When to send invitations?

I don’t know anything about etiquette guides but we sent save the dates 6months before and will send invites 4 weeks before.

We are getting married in October and already have a fair few guests asking about accommodation in the area - since this is information that usually gets sent out with the invitations, I'm becoming more inclined to send them sooner rather than later, even though it is 6 months away. You're right that 6 weeks notice could be difficult to manage for some guests, especially with the backlog of weddings that have built up over the last year.

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Yup, I’m tempted to just send them and be done with it! Especially are we are a Friday so people may have to book the day off.

One thing you all need to keep in mind are covid waves (especially winter weddings) the earlier you send invites the more you expose yourselves to having to retract should restrictions return.


I’m a July bride and though I don’t have many out of London attendees I’m making sure the hotels I recommend/book are offering cash refunds in the event wedding guests are restricted and we need to reduce our headcount (keeping everything crossed we won’t need to).

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Yes, well on my radar, and I’m aware that all our guests know they could get bumped if restrictions continue.

View quoted message I might be reading more into your response than you intended but IMO it reads very abrupt. Seems you’d already made your decision (to send out invites asap) before you asked the question. If you don’t want, feedback don’t ask.


I was simply giving advice.

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Yes, definitely reading more into it. Thanks for your input, all welcome :-)

The rule of thumb is generally 6 weeks before the wedding... unless you are inviting people who need to plan their travel well in advance!

Not to sound nasty or anything, but I think if I received an invitation months and months in advance I'd be more likely to forget about it! I think there'll be a lot of chasing up to do...

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Yes, I guess you’re right. It’s really hard as people are asking about accommodation and so on, but as pointed out it’s not yet certain it’ll even happen!

I think I’ll need to hold my nerve for now and wait a bit longer. Might wait until the lockdown announcement at the end of June and then send them if it looks positive then. I’m just mindful people will need to book the day off.

We sent out the save the dates way in advance. I felt similar to you though, worried about sending the actual invites and details so late, especially with a July wedding and covid, I felt like I needed to communicate with my guests. So we created and sent out a wedding website instead! The website contains accommodation and travel information, as well as information on when the full on invites will be sent and a little Q&A about the plan for the day. A lot of our guests booked hotels as soon as we released the website (I contacted various hotels to get their cancellation policies incase covid tries to ruin it), so glad we did it. Now we can just send out the invites with 6 weeks notice as normal

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Thanks Georgina, that’s a really good idea!

Would also depend on when your caterers would like the numbers and when you are due to pay them? Many caterers want payment / figures at least 28 days before so that they can plan and purchase what is required.

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Yes, another important consideration. Venue want final figures a month before, so 6 weeks will be tight, especially if we get declines and want to invite day reserve guests. So realistically we need a bit longer. Thanks!

Our venue wants final numbers about 6 weeks before so we've decided to send invites out now (5 months before). It is also related to the time of year of the wedding as we know people like to go away around that time. Do what you feel in your gut, it is your wedding after all.

I think I should send out an invitation to my friends 2-3 days before the wedding. Send out invitations near the wedding day to make sure they won't forget.

Oh yeah I thought that was crazy. Because COVID is meaning everyone is booking summer next year away with events, holidays etc and ours is a Friday in August 2022 we just sent ours. Technically way too early but everyone has been excited about getting them and it means no one can accidentally book their holiday when our wedding is as it’ll be a busy summer.


I’ll be doing invites closer to the time but probably around similar to you. I know what my lot are like and so many of them take ages to RSVP to things I’ll be giving at least 3 months.

It’s really up to you I think, I’ve seen people suggest 6 months of guests have to travel and/or book accommodation. But given that 2022 is looking like it will (hopefully) be a busy year for weddings and holidays that’s definitely worth keeping in mind. Our wedding is May next year and friends and family travelling from abroad are already looking at booking accommodation, though we haven’t sent out invites (save the dates went out late last year though!).


Someone else mentioned a wedding website which is another great option- we are thinking we’ll go online invites, partly because of cost and partly for environmental reasons, but a positive of them is you can keep track of who’s seen the invites and who’s RSPVd and can follow up if they haven’t

This is a really helpful thread! Thank you! I’m an October this year bride too -
I’m sending invites out in July/August. But the wedding website with details does sound like a good idea! Everything is COVID dependant & I’m concerned about more waves! ?? It’s okay!

I’m getting married in early September, but will be sending out my invites at the end of April.

Our venue, wanted numbers, seating plans etc early July, so we’re governed by that. I have factored in the government’s COVID update in June, so have asked people to let us know if they’ll be coming by 25th June. We do have a wedding website, so will be keeping people informed through that as well.

I just hope the June update is positive, so guests feel comfortable being able to come.

That would give us two weeks to work on our seating plan, before our meeting with the venue.

We’re getting married in September, and sent them in January. People have had a year of missing holidays etc, so I wanted to get them out so people didn’t book holidays etc and everybody has RSVPed already, means you can plan your tables etc too. Evening invites are ready but will give them out 3 months before incase guests change etc! Lives are busy, I think the more in advance the better. X

Thanks everyone, lots to think about!