He popped the question and you accepted, now begins the real fun. Planning your wedding can be stressful, but if you know what to expect you can eliminate unnecessary drama. Understanding customary wedding invitation etiquette will help you through the process, from handmade save the dates to couture wedding invitations.

While it may not seem like the most important thing on your list, knowing when to send your wedding invitations can make or break your big day. If you send them too soon, people might forget and double-book, if you send them too late, people might already have plans. So when is the perfect time to send your wedding invitations? Well, that depends on what kind of wedding you are having.

Destination Wedding

If you’re having an out-of-town wedding the rules to sending your invitations can change. While traditionally you need to offer guests six to eight weeks’ notice, for a destination wedding, you need to offer your guests at least six to nine months.

If you don’t think you’ll have your invitations ready so far in advance, you can choose to send destination wedding save the date cards a year in advance. If you opt to send handmade save the dates, you can send out your actual luxury wedding invitations four to six weeks before your big day.

Out-of-town Guests

Very similar to destination weddings, if you plan to have many guests coming in from out-of-town, it is customary to give them more notice. Handmade save the date cards are a great way to inform your guests in advance about your big day. This will also free you up to spend more time on your actual wedding invitations.

Holiday Weekend

If you are planning your wedding on a holiday weekend to accommodate out-of-town guests, conflicting schedules, or just because you want to, you need to give your guests advance notice. Again, handmade save the dates are the best way to inform your guests of your impending nuptials. By sending a save the date a year in advance, you can offer your guests enough time to plan ahead and to not make any vacation plans.

Make sure all your loved ones are there for your big day. Send your luxury wedding invitations on time. Also, if you are having a destination or holiday weekend wedding, consider investing in handmade save the dates to give your guests plenty of time to plan.