There are several things to take into consideration. Firstly, give yourselves a realistic planning timeframe. Secondly, consider your guests – will they have to travel to attend your wedding? If so, you will need to allow them time to save the money to come, and make arrangements for time off work, accommodation and travel arrangements.

Working on a twelve-month engagement period, which is the norm these days, the following is a basic guideline.

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Save the Date Cards

As soon as you have booked your venues on the official date of your wedding, send your Save the Date cards to everyone on your guest list 6-12 months before your wedding date. Include the following details:

• Date
• Location
• Name of couple
• Any other useful information, such as where to find out further details about accommodation and flights, or the URL of your wedding website if you have set up one

Invitations

Wedding invitations should be sent at least two months prior to the wedding date. You may even wish to send them much earlier, especially if yours is a location wedding or you have interstate or international guests. In the envelope, you may like to include the following:

1. Invitation
2. RSVP card
3. Map of the ceremony and reception location/s
4. Details on gift registry or wishing well option

Thank You Cards

It is good etiquette to write personal notes to each of your guests who attended, those who brought a gift and to your bridal party, parents, photographer, MC and celebrant/officiant. 

Stand Out

To have your guests-to-be oggling your invitations, save the dates, thank you cards, and barely want to part with their RSVP, have a professional wedding stationery designer create and print your wedding stationary set. 

Wouldn’t you just die for these pineapple etched plywood invitations by Ivy Invite? I know I’d eat a 100 pineapples to have these as my wedding invitations, and that may very well see me dead. I’m pretty sure creator Lisa deals in other currency, though, so I’m safe. Photo by Chesterton Smith Photography. 

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