Why send invitations

While planning your wedding, consider how great of an impact Save the Date cards might have. If you feel your guests can benefit from receiving a Save the Date, then send them out. However, simpler is sometimes better, especially if your wedding is small or has a short engagement.

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Those details, as well as an RSVP note, will instead be listed on the invitation. It's also appropriate to include a link to your wedding website or registry on your save-the-dates, but Chertoff advises against including the registry information on the invitation.

You don't have to invite anyone to your wedding that you don't want there, but there are conventions around who you're expected to welcome on your day. For a traditional wedding, the guest list typically includes your immediate family, close relatives, and friends, Chertoff said.

Even if you know a loved one has a conflict with the date and won't be able to make it, you should still send them an invitation. The gesture of inviting them is important even if they can't attend.

She also recommends that couples coordinate with their parents about who should be invited to the wedding, particularly if they're paying for the event. Couples can give their parents a number to tell them how many of their friends and relatives they can invite.

If your parents want someone there that you'd rather not invite, you should be open about it. When a couple pays for a wedding themselves, they may not have to worry about who their parents want at the event — but Chertoff still thinks it's a good idea to include parents in the process so they don't feel alienated. Read more: I'm a professional bridesmaid. Here's what happens after the wedding's over, when things can get complicated if the bride wants to stay friends.

If you invited all of your single friends sans dates, let them know they won't be the only one coming solo in case that's their worry. Main Menu. Sign Up. Back to Main Menu. Planning Tools. Wedding Vision. Discover Your Vision.

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Send your wedding invitations out six to eight weeks prior to your wedding date. Everyone on your guest list. RSVPs should be due one month before the wedding. A good rule of thumb is to call the wedding for at least half an hour to 45 minutes before you want the ceremony to begin, and state that time on your invitation.

Meet the Expert. Elaine Swann is a lifestyle and wedding etiquette expert. According to Swann, something as simple as serving spa water, setting up a photo area, or the signing of the guest book is a great way to fill this time intentionally and to be sure guests aren't sitting down and waiting for too long.

Listing this activity on a handheld program or large sign is another great way to make it clear that the start time was intentional. If you're inviting just a few overseas guests, send their invitations along with the ones for your other guests, but make a point to give them a heads-up.

Give them a call or send them an email with the details, as well as information about booking hotel rooms, so they can start to arrange their travel with time to spare.

Does half of your family live abroad? You might want to consider bumping up the timeline for them and the rest of your guests. Start designing your invitations a few weeks early and plan to send them out a minimum of 12 weeks in advance. Be sure to follow up promptly with anyone you haven't heard from to make sure they have plenty of time to book their flights.

You will also want to have all of the information available on your wedding website as soon as save-the-dates are in the mail. Sure, it means you'll have to start ironing out the hotel room block and transportation information sooner than you'd expected, but you'll be happier in the long run. Those overseas guests will have all the information at their fingertips, and you'll have even more crossed off of your to-do list.

Though save-the-date cards are not required, they are a fun way to get your guests to mark their calendars. Also, they're especially helpful when many of your guests have to make travel arrangements or if accommodations near the wedding site are limited. Only those who you're planning on inviting to the wedding. Four to six months before the wedding, or even earlier if you're planning a destination wedding that may require more extensive travel arrangements.