The Wedding Invitation Timeline: When to Send What

Send too early and people forget. Send too late and the overseas relatives cannot get flights. This is the schedule we have seen work best, counting backwards from the Baraat.

Twelve weeks out — the save-the-date

Only necessary if guests are travelling internationally or the wedding falls in peak season. A single line with the date and city is enough. No venue, no timings, no design agonising.

Six to eight weeks out — the invitation goes live

This is the sweet spot. Far enough ahead for leave applications and flights, close enough that the date feels real. Publish the invitation, check it on a phone, then start sending.

1. 1

   Day 1

   Immediate family and the wedding party. They will find the typos you missed.

2. 2

   Day 2–3

   Extended family and overseas guests. These are the people whose plans take the longest.

3. 3

   Day 4–7

   Friends, colleagues, and the wider circle.

Four weeks out — the first reminder

Check your RSVP dashboard. Anyone who has viewed the invitation but not replied gets a short, friendly nudge. Anyone who has not opened it at all may have the wrong number — verify before assuming they are ignoring you.

Two weeks out — phone calls

One week out — lock the numbers

• Give the caterer your confirmed count plus 10%.
• Finalise seating with the venue.
• Update the invitation if anything has changed — timings, parking, dress code.

Two days out — the details message

Short, practical, and to confirmed guests only. Venue link, arrival time, parking, and anything unusual — a gate that closes at 9pm, a lift that only reaches the third floor. This message prevents almost every day-of phone call.

The morning of

One line. Time and map link. Nothing else. Someone will still call to ask where it is, and that is fine.