Like many brides, you’re probably doing this for the first time. Everything is new and google may be your best friend. You know you need to send out invitations but how soon should you post them? When does the design need to be ready? Where to begin!

When to post the invites

Traditionally, invitations go out six to eight weeks before the wedding giving your guests plenty of time to clear their schedules and make travel arrangements especially if they don't live nearby. If it's a destination wedding, you’ll want to give guests more time to prepare so 6 months would be a good estimate.

You’ll need to consider a few things:

• Are you having a postal RSVP? If so, you’ll need to give your guests time to respond.

• If you’re having a choice for the meal then make sure you have the choices listed clearly. Your caterers will need this response at least 6 weeks before.

• Where do your guests live? If some are travelling from abroad, they will need more time to receive the invite and respond to you.

• Keep in mind, everyone takes different lengths of time to get around to responding and sometimes they forget. So don’t be afraid to ask them if time is getting tight.

What about the design?

You may have pre-made invites or had some bespoke one’s made just for you. Either way, you’ll need to be thinking about what they will look like.

Here are some key pointers -

• Make sure the font is legible. You don’t want anyone to get confused about your big day

• Make sure you include key information such as: where and when

• You may want to include a dress code as well

• RSVP - in a modern age, having your guests respond by email could be more efficient

If you’re working with a stationer or calligrapher, ask them for their recommendations. You’ll have to be fit into their schedule as well so the whole process may need to be started just that much earlier.

Hopefully this will help guide you with your invites but if not, don’t be shy and drop us a question below!