Invitations should be ordered when you have all the details of
your wedding set… place, time of ceremony and reception, as well
as your guest list. Plan to place your invitation order at least
3-4 months in advance, some companies may require 4-6 months.
Especially, if you are ordering custom made invitations or
handmade invitations and coordinating ensembles. Depending on
the intricacy of your design and because they are not mass
produced, but rather assembled one by one it can take anywhere
from 4 to 10 weeks for your order to arrive. Also consider the
factor of the design process, possibility of errors, proofs and
changes in your design.
Ideally invitations are sent 6-8 weeks prior to your wedding. It
is best to send out-of-town guests their invitations 8 weeks in
advance, as this will allow for making travel arrangements.
Consider sending out-of-town guests save the date cards earlier,
with information on hotels, flights and car rental.
Keep in mind that you will need time to address your
invitations, ask family and friends for help. While doing it
yourself is the most cost effective way. There are other
alternatives you may want to consider: the invitation comapny
may provide this service for an additional fee or send the
envelopes to a calligrapher. A fun alternative would be to learn
calligraphy yourself, there are many books and materials readily
available.
Even though selecting your invitations may seem like a daunting
task with all the possibilities available, giving yourself
enough time will prove beneficial and a money saver.
It is never too early to start shopping around!