When to send out your wedding invitations

Planning a wedding is an exciting journey, but it can also be overwhelming with countless details to manage. One critical aspect is knowing when to send out your wedding invitations. Sending your wedding invitations out at the right time is crucial for ensuring your guests have all the necessary information to plan for and attend your big day. This blog post provides a detailed guide on when to send your wedding invitations, considering New Zealand's cultural norms, to help you achieve smooth and stress-free wedding planning.

How long before my wedding should I send out Invitations?

In New Zealand, it is customary to send out wedding invitations 2-3 months before the wedding date. Each couple's situation is different, so do what suits! It's not unusual to send them out early (3-6 months in advance). It all depends on your personal circumstances and the specifics of your wedding.

A comprehensive wedding stationery timeline is available here.

How and When to Send Save the Date Cards

Before sending out your wedding invitations, you can choose to give guests an extra heads up by sending save-the-date cards. These should ideally be sent 12 months before the wedding, but the this can range anywhere between 6 to 18 months prior. Save the Dates are particularly important for destination weddings, as they give your guests ample time to plan, book travel, and make necessary arrangements. More information on these can be found at our Save the Date Guide.

When should we send wedding invitations for a destination wedding?

If you're planning a destination wedding, it’s crucial to send out your Save the Dates and wedding invitations early. For destination wedding invitations, a minimum of 3-4 months before the wedding.

A detailed wedding invitation & stationery timeline is available here.

When should we order our wedding invitations?

Ready-Made Wedding Invitations

Be My Guest Design's wedding invitations are a convenient option that should be ordered 4-6 months in advance. These designs are pre-made and only require the addition of your personal details. They are quicker to produce and a less expensive option than custom wedding invitations.

When should I order my wedding invitations?

We recommend that you place your order for wedding invitations between four to six months before your wedding day. This gives you plenty of time to receive them from us and then to address the envelopes to send to your guests.

If you want to be extra-organised, order a sample pack of wedding stationery to help making your card selections when the time comes to place your order.

Once you have ordered your wedding invitations, you can expect delivery within two weeks. This allows time for you to check the wedding invitation draft we send you, for your invitations to be printed and then posted to you.

How long does it take to design our wedding invitations?

The entire process from design to revisions, finalising wedding invite wording, printing and posting your wedding invites takes around two weeks. You can expect to receive your digital mock-up within a couple of days of placing your order, to let you check it before we have your invites printed. Make sure you have a couple of people check the invites before you give your designer the final go-ahead to print it. These 'fresh eyes' will help you find any typos! Have someone ring any phone numbers or email the email addresses provided.

You can opt for a printed proof of your wedding invitations. This hard copy invitation is an actual sample of your wedding invitation, sent to you before you go ahead with printing the rest of your wedding invitations. Allow a couple of extra days for this process.

Christmas/New Year holidays and courier delays can also affect turnaround times.

How fast can I get my wedding invitations?

If you are in a hurry for your invitations and our standard two week turnaround is stressing you out, then the first thing to do is contact us. Chances are that we can flag your order as urgent and organise a fast turnaround of your wedding invites.

Custom Designed Wedding Invitations

If you prefer a more personalised touch, custom wedding invitations are the way to go. The process for custom designs should start 7-8 months ahead of your wedding date. Your designer will work with you to develop and design a unique invitation suite from scratch.

More information on our custom design process is available here.

Setting the RSVP Date

To ensure you can finalise your guest count and make necessary arrangements, set the RSVP date for one month before the wedding. This gives you enough time to follow up with any guests who haven’t responded and to confirm details with your caterer, venue, and other vendors.

We have some best practices for setting your wedding RSVP date here.

Tips for Managing the Wedding Invitation Process

1. Stay Ahead of the Timeline: Start the process early to avoid last-minute stress. This includes researching stationery options, finalising your guest list, and ordering your invitations.
2. Order Extra Invitations: Always order a few extra invitations to account for lost mail, last-minute additions, or keepsakes.
3. Minimise Stress: Use a checklist or a wedding planning app to keep track of deadlines and tasks. Order address labels for your wedding invitations (and thank you cards!) to save handwriting everyone's addresses. Delegate responsibilities to your wedding party - like proofreading your wedding invitations.