Invitation Timeline

12 Months Before: Mail save-the-date cards if you're having a destination wedding, are marrying over a holiday, or are inviting a lot of out-of-town guests.

6 Months Before: After choosing a wedding style and budget, shop for invites. Order paper samples or review stock with your stationer.

5 Months Before: If you'll be commissioning a custom ivitation or details, such as a monogram or stamp, start the process now.

4 Months Before: Now's the time to order labor-intensive invitations. Those would be invitations that are letterpress or engraved. Allow time for printing and delivery. If you are a DIY bride, start now.

3 Months Before: If you're ordering invites with a quick turnaround time, do so now. Allow time for printing, delivery, and proofreading.

2 Months Before: Start addressing envelopes or get them to your calligrapher. If you're using a calligrapher, remember 150 envelopes normally takes about two weeks. Assemble and weigh one complete invitation to figure the correct postage. Mail your invitations six to eight weeks before the wedding date.

1 Month Before: Your RSVPs should start arriving three to four weeks before the wedding. A few days after the RSVP date has passed call anyone who hasn't sent in a response.