The Journal · 3 min read

When to Send Wedding Invitations in the UK (Plus Save the Dates & RSVPs)

By Beth, founder of Graceful Studio · Updated 16 October 2026

The short answerIn the UK, send save the dates 9–12 months before the wedding and invitations about 4 months before (6–8 months for destination weddings). Set your RSVP date 4–6 weeks before the day, ahead of your venue’s final-numbers deadline, and order invitations around 6 weeks before you plan to post them.

Pink floral save the date card for Jessica and Charlie, with cosmos flowers, silk ribbon, a wax seal and vintage stamps

Send invitations too early and guests forget; too late and they’ve already booked their summer. Here’s the timeline we recommend to couples, worked back from the wedding day, including how long each piece of stationery actually takes to make.

The UK wedding stationery timeline at a glance

Counted back from your wedding day. Add 2–4 months for destination weddings.
When	What to do
12–9 months before	Send save the dates (as soon as your venue and date are booked)
9–6 months before	Order a sample pack, choose your design and start your guest list
5–4½ months before	Order your invitations so there’s time for your proof and making
4 months before	Post day and evening invitations (6–8 months for weddings abroad)
6–4 weeks before	RSVP deadline, a week or two before your venue needs final numbers
As soon as RSVPs are in	Order on-the-day stationery: menus, place cards, table numbers, seating plan
2 weeks before	Finalise the seating plan with your venue

When to send save the dates

Send save the dates 9 to 12 months before the wedding. They’re most useful when guests need to plan ahead: summer Saturdays, bank holiday weekends, weddings near Christmas, destination weddings, and anyone travelling a long way.

A save the date only needs your names, the date, the town or venue, and “formal invitation to follow”. Only send them to people you’re certain to invite. Once someone has a save the date, they expect an invitation.

When to send wedding invitations

For a UK wedding, post invitations about four months before the day. That gives guests plenty of time to book accommodation and arrange time off, while the date is still fresh in their minds. Two to three months is fine for a small wedding or a short engagement, but guests may already have plans.

Send them earlier, around five to six months ahead, if:

Your wedding is abroad. Allow 6–8 months so guests can book flights and leave.
It’s a peak summer Saturday or a bank holiday weekend.
It’s in December, when diaries fill up with Christmas plans.
Lots of guests live overseas or need to travel and stay over.
You didn’t send save the dates.

When to send evening invitations

Send evening invitations at the same time as your day invitations. Sending them later can make evening guests feel like an afterthought, and they need just as much notice to arrange babysitters and taxis.

When to set your RSVP date

Set your RSVP date 4 to 6 weeks before the wedding. Check your venue’s deadline for final numbers and menu choices first, and set your RSVP date a week or two before it. That leaves time to chase anyone who hasn’t replied (there are always a few) before you order your place cards and seating plan.

When to order your stationery

Stationery takes longer than most couples expect, because every piece is designed for you, proofed and then made by hand. With us, the timings are:

Stage	How long
Standard sample packs	Sent within 4 days
Personalised sample packs	About 1 week
Your digital proof	Usually within 7 days of receiving your details
Each round of changes	About 1 day
Making, once your proof is approved	1–4 weeks, depending on order size
Royal Mail delivery	1–2 working days

So for invitations, order around six weeks before you want to post them. For menus, place cards and table numbers, order as soon as your RSVPs are in, ideally four weeks or more before the day. Full details are on our delivery and lead times page.

Grace wildflower invitation sample pack with main invitation, RSVP and details card — A sample pack lets you feel the paper and see the colours before you order the full set.

Worked example: a summer wedding

For a wedding on Saturday 14th August 2027:

Date	Task
August–November 2026	Send save the dates
By early March 2027	Order invitations (proof and making time included)
Saturday 17th April 2027	Post day and evening invitations
Saturday 3rd July 2027	RSVP deadline
Straight after 3rd July	Order menus, place cards, table numbers and seating plan
Saturday 31st July 2027	Seating plan finalised with your venue

Worked example: a winter wedding

For a wedding on Saturday 11th December 2027, start a little earlier because December diaries fill fast:

Date	Task
December 2026–March 2027	Send save the dates
By late June 2027	Order invitations
Late July–early August 2027	Post invitations (four to five months ahead)
Saturday 30th October 2027	RSVP deadline
Early November 2027	Order on-the-day stationery

Posting your invitations

Before buying stamps, take one complete invitation, with all its cards, ribbon and wax seal, to the Post Office to check its size and weight. Royal Mail’s standard Letter size is up to 24 × 16.5 cm, 5 mm thick and 100 g. Thicker suites, especially with wax seals, often count as a Large Letter, and under-stamped post can be held until your guests pay the difference.

If you’d rather not write dozens of envelopes, we can print your guests’ names in the same font as your invitations.

Dusty blue envelopes printed with guest names in calligraphy script, with wax seal stamps, ink pots and white hydrangea petals — Printed guest name envelopes save hours of handwriting.

Start with a sample

If you’re six months or more from your wedding, now is the perfect time to order a sample pack and choose your design. Samples are sent within four days, so you can see the stationery in person before ordering the full set.

Frequently asked questions

How far in advance should you send wedding invitations in the UK?

About four months before the wedding for a UK wedding, and six to eight months before for a destination wedding. Send them a little earlier for peak summer Saturdays, bank holidays and December weddings.

Is three months too late to send wedding invitations?

It isn’t too late, especially for a smaller wedding or if you sent save the dates, but some guests may already have plans. If you can, aim for four months.

Do I need save the dates?

They’re optional, but recommended for summer and bank holiday weddings, destination weddings, December weddings and when many guests are travelling. Send them 9–12 months ahead.

When should the RSVP date be?

Four to six weeks before the wedding, and a week or two before your venue’s deadline for final numbers. That gives you time to chase late replies and finalise your seating plan.

When should I order on-the-day stationery like menus and place cards?

As soon as your RSVPs are in and your guest list is final, ideally at least four weeks before the wedding. Making takes one to four weeks once you’ve approved your proof.

When should evening invitations be sent?

At the same time as your day invitations, so evening guests get the same notice.

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