When to Order Wedding Invitations: A Complete Timeline
When to order wedding invitations? This essential question is definitely in every bride’s mind before the big day. It all comes down to what makes the most sense during your wedding planning endeavors. Order too soon, and you might end up needing costly reprints. Order too late, and you may cause RSVP delays that lead to people not showing up. Nobody wants to look out at empty seats!
Let us uncover the mystery behind bridal stationery with our essential guide to your wedding invitation timeline. We’ll help you get your wedding invitation order in on time and without a rush.
8-9 Months Before: Research Your Wedding Invites and Choose The Vendor
If you’re reading this wondering, “Are 12 months too early to send wedding invitations?” take a deep breath! You don’t need to get your invite printing sorted out yet — unless you want to make your own wedding invitations. Instead, think about your wedding theme and how the style of the invites will match. What will your color palette be like? Will you have warm pinks and yellows, or go for a cooler theme with blue and silver? Search on Instagram and Pinterest for designs that you like.
Once you have some layout references, find a wedding stationery supplier that can do what you’ve envisioned. Pick an option within your budget and look for reviews from other customers. Make sure the vendor is reliable and that others are happy with their stationery for weddings. Invites set the tone for the event, so they must be on point if you want to impress your guests.
7 Months Before: Order Samples and Book Your Stationery
Before diving deeper into when to order wedding invitations, it’s time to take a closer look at the design aspects. While you’re choosing, keep your theme and color palette in mind, as this will help keep your special day cohesive. It is not necessary to focus on the latest trends! Your choice should represent who you are as a couple and reflect your wedding theme. Some vendors offer consultations where they will take you through your options. Consider this perk when choosing where to order wedding invitations.
If you’ve been shopping for providers online, you’ll want to order sample wedding invitations. Doing so will allow you to test the paper quality for yourself. You’ll also need to check how the colors have come out to ensure the samples match your expectations. If they don’t, you can switch providers or make all necessary changes immediately, preventing unnecessary delays. Ordering samples also enables you to check the delivery time, so you know when your guests will receive their invites. Once you’ve found your match, all you need to do is book your wedding day stationery. By telling the seller when you’re planning to order invitations, they can ensure they have space to accept.
6 Months Before: Finalize the Details and Order Your Wedding Invitations
Before deciding when to order wedding invitations, you’ll still need to fine-tune some details, starting with your guest list. Do you know how many invites you need to send out? Do you have all of their addresses so you can mail them? Don’t forget to think about the wording as well. Double check all the information is accurate. For example, make sure the location and time on the wedding invitation are correct. Keep in mind that you won’t be able to make any changes after you’ve approved the final draft for printing.
Once you’ve finalized the nitty-gritty, here comes the exciting part: it’s time to put in your order of wedding invitations! If your printer is expecting them, this step is super easy. It should be as simple as sending them the wedding details and waiting for your stationery to arrive. But if you’re running a little late with this step, don’t panic. Many printers offer a last-minute service if you need fast wedding invitations or even overnight invitation printing.
Tips:
When ordering invitations consider your ideal send-out timing. You don’t want to mail your invites too early! Starting nine months before your special day will give you plenty of time. But on some occasions, you might like to start a little sooner. For example, if you want to do your own wedding invitations or are having a destination wedding. If you’re worried that your guests need more advance notice, consider sending a save-the-date card first.
Final Words
Learning when to order wedding invitations is vital to avoid unnecessary delays that could lead to other issues. With this wedding invitation timeline, you’ll always be one step ahead. We could now talk about your wedding thank you cards timeline, but that’s a story for a different day!
