When to send wedding invitations, with timelines for every wedding type
Standard six to eight weeks ahead, twelve weeks for destination, more nuance below for the real rules.
The standard answer is six to eight weeks before the wedding. The real answer depends on three things: where guests are coming from, when save the dates went out, and how strict your RSVP deadline is.
This guide gives clear timelines for local, destination, and short-notice weddings, plus the supporting timelines for save the dates and RSVP deadlines.
Timelines that actually work in practice
Local weddings: send invitations six to eight weeks before the wedding date. RSVP deadline three to four weeks before the wedding so caterers have time.
Destination weddings: send three to four months ahead, after a save the date six to nine months ahead. Guests need to book flights and hotels.
Short-notice weddings (under three months total): skip the save the date, send invitations as soon as possible, set a short RSVP window. Digital invitations are the only realistic format.
For digital invitations the mailing delay disappears, but the social calendar does not. Six weeks ahead is still the right minimum for most weddings, even when sending takes seconds.