When to send wedding invitations
In the UK, Bridebook says wedding invitations go out 6–8 weeks before the day and Debrett’s says 12 weeks; if guests are coming from out of town and have a trip to plan, send them 4–6 months before. A save the date, if you send one, goes out 9 months before. Set the RSVP deadline 2–3 weeks before the wedding (Debrett’s says 2 months) and, 1 week before that date, remind anyone who hasn’t replied: caterers usually want the final numbers 7–15 days before the wedding.
Every timing in this guide comes with its source, linked below: a wedding or etiquette publication, or what our invitation does.
Work out your dates
Enter your wedding date and we’ll tell you what to send and when. It’s worked out in your browser: the date never leaves it and isn’t stored.
The timings and where they come from
How long before the wedding, according to wedding and etiquette publications, for a UK wedding with local guests and with out-of-town guests. Where two British sources differ, this table follows Bridebook, and the table of customs below gives both.
| Step | Local guests | Out-of-town guests |
|---|---|---|
| Save the dateSource: Bridebook · The Knot | 9 months before | 8–12 months before |
| InvitationsSource: Bridebook · Bodas.net · The Knot | 6–8 weeks before | 4–6 months before |
| ReminderSource: The Knot | 1 week before the RSVP deadline | 1 week before the RSVP deadline |
| RSVP deadlineSource: Bridebook | 2–3 weeks before | 2–3 weeks before |
| Final numbers to the catererSource: ¡HOLA! | 7–15 days before | 7–15 days before |
Where a source gives a window, the calculator gives you the whole window; where it gives a single day, that day. If the invitations go out late, it leaves families 2 weeks to reply if the caterer’s date allows, the shortest gap any of these sources allows between invitation and deadline. The reminder and the caterer’s numbers are the same in every country, and the windows for out-of-town guests are The Knot’s, for a wedding guests travel to.
If guests are coming from out of town
Guests coming from out of town have to book their travel, take time off and find somewhere to stay, which is why the invitation goes out earlier, 4–6 months before the wedding.
The save the date has its own window too, 8–12 months before, so they can book knowing the date. Both windows are The Knot’s, for a wedding guests travel to.
The RSVP deadline, the reminder and the caterer’s final numbers stay the same wherever your guests come from.
What is expected in Spain, the UK, the US and France
If some of your guests are Spanish, American or French, this is what they are used to at home:
| Country | Save the date | Invitations | RSVP deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spain | 7–9 months beforeBodas.net | 3–4 months beforeBodas.net | 1 month beforeProtocolo.org |
| United Kingdom | 9 months beforeBridebook | 6–8 weeks beforeBridebook12 weeks beforeDebrett’s | 2–3 weeks beforeBridebook2 months beforeDebrett’s |
| United States | 6–8 months beforeThe Knot | 6–8 weeks beforeThe Knot · Emily Post Institute | 4 weeks beforeThe Knot2–3 weeks beforeEmily Post Institute |
| France | 6–12 months beforeMariages.net | 4–6 months beforeMariages.net | 2 months beforeMariages.net |
On the timing for out-of-town guests, 4–6 months before, nobody in any of those countries gets the invitation later than they would expect.
Where two sources in one country disagree, the table gives both.
What the invitation does at each step
The timings are yours to set. This is what our invitation does with them:
- Each family gets its own link, and one person replies for all of them, with each person’s meal and allergies.
- You set the RSVP deadline in the RSVP section, with a day and a time; the invitation tells each family and, at that time, the form closes. With no deadline, it never closes.
- You send the reminders yourselves, on WhatsApp or however you like: the invitation doesn’t message your guests. In the “Invitaciones” (Invitations) area of your dashboard you see who hasn’t replied and who hasn’t even opened their link.
- If a family makes a mistake, you can reopen a blank form for them from their page in “Invitaciones”, with the same link, or correct their reply yourselves in the dashboard.
- When the caterer asks for your final numbers, “Exportar” (export) → “Cocina” (kitchen) downloads a file with one row for each person who is coming: their meal, their allergies and whether they need a high chair.
With your dates set, see the invitation
Look through the sample invitation, then see in screenshots how RSVPs work.
Digital or paper? What each does best, and what digital costs per guest
Sources
The publications behind the timings in this guide, with their links. Anything about what the invitation does comes from us.
- Bodas.net, Cuándo se dan las invitaciones de boda, dated 23 January 2026. Checked on 7 November 2026.
- The Knot, When Should Wedding RSVPs Be Due? Timeline and Deadline to Follow, dated 4 June 2025. Checked on 7 November 2026.
- Protocolo.org, Protocolo para un día de boda (con vídeo). Reglas de etiqueta y comportamiento para asistir a una boda, dated 18 February 2026. Checked on 7 November 2026.
- ¡HOLA!, Qué preguntas hacerte en la prueba de menú de tu boda: todo lo que no sabías y debes considerar, dated 16 January 2026. Checked on 7 November 2026.
- The Knot, Your Etiquette Guide to Destination Wedding Invitations, dated 25 July 2025. Checked on 7 November 2026.
- Bridebook, Wedding Invitations: Your Complete Guide to Wording, Styles & What to Include, dated 16 September 2026. Checked on 7 November 2026.
- Debrett’s, How to design your wedding invitations. Checked on 7 November 2026.
- The Knot, Save-the-Date Etiquette: When to Send Them and More, dated 17 April 2025. Checked on 7 November 2026.
- The Knot, When to Send Wedding Invitations: A Definitive Timeline, dated 14 July 2026. Checked on 7 November 2026.
- Emily Post Institute, Wedding Planning Timeline & Checklist. Checked on 7 November 2026.
- Emily Post Institute, How to Word a Wedding Response Card. Checked on 7 November 2026.
- Mariages.net, Faire-part de mariage en ligne : idées, modèles et conseils pour créer votre invitation, dated 30 October 2026. Checked on 7 November 2026.
- Mariages.net, Quand envoyer un faire-part de mariage ? Le guide ultime !, dated 29 December 2025. Checked on 7 November 2026.