Wedding Stationery Timeline

12 Months
Congratulations on your engagement! Now that you’ve got that ring on your finger, it’s time to get crackin’ on some of those early wedding to-dos. You can start by shopping for engagement announcements, or if you plan on celebrating your engagement with a party, shop our collection of engagement party invitations.

9-11 Months
As soon as you get engaged, it’s a good idea to start looking at save the dates. We recommend sending save the dates 9-11 months before the wedding date. Send them even earlier if you’re planning a destination wedding or a wedding over a holiday such as New Year’s Eve or Labor Day Weekend.

8 Months
Start working on that guest list! This may seem early but you’ll need to know exactly how many people you want to invite to the wedding when you order your wedding invitations. The sooner you know how many guests you’re inviting, the sooner you can estimate just how much those beautiful invitations you’ve had your eyes on will cost.

6 Months
Shop for your wedding invitations and be sure to order samples. Samples are your best option for ensuring the quality and color of an invitation. Bridal shower invitations are often ordered around this time as well. Brides should remember to provide a guest list and addresses for any bridal shower being planned. The hostess should request this information.

5 Months
Finalize your guest list and make sure you have all the addresses you need so you can start assembling and addressing the wedding invitations as soon as you receive them. Brides will also be attending bridal showers around this time, so remember to send thank you cards within 2-3 weeks of any bridal showers you attend.

4 Months
Order your wedding invitations! There are so many beautiful styles and designs to choose from, you won’t have any problem finding exactly what you want. Hopefully you ordered a few samples by this time so you can feel extra confident in your choice.

2-3 Months
Assemble your wedding invitations, which may not take that long for simple invitations but more complicated invitations can take quite some time. Organize an assembly party with friends and family. They might even help you address your wedding invitations, which means you can send your invitations right away.

4-8 Weeks
Beyond the wedding invitation, there are other pieces of wedding stationery you may want for your ceremony or reception. Now is a great time to order items like wedding programs, place cards, menu cards and table numbers.

4-6 Weeks
Send rehearsal dinner invitations to all the appropriate people. Communicating rehearsal information is often overlooked but sending invitations means everyone will be informed and you won’t have to answer so many questions!

1-2 Weeks
Enjoy your bachelorette party! Make sure the party is a week or two before the wedding so you can enjoy it to the fullest without worrying about plans the next day.

Wedding Day
Did you order wedding announcements? Ask someone in your wedding party or your family to be in charge of sending your wedding announcements the day of the wedding or the day after.

3-4 Months After “I Do”
Do your best to write and send all thank you cards within 4 months after the wedding. The earlier the better! Guests will appreciate the sentiment and you’ll appreciate writing these notes while your memory of the big day is still fresh.

First Christmas
You already have all the addresses you need, so why not order your first holiday cards as newlyweds? With so many photo cards available, you can use a few of your favorite pics from the wedding. Every couple loves another opportunity to use those gorgeous wedding photos!