Timelines30 May 20266 min read
What to send, and exactly when to send it
Save the dates, invitations, reminders, thank-yous. A timeline that assumes real life gets in the way.
By Ama Kwarteng
Most timelines you'll find online assume you started eighteen months out with a spreadsheet. This one assumes you didn't.
Eight to twelve months out
Save the dates, but only if people need to travel or take leave. If everyone lives within an hour, skip them entirely and put the effort into the invitation instead.
Ten to twelve weeks out
Invitations. Any earlier and people forget; any later and they've booked something else. Set the RSVP deadline four weeks before the day, not two — caterers usually need final numbers at three, and you want a week of buffer to chase the stragglers.
One week out
- Final details: parking, timings, what the weather is doing
- A nudge to anyone who never replied
- The photo link, so it's already in their messages
The week after
Send the gallery link before you send thank-you cards. People are still in the mood to contribute, and seeing the album reminds them they have twenty photos sitting unshared on their phone.
