There are a lot of things you have to do for your wedding and a lot things that need to get put on your timeline. One of those items are your wedding invitations. There are several different invitations that you may ben sending (Save The Dates, Wedding Invitations, Bridal Shower Invitations, Rehearsal Dinner Invitations, etc) and it can get a bit confusing. If you are lost on when you should send those invitations then todays Wedding Wednesday blog post is for you!
Note: not all couples will send of have all of the events listed below so feel free to do the ones that are best for you! Most couples will do a Save The Date and the actual Wedding Invitation but the rest depend on what you are planning.
Engagement Party Invitations
Not all couples have an engagement party, but if you are planning on having one you will want to send out these invitations pretty soon after announcing your engagement. The engagement party is a way for you to celebrate your engagement with your friends and family. One thing to note here, the people who you invite for the engagement party will be expecting an invitation to your wedding too so you will want to keep your wedding guest list in mind for these.
Save The Dates
You will want to send your save the dates around 4-6 months before your wedding. This will allow your guests enough time to clear their schedules and start looking at their travel arrangements.
Bridal/Wedding Shower Invitations
Normally your Maid of Honor/Best Man or a family member will plan the bridal/wedding shower and they are usually responsible for mailing out the invitations so this will take a little bit off your plate! The bridal/wedding shower invitations should be send out 6-8 weeks before the shower. You don't have to invite everyone who you are planning to invite to your wedding to the shower, however, everyone who you do invite to the shower should be invited to the wedding.
Bachelorette/Bachelor Party Invitations
Just like the bridal/wedding shower, the bachelorette/bachelor party is also usually planned by the wedding party. They will also take care of the invitations. Bachelorette and bachelor parties can include just the wedding party or some other close friends as well. Just like the bridal/wedding shower invitations, the people who will be invited to this should also be invited to the wedding. Normally these invites get send out about 1 month before the party but you can also email or call for these invitations too if the event is little less formal.
Wedding Invitations
You will want to send your wedding invitations about 6-8 weeks before your wedding. This will allow your guests time finalize their travel arrangements. You will want to make sure that the guest response card that is included in your invitations has a deadline of 1 month before your wedding. This will allow you to have your final guest count ready for your vendors.
Rehearsal Dinner Invitations
Your wedding rehearsal will take place the day before your wedding. This is when you will do a run-through of the wedding and most couples will provide a rehearsal dinner to celebrate. Some couples may opt for a full rehearsal day with lots of activities planned like brunch, activities, and dinner. You can make this up to you! Everyone who is included in the wedding and close family members are invited to rehearsal dinners normally. However, if you are having more of an all day affair, then some couples will invite all of the wedding guests. Your rehearsal invitations will be sent out around the 6 week mark.
Thank You Cards
These aren't an invitation but are equally important! Thank you cards happen throughout the course of your wedding planning. Everyone who has given you a gift for the wedding will get one and you can even send these to your vendors that you love as well! For gifts that are given during the engagement party, bridal/wedding shower, bachelorette/bachelor party should be send within 2 weeks of the event. For everyone who mails a gift to you before the wedding, a card should be sent as soon as you receive the gift (around 2 weeks) but always should be sent before the actual wedding. For gifts that you receive on the day of your wedding, you get a little breather here with your honeymoon and getting back into the swing of things, so thank you cards are expected to be sent within 3 months of the wedding. Any gifts that arrive after your wedding, a thank you card should be sent within 1-2 weeks.
Where To Order Invitations
If you are looking for where to order your wedding invitations then I highly recommend Basic Invite! They have lots of different styles and designs from simpler 1 card designs to pocket invitations with lots of different enclosures. The designs can be changed to almost every color under the sun and there are foil options too! There is something for everyone and every budget.
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