Invitation Mailing Timeline Made Easy- Fête Box

Invitation Mailing Timeline Made Easy- Fête Box

After years of working with invitation clients, I realize that the actual mailing timeline is something that often gets overlooked. It is no mystery that we are all getting busier and busier, and the days seem to get longer and longer, but that does not mean that invitations and real, tangible, correspondence should fall to the wayside.

Below are some of the guidelines I use to determine the appropriate mailing timeline for various projects. Hint: You will want to read all the way to the end for a special surprise. We're about to make your life just a tad less stressful!

Birthday Invitations: 

        Purchase Invites 2 to 3 weeks before you need to mail them.                                                

        Mail Invites 1 month before the actual party date----your friends will thank you for not springing the next Princess Party on them just one week before ;-)

Wedding Invitations:

        Purchase Invites 4 to 6 months before you need to mail them.

        Mail Invites 6-8 weeks in advance for guest lists where 20% or less are traveling to attend.     8-10 weeks in advance for guest lists where more than 20% are traveling to attend and a Save the Date was not previously sent.

Save the Dates:

       Purchase Cards.....well, the sooner you can give your guests a heads up, the better! Generally no more than 1 year in advance.

       Mail Cards.....the same rules that I just stated still apply :-)

Bridal Shower and Bachelorette Party Invitations:

         Purchase Invites 2 to 3 weeks before you need to mail them. A bonus if you collect the Bride's guest address list while your invitations are being designed and printed!

         Mail Invites 1 month before the actual party date. This will give your guests plenty of time to shop for the perfect gifts.

Thank You Cards:

         Purchase Cards at the same time, from the same source that you purchased your invitations from to save yourself some time and stress down the road. In the case of weddings, this will be very handy as you never know when a random gift will arrive on your door!

         Mail Cards as soon as you can once you have received a gift. In the case of birthday parties, no more than 1 month after the party date. For weddings, the thank you card should be in the hands of the gift-giver no more than 3 months from the date you received said gift.

Additional Helpful Hints:

• Make sure to verify the weight of your invitations as soon as possible before mailing. No one wants to find out on mailing day that they're in need of additional postage (and $$!)
• Be sure to leave enough space at the bottom of your envelopes for the post office barcode. If you don't, they will be sure to print right over it anyways.
• Check out this handy guide to the proper way to address your envelopes according to the USPS.
• Try to target the days your guests will receive their RSVP cards to encourage a timely response. People are more likely to read their mail on a Wednesday evening after work than on a Friday or Monday evening.
• Pre-stamp your RSVP cards to encourage your guests to complete them and drop in the mail.

        And now......the BEST part of all! Your life is about to get even easier--and seriously, who doesn't love that??? Fill out the simple form below and we will send you a text message when it's time for you to order your invitations and/or Fête Box! What?! Oh yes, you heard me! Enter your information and we will notify you when it's time for you to purchase invites. Shhhhh. Now sit back and relax while the other ladies try to figure out how you do it all!  It can be our little secret ;-)

Cheers!

Maddie

• www.myfetebox.com
• letsfete@gmail.com