- 7-12 MO. BEFOREBEGIN SAVE THE DATES. Save the dates should be mailed 6-8 months before your wedding date (sooner if it’s a destination wedding or if lots of your guests will be traveling to your location). Allow 3-4 weeks for design and printing. If your save the dates will be letterpress or foil stamped, allow 4-6 weeks. Don’t forget to leave yourself enough time to write your addresses if you are not ordering printed envelopes (although envelope printing is 100% recommended).
- 3-5 MO. BEFOREBEGIN INVITATIONS. Invitations should be mailed approximately 8 weeks before your wedding date (sooner if it’s a destination wedding or if lots of your guests will be traveling to your location). Allow 6-8 weeks for design and printing. If your invitations will be letterpress or foil stamped, allow 8-10 weeks. Don’t forget to leave yourself enough time to write your addresses if you are not ordering printed envelopes (although envelope printing is 100% recommended).
- 0-12 MO. BEFOREBEGIN THANK YOU NOTES. It is courteous for a thank you note to be sent within 2-3 weeks of receiving the gift. It is my suggestion to order thank you notes at the same time as the invitations so that they can be on hand when you need them. Getting as many out of the way as possible before the wedding will be very helpful to you as you start your busy (married) life!
- 3+ MO. BEFOREBEGIN VARIOUS ASSOCIATED EVENT INVITATIONS. Invitations for events like rehearsal dinners, bridal brunches, welcome parties, etc. should be sent about 4 weeks before the event. Allow 2-3 weeks for design and printing, more if you opt for letterpress or foil stamping.
- 1-2 MO. BEFOREBEGIN DAY-OF STATIONERY. Day-of items like seating charts and place cards are typically designed after the responses have been collected. However, day-of items like programs should be done as soon as your ceremony is finalized. In order to avoid rush charges, planning is key in this step!
Keep in mind that there are several steps to be taken before design work can begin. I request that you fill out a custom design questionnaire to help me get an idea of your vision for your wedding. Once we have reached an acceptable proposal, a contract is signed, and the retainer fee is paid, and then design work may commence!
This timeline is an idealistic scenario. I understand that not all engagements will accommodate starting this process 12 months before the wedding. I am more than happy to work with you to create a custom timeline, in most cases without a rush fee. However, the suggested mailing times italicized within the descriptions above should not be pushed back any later as a courtesy to your guests and their busy schedules.