4 Timeline Tips for Wedding Invitations
Paperia | March 2016
Selecting, writing, assembling, and mailing your wedding invitations can be quite the project!
Here are four tips to keep in mind when it’s time to tackle this part of the wedding planning process.
#1. Start collecting addresses as soon as your guest list is set
The sooner you start, the better off you’ll be! Especially with larger weddings, tracking down everyone’s addresses – from your mom’s boss to your childhood best friend – can take time. If necessary, ask your parents and your future in-laws to help compile the list. Stay organized and combine all guests and addresses into one excel file.
#2. Once you know your wedding style, start browsing stationery
Are you having a rustic country wedding in an old barnyard, or an elegant black-tie affair in a downtown hotel? Once you know your wedding style, start browsing stationery… you don’t HAVE to wait until it comes up on your planning calendar! Local stationers, like The Paperia, have a wide ranging variety and the etiquette knowledge to guide you through each step of the process. A great benefit of visiting a brick and mortar store (as opposed to shopping online) is that you can touch, feel, mix, and match as you build a stationery suite that perfectly reflects your style.
#3. Mail invitations 6-8 weeks before your wedding
Identify the date you plan to mail your invitations, then work backwards to build a timeline. You should aim to receive your printed invitations at least 3 w
eeks before your mail date so that you have time to assemble, address, and stamp (allow longer time if you plan to hire a professional calligrapher). Note: For destination weddings, you should mail your wedding invitations 12 weeks in advance, so plan accordingly.
#4. Build in a time cushion for RSVPs
Give yourself some extra time, and request RSVPs 2-3 weeks before your wedding date. This will allow you to carefully plan your seating arrangements. Also, there are always a handful of guests who do not RSVP on time, so giving yourself a time cushion will allow you to reach out to them for a response.
Furthermore, consider the date that you will need to give your final count to the wedding venue. This is usually only a few days before the wedding, but it can be up to as much as two weeks.
The takeaway: start early, stay organized with tools like excel, and create an invitation timeline with key dates for each benchmark.
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