When planning my own wedding, I found myself so confused as to when I should send out our ‘save the dates’, invitations, and even our thank-you cards after we had said “I do”. Thank goodness for checklists - I made so many during the course of planning, that I truly believe it may have been the only thing that kept me sane (and organized!).

It’s based off one of these checklists, that I have put together this handy wedding stationery timeline, to assist all you newly engaged couples with planning. The timeline highlights all your stationery needs and outlines exactly when you should order each piece. It’s one less thing to think about!

12 MONTHS

Yay - you’re engaged! If you’ve reached the 12-month point from getting married, and are planning to have an engagement party, you should start shopping for party invitations.

It’s also a wonderful time to start gathering wedding ideas and inspiration to help with your planning, begin setting budgets and creating a guest list.

9-11 MONTHS

SAVE THE DATES - it's a good idea to start looking at save the dates in the first couple weeks after getting engaged. We recommend ordering your save the dates about 9-11 months before the wedding date (if not earlier!). Try to give your guests plenty of notice, especially if you’re having a destination wedding.

ENGAGEMENT PARTY - ditto here! Order and send out any stationery for your engagement party.

8 MONTHS

GUEST LIST - start compiling your guest list. This will aid you in knowing exactly how many wedding invitations you require. Remember to always add in a few spares! Also, try to gather as many addresses as you can. This will save you from scrambling for them later on.

WEDDING INVITATIONS - get in touch with a wedding stationer, like myself (Cynthia - at Minushay). Have a look at their design style, and grab some samples too! This will allow you to gain a feel of the various paper textures, colors, as well as the layout of your invitation.

If you do find a stationer you like, reach out early, to check availability, as they can get booked out in advance. You can also request a pricing proposal based on your vision and what you require.

5-4 MONTHS

WEDDING INVITATIONS - start working with your wedding stationer to create your perfect wedding stationery suite.

2-3 MONTHS

WEDDING INVITATIONS - once your wedding suite is finalized, it’s print time! Then it’s onto assembly, addressing, and finally sending them out.

For simpler invitation suites, assembly may be quick and easy. However, for more elaborate suites, it can take a tad more time. If it’s in your budget, you can consider having them assembled for you. Be sure to communicate this with your stationer to ensure they can be completed, and mailed out within your timeline.

WEDDING STATIONERY - begin thinking about signage, place cards, menus, seating charts etc and whether you require them. If you do decide you do, book-in your stationer for this also.

6-8 WEEKS

WEDDING STATIONERY - order all your other wedding stationery you decided upon - menus, place cards, signage, and more. Keep in mind, if you would like these pieces to be hand calligraphed, you'll need to provide at least 2-3 weeks to have them completed.

3-6 Weeks

RSVP’S - start collating your rsvp’s and finalizing guest numbers. Follow-up with those whom have yet to respond. Also, remember to pass on your guest list to your stationer to finalize your ‘on-the-day stationery/

1-3 MONTHS AFTER ‘I DO’

THANK YOU CARDS - be sure to write (and send!) your thank you cards while the big day is still fresh in your mind. Wour guests will be most appreciative!

Wedding Stationery Timeline - The Need to Know