date is the heads-up: date, general location, “Formal invitation to follow.” It keeps calendars free and prevents clashes with holidays or other major plans.
The invitation is the binding info: times, locations, dress code, gift preferences, directions, any hotel blocks and above all a clear RSVP deadline.

In DACH practice it’s proven helpful: if you send a Save-the-Date, you can send the actual invitation later and still stay relaxed. Digital is absolutely acceptable and helps collect responses faster.

Three typical scenarios — and how to schedule sending

1) Local wedding (usually one weekend, short travel at most)

Save-the-Date: about 6–10 months in advance. In peak season (May–September) aim for the upper end of that window.
Invitations: around 3–5 months beforehand. If you don’t use a Save-the-Date, aim more for 5–6 months — especially around school holidays or long weekends.
RSVP deadline: 4–6 weeks before the wedding day. That gives you breathing room for seating plans, placecards, rented furniture, and menu details.

Why this works: caterers and venues usually want a final headcount 10–21 days before the date. A deadline 4–6 weeks out gives you buffer for follow-ups and last changes.

2) Destination wedding (abroad/alps/sea, significant travel required)

Save-the-Date: 9–12 months in advance; for very popular destinations, holidays or long flights, 12–14 months. This lets guests secure vacation time, passports and budget.
Invitations: 4–6 months beforehand with clear info on hotels, shuttles, travel documents and possibly dress codes for multiple program elements.
RSVP deadline: at least 6 weeks before (better 8), so you can finalize transfers, welcome dinners, seating plans and special requests (allergies) reliably.

3) Multiple events (e.g. civil ceremony + non-religious ceremony + brunch)

Save-the-Date: 6–10 months in advance — name the wedding weekend and announce “more details to follow.”
Invitations: stagger them by relevance. Civil ceremony (small circle) often only needs 8–10 weeks’ notice; the big celebration 3–5 months ahead. Welcome evening/brunch can be 6–8 weeks if the main invitation is already out.
RSVP deadlines: set them per event! A shorter response window for the small civil ceremony, 4–6 weeks for the big party. Important: guests only see the events they’re invited to — that reduces confusion.

Case study Alex & Sam — a reverse timeline that stays realistic

Imagine Alex and Sam are marrying in August. They’re having a big Saturday party in their city, a small civil ceremony (Standesamt) the Friday before, and a relaxed brunch on Sunday. Many guests are local, some are coming from abroad.

Saturday wedding in August: they want everyone to dance late — many out-of-town guests, some with kids.
Civil ceremony on Friday: family and witnesses only.
Sunday brunch: “If you’re still around, swing by.”

This is how the couple works backwards:

Set RSVP deadlines: For the big Saturday they choose “RSVP by 6 weeks before.” For the civil ceremony 4 weeks, for the brunch 3 weeks is sufficient.
Schedule invitations: With the big party in August, Alex and Sam send invitations in May. That works well because the Save-the-Date went out in January. Civil ceremony invites they send digitally at the end of June — small group, quick replies. For the brunch a digital note in early July is enough.
Save-the-Date: In January. It includes the date and city, notes the multiple program points and links to the wedding website.
Plan follow-ups: A reminder two weeks before each RSVP deadline — friendly but clear.

What does that feel like day-to-day? Relaxed. In January everyone blocks the weekend, in May everyone knows “where, when, how” and responds. In June/July the couple clears up remaining questions, builds the seating plan, checks rentals and gives the caterer the final headcount on time.

What belongs in Save-the-Date and invitation — without overloading your guests

Save-the-Date: names, date or weekend, city/region, “invitation to follow,” link to the website. For destination weddings also add note about room blocks and basic travel info.

Invitation: timeline of the day and addresses, dress code (clear, friendly), RSVP note with deadline, link/QR to online RSVP, contact for questions (e.g. witnesses). For multiple events: only list the relevant program items per guest.

Pro tip: Phrase the RSVP call-to-action actively (“Let us know by June 21”) and make the deadline visible — don’t hide it in the fine print.

Set your RSVP deadline smartly — so catering and seating stay stress-free

Don’t plan your RSVP deadline at the very last minute; place it earlier. Check when your caterer and venue need the final headcount (often 10–21 days before). Add a comfortable week of buffer. Digital replies usually allow for shorter deadlines; with postal reply cards 5 weeks is safer than 3.

Also build in a reminder tier: automate a reminder one week before the deadline, then follow up personally the day after the deadline. Anyone who still hasn’t replied gets a short phone call — that’s more efficient than a fourth email.

Digital first: why modern invitations make so much easier

Digital invitations are long since socially acceptable: they arrive quickly, can be updated (new time, location pin, dress code note) and give you real-time responses. They’re especially invaluable with multiple events — nobody gets info that doesn’t concern them.

This is exactly where WedSet shines. The platform is built to be “Multi-Event ready”: you create a separate card for each event, guests only see what they’re invited to, and you control +1 limits without awkward misunderstandings. Personal messages (“Adults only,” parking notes, allergy questions) are possible per invitation. QR codes and personal links make it super easy for guests to reply. If you like thinking of planning in tasks, you’ll benefit from the pre-made to-dos that align with your wedding date and automatically set realistic due dates — including reminders. For timing that means: you’ll know early when Save-the-Dates, invitations, and follow-ups are due.

Manage guest lists & RSVPs: wedset.app/guest-list-rsvp
Control to-dos with due dates: wedset.app/todo

What if you’re “late”?

Don’t panic. Then: digitize, focus, prioritize.

Digitize: Send the invitation digitally with a clear RSVP deadline (3–4 weeks out) and use reminders. For small civil ceremony rounds, 6–8 weeks of invitation time is often plenty.
Focus: First lock in guests who need to plan (travel, childcare). In parallel keep room blocks and shuttle info available.
Prioritize: Everything essential for attendance belongs in the invitation. Everything that’s “nice to know” (playlist requests, photobooth props) can come as an update later.

Common pitfalls — and how Alex & Sam avoided them

Too many early details: A Save-the-Date is not a novel. If you give too much info early, you’ll have to correct it later. Better: keep the website up to date and be specific in the invitation.
Unclear RSVP deadline: “Please reply soon” is not a deadline. Alex & Sam used fixed dates — with reminders. Result: almost everyone replied on time.
Invitations “for all events”: that causes confusion. Event-based invitations prevent civil-ceremony guests from suddenly showing up at brunch — or vice versa.
+1 chaos: Clear limits per invitation prevent unlisted plus-ones. That saves money and stress.

Your quick timetable — by wedding type

Local: Save-the-Date 6–10 months ahead, invitations about 3–5 months, RSVP 4–6 weeks.
Destination: Save-the-Date 9–12 (up to 14) months, invitations 4–6 months, RSVP 6–8 weeks.
Multiple events: Save-the-Date for the weekend 6–10 months ahead, stagger invitations, set RSVPs per event.

With this logic — plus digital tools — “hopefully everyone remembers us” becomes a structured, relaxed plan.

Conclusion: calm can be planned

If you communicate early, structure clearly and collect RSVPs consistently, timing is no longer a mystery. Take Alex & Sam’s example: a Save-the-Date in January, invitations in May, clear deadlines — and a system in between that reminds, sorts and updates. That’s exactly what WedSet is built for: Multi-Event-Ready, with smart guest and task management that gives you back the time you actually want to spend celebrating.

When is the best time to send wedding invitations?

The Most Important: