So, you’re planning a wedding—you’ve popped the bubbly, shared the exciting news with family and friends, and even picked the perfect venue. It’s time to send out your wedding invitations! But…when exactly should that happen?

The world has changed a lot post pandemic, and weddings are no exception. Standard etiquette rules from previous generations dictate 6-8 weeks before the wedding, but many couples are choosing to mail their invitations earlier than that these days. And there are a lot of good reasons why!

There are three key elements to consider when deciding how far in advance to send wedding invitations:

Will you send save the dates?
Where is the wedding?
Is it likely guests will have other plans?

Save the dates

If you plan to send save the dates, you won’t need to send out your invitations quite as early because guests will already know the basic details. Once you have the date and the venue confirmed, it’s never too early to send out your save the dates—the sooner the better! Digital save the dates are gaining popularity, but unfortunately they don’t count when it comes to calculating invitation timelines. It’s much more likely that they get lost in guests’ inboxes and never actually seen. If you don’t plan to send out save the dates (or plan to send them digitally), you’ll need to send your invitations out much earlier so that your guests can mark their calendars.

Wedding location

If most of your guests will need to travel for your wedding, you’ll want to give them plenty of time to arrange their travel plans beforehand—especially if they will be traveling internationally. They’ll need to book flights and hotels, and they may need to update their passports or other travel documents.

Wedding date

Is your wedding taking place during a busy season or on a holiday weekend? If so, it’s more likely that your guests might have other plans by the time you send out your invitations. For example, if you plan to get married on Memorial Day Weekend, they might already have a vacation planned (or another wedding). If your wedding is at the end of December, guests will need to make sure your wedding works with their plans to spend time with family during the holiday season. For these popular and busy times, you’ll want to send out your invitations as soon as possible.

Guest RSVPs

Now you know all of the basics for determining when to send out your wedding invitations. We’re almost there! But before you make your final decision, there is one other detail to consider: when will you need your guest RSVPs to be finalized? This is information that will be important for several of your vendors to know ahead of time. Your venue may have a deadline for when they need a final guest count, your caterer will need to know guest meal choices, and your stationer will need a final guest list in order to make place cards and a seating chart. We always recommend giving guests at least four weeks between when they receive the invitation and when the RSVP deadline is. Ask your vendors what their deadlines are and work backwards from that date!

With all of this information under your belt, you’re ready to make a decision! So, exactly how many weeks in advance should you mail your wedding invitations? We made this flowchart to help you make your choice: