Wedding invitation timeline: when to send what
Almost every invitation problem is a timing problem. Cards ordered too late, sent too early to be remembered, or an RSVP deadline that lands after the caterer needs numbers.
This is the sequence that works for an Indian wedding, counting backwards from the date.
The timeline, counting backwards
| When | Do this |
|---|---|
| 8 to 12 months | Save the date, if guests are travelling from abroad or it is a destination wedding. Visas and flight prices both need this much notice. |
| 6 to 8 months | Save the date for guests travelling within India. Book the venue and confirm the muhurat, since nothing can be printed until both are fixed. |
| 3 to 4 months | Finalise the guest list. Start the invitation design. If you are printing, get quotes now, because good printers book out in season. |
| 6 to 8 weeks | Send the invitation. This is the sweet spot: close enough to be remembered, far enough for people to book leave and travel. |
| 4 to 6 weeks | Send function specific invitations for Sangeet, Mehndi and Haldi, since those guest lists are usually smaller and different. |
| 3 weeks | RSVP deadline. Set it three weeks out, not two, because you will need the week after it to chase people. |
| 2 weeks | Chase the non repliers. Expect roughly a third of your list to need chasing. This is normal and not personal. |
| 1 week | Give final numbers to the caterer. Send a reminder message with the link, the timings and the parking situation. |
| 1 to 2 days | A short message with the next day's timings only. Not the full schedule, just what is happening tomorrow. |
How many to print
Count households, not people. A family of five gets one card, not five, and this alone usually cuts a list by half.
Then add ten percent. You will forget people, somebody's card will be damaged, and you will want a few to keep.
If you are doing print plus link, print for the households you will visit in person, the elders, the family deity and your own keepsake. In practice that is usually thirty to sixty cards rather than three hundred, and the link covers everyone else.
What to collect in the RSVP
- Name and number of guests. Obvious, and still the thing most forms get wrong by not asking for a count.
- Which functions they are attending. Numbers for the Sangeet and the wedding are usually very different.
- Food preference, if you are serving both vegetarian and non vegetarian, or if there are Jain guests.
- Whether they need accommodation, for out of town guests.
- A song request, if there is a Sangeet. It costs nothing to ask and the DJ will thank you.
The messages that go with each stage
Copy any of these and change the names, dates and places. They are written to be read out loud, so they sound right on a phone screen too.
With so much love, we would like you at our wedding.
All the functions, timings and directions are here:
[link]
Do let us know by [date] so we can plan properly.
Gentle reminder, we are finalising numbers this week.
If you have not had a chance yet, it takes a minute:
[link]
Even a no is genuinely helpful right now.
One week to go.
A few things worth knowing: [venue] has parking at [location], the Haldi starts at [time] sharp, and the dress code for the Sangeet is [dress code].
Everything else is still here: [link]
Tomorrow.
Haldi [time] at [venue]
Baraat leaves [time]
Muhurat [time]
See you there.
Want these words on a real invitation website? See the designs
Invitation Checklist invitation designs
6 designs you can personalise, from ₹2499. Tap any one to open it full size with a live demo.
Questions people actually ask
When should wedding invitations be sent in India?
Six to eight weeks before the wedding. Close enough to be remembered, far enough for guests to book leave and travel. Save the dates go much earlier, six to twelve months depending on distance.
When should the RSVP deadline be?
Three weeks before the wedding, not two. Your caterer will want numbers seven to ten days out and you will need the intervening week to chase, because roughly a third of your list will need chasing.
How many wedding cards should we print?
Count households rather than people, then add ten percent. A family of five gets one card. If you are also sending a link, most families print thirty to sixty cards for the people they will visit in person.
When do we send invitations for the Sangeet and Mehndi?
Four to six weeks out. Those guest lists are usually smaller and different from the wedding list, so they are worth sending separately and clearly.
What should we ask for in the RSVP?
Name, number of guests, which functions they will attend, food preference and whether they need accommodation. The headcount per function matters most, since catering is the biggest cost driven by a guess.