When to send wedding invitations and what RSVP deadline to set
Send wedding invitations 6–8 weeks before the wedding, or 2–3 months ahead if guests have to travel from another city or country. Ask for a reply by a specific date 2–3 weeks before the day, and remind the silent ones a week after sending. In our data from 492 weddings (mostly Ukrainian couples), half of couples start creating their guests' personal links 46 days or more before the wedding. Couples who send less than a month ahead are left with one invitation in four unanswered (median 25%), against 9–15% for those who send 1–2 months ahead.
The invitation is ready. Two questions are left: when to send it, and what date to ask guests to reply by.
Send it too early and guests don't know their plans yet. Too late and some will already have something else on that day, while you won't have the answers in time for the seating plan.
The short answer
| What | When |
|---|---|
| Send the invitations | 6–8 weeks before the wedding |
| Guests from another city or country | 2–3 months before |
| The date you ask them to reply by | 2–3 weeks before the wedding |
| First reminder | a week after sending |
| Second reminder | a few days before the reply-by date |
| A phone call | to anyone still silent after that |
What our data shows
We counted weddings that have already happened: 492 couples from April 2025 to October 2026, each with at least 10 sent invitations. Almost all of them are Ukrainian couples, so the numbers describe habits there.
We don't see the moment an invitation is sent, so we counted when the couple created their guests' personal links. An invitation can't go out before that, so it's a lower bound.
| Links created | Couples |
|---|---|
| 2 months or more before | 28% |
| 45–59 days before | 20% |
| 30–44 days before | 26% |
| less than a month before | 26% |
For each couple we took the median date their links were created. Half of couples start creating the links 46 days or more before the wedding.
And the part that matters most: how many invitations got no answer at all before the wedding — the median across couples in each group.
| Sent | Unanswered |
|---|---|
| less than a month before | 25% |
| 30–44 days before | 13% |
| 45–59 days before | 9% |
| 60–89 days before | 15% |
| 3 months or more before | 11% |
When to send
6–8 weeks is the sweet spot. Guests can already plan, but haven't filled the day with something else.
2–3 months if guests have to travel. Tickets, time off, somewhere to stay. For a destination wedding this matters even more — see our article on destination wedding invitations.
Earlier isn't better. Six months out a guest says yes with enthusiasm, then a month before finds out about a work trip. If you want to give early notice, send a short save-the-date, and the invitation with the reply form at the usual time.
What RSVP deadline to set
2–3 weeks before the wedding. Among couples who wrote a reply-by date into the invitation, half asked for replies 18 days or more before the day, and the middle half chose 12–30 days.
Why that much:
- a week for reminders. Someone always forgets, and you need time to write to them personally;
- numbers for the venue. Venues usually want the final guest and meal count a week or two before — check with yours;
- the seating plan. You can't make it until you know who's coming.
Write a specific date. "Please let us know by 20 May" works better than "please let us know". A date gives the guest a clear deadline.
The form doesn't close by itself. The date in the invitation is a request, not a lock. A late guest can still reply through their link, and the answer appears in your list.
Forgot to add a date? Write to us and we'll add the line to the invitation. Your guests' links stay the same, so nothing needs to be sent again.
What happens after sending
Most people reply straight away. For this autumn's weddings, where we already see the time of each answer, 77% of replies came within three days of the link being created, and 88% within a week. The sample is still small — 19 couples — but the picture is clear: people who want to reply do it fast.
The rest need a reminder. After a week, the Overview in the couples' app shows a line "… invitations unanswered for over a week". It opens Remind guests, with a ready personal reminder for each guest, with their name and link. How to word it without awkwardness is in our article on reminding guests to RSVP.
Guests who replied "Yes" can add the wedding to their calendar. On new invitation sites the Add to calendar button appears right after the reply. It isn't shown in the Telegram and Instagram in-app browsers.
If the wedding is soon
Less than a month isn't a reason to skip invitations. Send them right away and set the reply-by date 10–14 days before the wedding.
The invitation site itself is quick to make: half of invitations are ready within a day and a half of the order. More in how long it takes.
In short
Send 6–8 weeks ahead, or 2–3 months for guests who travel. Ask for replies by a specific date 2–3 weeks before the day. Remind after a week and once more before the reply-by date. Call the rest.
Frequently asked questions
- How far in advance should we send wedding invitations?
- 6–8 weeks. If guests travel from another city or country, or it's a destination wedding, 2–3 months. In our data, half of couples start creating their guests' personal links 46 days or more before the wedding, and a quarter do it a month or less before.
- What RSVP deadline should we set?
- 2–3 weeks before the wedding. That leaves time to remind the silent ones, give the venue its numbers and plan the seating. Among couples who wrote a reply-by date into the invitation, half asked for replies 18 days or more before the day.
- What if a guest hasn't replied by the deadline?
- Remind them personally, briefly, with the same link, and call those who still stay silent. In the Invito couples' app, the Remind button on the Responses page gathers every sent invitation without an answer and gives you a ready message for each, addressed to the guest, with their link.
- Does the RSVP form close after the date?
- No. The date in the invitation is a request to your guests, not a lock: a late guest can still reply through their link, and the answer appears in your list.
- Can we add an RSVP date after the invitations have gone out?
- Yes. Write to us and we'll add the line to the invitation; your guests' links stay the same. A guest opens the same link and sees the updated text.
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