How early to send out save the date and invitations?

Save the dates are your first heads-up, so send them six to nine months ahead. This is especially helpful if many guests will travel, need time off work, or if your wedding falls on a bank holiday or during school holidays. A save the date does not need full details, just the date, the location, and a note that the invitation will follow.

Invitations go out three to four months before the wedding. This is the standard window for UK weddings. It gives guests enough time to book time off and arrange travel, but not so long that they forget or lose the details. It also means your final numbers are accurate when you need them for the venue and caterers.

If you are not sending save the dates, send invitations a little earlier, around four to five months before. For a destination wedding or a wedding over a holiday weekend, send invitations even earlier, around six months, and consider a save the date too.