If there’s one question we’re asked again and again when couples start organising their wedding stationery, it’s “When should we actually send our invitations?”
And while there is a general timeline we recommend, there really isn’t one date that works for every wedding.
A Saturday wedding in Perth where most of your guests live locally is very different to a wedding in Margaret River with guests flying in from interstate. School holidays, long weekends, accommodation and even the time of year can all make a difference.
As a general rule, though, we recommend sending your wedding invitations around 3-4 months before your wedding day.
Here’s how we usually suggest working backwards from there.
8 to 12 months before: Save the Dates
If you’re sending Save the Dates, somewhere around 8–12 months out is usually plenty of notice.
You might want to send them a little earlier if you're planning a destination wedding, getting married over a long weekend or have quite a few guests who will need to travel.
They don't need to include every detail of the day. At this stage, your names, wedding date and location are generally enough. If you already have a wedding website, you can include that too.
And if Save the Dates aren't in your budget, don't feel as though they're something you have to have. They’re helpful, particularly when travel is involved, but plenty of couples go straight to their formal invitations.
4 to 6 months before: Start organising your invitations
This is where we'd suggest allowing yourself more time than you think you'll need.
Your invitations may only take a few weeks to organise, but there are usually a few steps involved before they're ready to send. You'll need to choose your design, decide on colours and card stock, finalise your wording, check your guest list and approve your proof before anything goes to print.
Then there's printing, delivery and, depending on what you've chosen, assembling everything before they're ready for the post.
Starting around 4-6 months out means you can enjoy this part of the process without feeling rushed.
It also gives you time to order a few extras - something we always recommend. Guest lists change, invitations occasionally get lost or damaged, and it's much easier to have a handful tucked away than to arrange a tiny reprint later.
Plus, you'll probably want to keep one for yourself.
3 to 4 months before: Send your invitations
For most Australian weddings, 3-4 months before the wedding is a really comfortable timeframe.
If almost everyone is local and you've already sent Save the Dates, three months is generally plenty.
If guests are travelling, need accommodation or haven't received a Save the Date, we'd lean closer to four months.
Think about your particular guest list rather than worrying too much about following an exact etiquette rule. The aim is simply to give the people you love enough time to make plans to be there.
If you're having a destination wedding
This is one situation where we'd definitely give guests more notice.
If attending your wedding involves booking flights, accommodation or taking several days away from work, we'd recommend sending a Save the Date around 9-12 months beforehand, with the formal invitation following around 4-6 months before the wedding.
For somewhere like Margaret River, for example, even Perth guests may need to arrange accommodation and transport for the weekend. Giving everyone a little extra notice makes life easier for both you and your guests.
When should your RSVP date be?
We generally recommend an RSVP date around 4-6 weeks before the wedding, but before you print anything, check with your venue or caterer.
They'll usually give you a date by which they need your final guest numbers.
Whatever that date is, don't make it your RSVP deadline.
Give yourself a buffer.
There will almost always be someone who forgets to reply, thinks their partner has done it, or tells you in person and assumes you'll remember. Leaving yourself an extra week or two means you have time to follow up without suddenly having to chase ten people the day your final numbers are due.
What about your wedding-day stationery?
Invitations aren't usually the end of your stationery.
Once your RSVPs are back and your guest list is final, you can start locking in the pieces you'll need for the day itself - things like your welcome sign, seating chart, menus, place cards, table numbers and bar signage.
We suggest starting the conversation about these pieces around 6-8 weeks before the wedding, even if some of the final details can't be confirmed until closer to the day.
If you're having a seating chart or personalised place cards, for example, we'll obviously need your final guest list before those can be completed.
The timeline we recommend
If you want the simple version, this is the timeline we'd work with for most Australian weddings:
8 to 12 months before
Send your Save the Dates.
4 to 6 months before
Choose your invitation design and place your stationery order.
3 to 4 months before
Send your wedding invitations.
6 to 8 weeks before
Start finalising your wedding-day stationery and signage.
4 to 6 weeks before
RSVPs due.
The final weeks
Confirm guest names, seating arrangements and the final details needed for your on-the-day pieces.
Of course, weddings don't always run to a perfect timeline.
If you've found your dream invitation six weeks before your wedding and suddenly realised you haven't sent anything yet, it doesn't mean you've missed your chance. It just means things may need to move a little faster.
A little advice from us
One thing we always recommend is thinking about your stationery as a whole rather than choosing every piece separately.
Your invitations are often the first real glimpse your guests get of what your wedding is going to feel like. Carrying some of those same details through to the wedding day - perhaps the same typeface, colours, paper tones or design elements - creates a beautiful sense of continuity without everything needing to match perfectly.
And you don't need every piece of stationery you've ever seen on Pinterest.
Choose the pieces that make sense for your wedding, your venue and the way your day is being organised.
Beautiful stationery should make the planning process easier, not give you another list of things you feel like you're supposed to buy.
Miara Paper Co creates customisable wedding invitations, stationery and signage for celebrations across Australia.