Wedding invitation date calculator
Enter your wedding date to see when to mail the invitations, when RSVPs are due, and when to approve the printer's proof.
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Work out your invitation dates
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Enter your wedding date to see every invitation date.
Mail and printer times count weekdays and skip federal holidays. Every buffer is your own choice, and your contracts decide the real deadlines.
Quick answer
When to send wedding invitations
Pear Tree gives 6 to 8 weeks before a standard wedding as its mailing window. Zola's standard example mails 8 weeks before and puts the RSVP date 3 to 4 weeks before. These are planning customs. The date your venue or caterer needs the guest count decides the real schedule.
Zola says to mail 10 to 12 weeks before a destination or holiday wedding. Pear Tree's when-to-send page says the same for destination weddings or many out-of-town guests. Mail earlier, too, when replies come back on paper cards. USPS estimates 1 to 5 business days for First-Class Mail and does not guarantee it.
Worked out with the starting settings
Invitation dates for 2027 weddings
The second Saturday of each month in 2027, with printed invitations, online replies and the starting settings listed below. For a Sat, Jun 12, 2027 wedding, mail on Fri, Apr 16, 2027, 8 weeks and 1 day before.
| Wedding | Approve the proof | Mail by | RSVPs due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat, Jan 9, 2027 | Wed, Oct 7, 2026 | Fri, Nov 13, 2026 | Sat, Dec 12, 2026 |
| Sat, Feb 13, 2027 | Mon, Nov 9, 2026 | Thu, Dec 17, 2026 | Sat, Jan 16, 2027 |
| Sat, Mar 13, 2027 | Tue, Dec 8, 2026 | Thu, Jan 14, 2027 | Sat, Feb 13, 2027 |
| Sat, Apr 10, 2027 | Tue, Jan 5, 2027 | Thu, Feb 11, 2027 | Sat, Mar 13, 2027 |
| Sat, May 8, 2027 | Wed, Feb 3, 2027 | Fri, Mar 12, 2027 | Sat, Apr 10, 2027 |
| Sat, Jun 12, 2027 | Thu, Mar 11, 2027 | Fri, Apr 16, 2027 | Sat, May 15, 2027 |
| Sat, Jul 10, 2027 | Thu, Apr 8, 2027 | Fri, May 14, 2027 | Sat, Jun 12, 2027 |
| Sat, Aug 14, 2027 | Tue, May 11, 2027 | Thu, Jun 17, 2027 | Sat, Jul 17, 2027 |
| Sat, Sep 11, 2027 | Wed, Jun 9, 2027 | Fri, Jul 16, 2027 | Sat, Aug 14, 2027 |
| Sat, Oct 9, 2027 | Thu, Jul 8, 2027 | Fri, Aug 13, 2027 | Sat, Sep 11, 2027 |
| Sat, Nov 13, 2027 | Thu, Aug 12, 2027 | Fri, Sep 17, 2027 | Sat, Oct 16, 2027 |
| Sat, Dec 11, 2027 | Thu, Sep 9, 2027 | Fri, Oct 15, 2027 | Sat, Nov 13, 2027 |
Mail dates shift by a few days around weekends and federal holidays, because mail time counts weekdays only.
The calculation method
Work back from the guest count.
Vendor count date − follow-up buffer = RSVP deadline − time to reply = guests have it − mail time = mail date − assembly − reprint buffer − printing and shipping = final proof
- No vendor date yet: the RSVP deadline sits 4 weeks before the wedding, the earlier end of Zola's 3 to 4 weeks.
- Paper reply cards: guests must post them a mail trip before the RSVP deadline, so mail time counts twice.
- Digital invitations: printing, assembly and mail time drop out. The time guests get to reply stays.
| Step | Starts at | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| RSVP deadline | 4 weeks before, or your vendor count date minus 7 days | Zola: 3 to 4 weeks. Your contract comes first. |
| Time guests get to reply | 3 weeks | Your choice. Give more when guests travel. |
| Mail time | 5 weekdays | USPS: 1 to 5 business days, not guaranteed. |
| Assembly and postage check | 7 days | Your choice. |
| Spare time for a reprint | 7 days | Your choice. |
| Printing and shipping | 16 weekdays | The slow end of The Knot's 5 to 16 business days. |
Printer times measure different things
The Knot quotes 5 to 16 business days in total for its own invitations: 4 to 6 business days of printing after final approval, plus 1 to 10 business days of shipping, depending on the method you pick. Shutterfly says most of its invitations ship within 5 to 7 business days after the order is finalized, with delivery after that.
Ask the printer
- "Does your estimate start when I approve the proof, and does it end when you ship or when it arrives?"
- "If I change the proof, does the clock start again?"
Ask the venue or caterer
- "What is the last date you can take our final guest count, and what counts toward it?"
Read the full invitation timeline or set the RSVP deadline from your contracts.
Questions about invitation dates
When should you send wedding invitations?
Pear Tree gives 6 to 8 weeks before a standard wedding as its mailing window, and Zola's standard example mails 8 weeks before. Zola says 10 to 12 weeks for a destination or holiday wedding. With this calculator's starting settings, a Sat, Jun 12, 2027 wedding mails on Fri, Apr 16, 2027, 8 weeks and 1 day before.
When should wedding RSVPs be due?
Before the earliest date a vendor needs your guest count, with time left to chase missing replies and check the list. Zola places the RSVP date 3 to 4 weeks before the wedding. An earlier venue, catering or rental deadline still comes first.
When should I order wedding invitations?
Work back from the mail date through assembly, a reprint buffer and your printer's written estimate. The Knot quotes 5 to 16 business days for its own printing and shipping after final approval. With the starting settings, the final proof for a Sat, Jun 12, 2027 wedding is due Thu, Mar 11, 2027, 13 weeks and 2 days before.
How long does USPS take to deliver wedding invitations?
USPS estimates 1 to 5 business days for First-Class Mail and says the estimate is not guaranteed. A paper reply card makes its own trip back, so the calculator counts mail time twice when guests reply by mail.
Are digital wedding invitations faster?
They remove printing, shipping, assembly and mail time. Guests still need the same time to decide, so the RSVP date does not move. Give guests a phone or email option too, and watch for messages that bounce.
Sources checked October 23, 2026. Report a date problem.