# Wedding Invitations & Stationery Checklist

> A wedding invitations and stationery checklist: save-the-dates, designing and sending invitations, RSVP deadlines, signs, menus and final proofs.

Source: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/invitations
Publisher: ReadyToWeddy (https://readytoweddy.com) · Last updated: 2026-09-17

Stationery tells guests what to expect and when to reply. These tasks cover save-the-dates, invitations and the signs and menus you’ll need on the day, whether you go printed or digital.

## Summary

A wedding invitations and stationery checklist should cover save-the-dates, designing and ordering invitations, sending them, planning signs and approving every printed proof. [Send save-the-dates](https://readytoweddy.com/guides/send-save-the-dates) 6–8 months before, or 8–12 months for destination or holiday weddings. Design and order invitations about 3–4 months out, [send them 6–8 weeks before](https://readytoweddy.com/guides/send-invitations), or 8–12 weeks for destination weddings, and set the RSVP deadline about 3–4 weeks before.

## Checklist (7 tasks, in order)

### Collect guest addresses and contact details

- When: 8–11 months before (9–12 Months Before)
- Category: Guest List
- Priority: Essential
- Link: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/9-to-12-months#collect-guest-addresses

Collect mailing addresses, emails and phone numbers for every household on your guest list 8–11 months ahead, in one shared spreadsheet, before save-the-dates or invitations go out.

**Why it matters:** Save-the-dates, invitations, updates and thank-you notes all depend on accurate contact details. Gathering them late, one message at a time, is slow and easy to get wrong. Collecting everything once, in a single shared list, means either of you can address stationery, send digital invites or reach a guest quickly. It’s also the moment to check how each household’s names should be written.

**Steps:**
- [ ] Add columns: household, names, address, email, phone.
- [ ] Fill in what you already know.
- [ ] Send one short message or form asking for the rest.
- [ ] Ask family to help with relatives you rarely contact.
- [ ] Confirm every name and spelling, including children.
- [ ] Check each address has a postal code.
- [ ] Note if each household prefers printed or digital.
- [ ] Mark each row as complete once confirmed.

**Helpful questions:**
- “How would you like your names written on the invitation?”
- “Is email or post the best way to reach you?”

**Tips:**
- Often forgotten: International addresses need different formats and extra postage, and people who recently moved may still be listed at an old address.
- A simple online form saves retyping and keeps answers in the same format.
- Keep this sheet private; it holds personal information.
- Add a column for gifts received so thank-you notes are easier later.

**Best done after:** Draft your guest list in three tiers

### Send save-the-dates

- When: 5–12 months before (6–9 Months Before)
- Category: Invitations & Stationery
- Priority: Recommended
- Link: https://readytoweddy.com/guides/send-save-the-dates

Send save-the-dates 6–8 months before the wedding, or 8–12 months ahead for destination or holiday weddings, with your names, date, location and website.

**Why it matters:** Save-the-dates give guests an early heads-up so they can keep the date free, request time off and book travel before prices rise. They matter most when guests are traveling, accommodation is limited or the date falls near a holiday. Sending them also commits you to your guest list, so it’s worth being sure about who’s invited first.

**Steps:**
- [ ] Confirm your guest list, including plus-ones.
- [ ] Check names, spellings and addresses are current.
- [ ] Choose printed or digital, and check postage.
- [ ] Include both names, the date, city and website address.
- [ ] Add a note that a formal invitation will follow.
- [ ] Proofread carefully, then send.
- [ ] Track who you’ve sent them to.

**Helpful questions:**
- “Are we completely sure about everyone on this list?”
- “Do any guests need extra notice because they’re traveling?”

**Tips:**
- Often forgotten: Couples often forget that anyone who receives a save-the-date will expect an invitation.
- Only send save-the-dates to people you’re certain to invite.

**Best done after:** Confirm your date and tell key people; Draft your guest list in three tiers; Collect guest addresses and contact details

### Decide your dress code

- When: 5–8 months before (6–9 Months Before)
- Category: Guest Experience
- Priority: Recommended
- Link: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/6-to-9-months#decide-dress-code

Decide your dress code about 6–7 months ahead, choosing a clear term that fits your venue and season, and share it on your website and invitations with a short, friendly explanation.

**Why it matters:** Guests often feel unsure about what to wear, and many plan or buy outfits months ahead. A clear dress code helps everyone feel comfortable and fit in with the atmosphere you want. It also lets you warn people about practical things, such as grass, sand, stairs or an outdoor evening chill, so nobody spends the day in the wrong shoes or without a layer.

**Steps:**
- [ ] Agree on the overall feel you want.
- [ ] Consider your venue, season and time of day.
- [ ] Choose one dress code term.
- [ ] Add footwear and weather-layer advice.
- [ ] Mention any colors you’d rather guests avoid.
- [ ] Add it to your invitation; explain it on your website.

**Helpful questions:**
- “Will guests be walking on grass, sand or cobblestones?”
- “Will it be cold after sunset, or very hot at midday?”
- “Is there any attire we’d rather guests avoid?”

**Tips:**
- Often forgotten: Couples often forget to mention footwear when the ceremony or reception is on grass, sand or uneven ground.
- Common terms, loosely: black tie usually means tuxedos and floor-length gowns; formal or black-tie optional is dressy, with tuxedos welcome; cocktail often means suits and knee- to midi-length dresses.
- Dressy casual is smart but relaxed, such as chinos or a sundress, and casual means comfortable everyday clothes. These are guides, not rules, and people read them differently, so add a one-line explanation.
- Say it plainly, for example: garden party attire, with flat shoes recommended for the lawn.
- If you invite guests to wear cultural or traditional attire, explain what that means for those unfamiliar with it.

### Design and order your invitations

- When: 3–5 months before (3–6 Months Before)
- Category: Invitations & Stationery
- Priority: Essential
- Link: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/3-to-6-months#design-invitations

Design and order your wedding invitations about 3–4 months before the wedding, agreeing the wording and RSVP method, so there’s time to proof, print and send them 6–8 weeks before the day.

**Why it matters:** Invitations usually go out about 6–8 weeks before the wedding, or 8–12 weeks ahead for destination weddings, and design, proofing and printing can take several weeks. Starting about 3–4 months out leaves room for changes. It’s also when you decide how guests will RSVP, what information to collect, and how to word things like dress code, children and plus-ones clearly.

**Steps:**
- [ ] Decide between printed, digital or a mix.
- [ ] Agree on wording, including hosts, names and spellings.
- [ ] Include date, time, venue, dress code and website.
- [ ] Choose an RSVP method and deadline.
- [ ] Ask for meal choices, dietary needs and access needs.
- [ ] Order proofs and check every detail twice.
- [ ] Confirm print dates and check postage costs.

**Helpful questions:**
- “What’s the latest date we can approve proofs and still send on time?”
- “What do we need guests to tell us when they RSVP?”
- “How should we word it if children aren’t invited?”

**Tips:**
- Often forgotten: Couples often forget to ask for dietary and access needs on the RSVP.
- Set the RSVP deadline about 3–4 weeks before the wedding, and at least a week before your caterer needs final numbers.
- Order a few extra invitations for late additions and keepsakes.

**Best done after:** Draft your guest list in three tiers; Collect guest addresses and contact details

### Plan signage and on-the-day stationery

- When: 2–5 months before (3–6 Months Before)
- Category: Invitations & Stationery
- Priority: Optional
- Link: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/3-to-6-months#plan-signage

Plan wedding signage and on-the-day stationery about three months ahead, deciding which signs guests actually need, such as a welcome sign, directions, menus and table numbers.

**Why it matters:** Good signage quietly answers guests’ questions so nobody has to ask you. Planning the list now lets you match the style of your invitations, leave time for design and printing, and hold back items like the seating chart until your RSVPs are in. It also keeps you from ordering signs you don’t need.

**Steps:**
- [ ] List the moments where guests may need direction.
- [ ] Choose welcome, direction and parking signs.
- [ ] Add menus and table numbers.
- [ ] Add a program or photo-sharing sign if you like.
- [ ] Decide who will design and print them.
- [ ] Mark items, like the seating chart, that wait on RSVPs.
- [ ] Check who provides easels and stands.
- [ ] Plan who places and collects signs on the day.

**Helpful questions:**
- “Does the venue provide easels or sign holders?”
- “Where are guests most likely to get lost?”

**Tips:**
- Keep wording short and readable from a few steps away.

**Optional:** If your venue is simple to navigate and your guest list is small, a single welcome sign is plenty.

### Send your wedding invitations

- When: 1–3 months before (1–3 Months Before)
- Category: Invitations & Stationery
- Priority: Essential
- Link: https://readytoweddy.com/guides/send-invitations

Send wedding invitations about 6–8 weeks before the wedding, or 8–12 weeks ahead for destination weddings or when many guests travel, with an RSVP deadline about 3–4 weeks before the day.

**Why it matters:** Your invitations start the countdown for everything that depends on numbers: the caterer’s final count, the seating plan, place cards, transport and rentals. Sending them with enough lead time gives guests room to arrange travel, time off and childcare, and gives you a calm window to chase missing replies before your vendors need final figures.

**Steps:**
- [ ] Confirm your final guest list and every address.
- [ ] Mark who is invited, including plus-ones and children.
- [ ] Set an RSVP deadline and method with time to follow up.
- [ ] Proofread names, date, times, venue and website link.
- [ ] Weigh a finished invitation and buy the right postage.
- [ ] Order extras for late additions and keepsakes.
- [ ] Send everything in one batch and log the date.
- [ ] Start tracking RSVPs as they arrive.

**Helpful questions:**
- “When do our caterer and venue need the final guest count?”
- “Does everyone on the list have a current address?”
- “How will older guests prefer to reply?”

**Tips:**
- Often forgotten: Couples often set the RSVP deadline too close to the caterer’s final-count date, leaving no time to chase missing replies.
- Mail one invitation to yourselves first to check how it arrives.
- Address envelopes to exactly the people invited to avoid plus-one confusion.

**Best done after:** Design and order your invitations; Draft your guest list in three tiers

### Approve signs and printed materials

- When: 2–5 weeks before (1 Month Before)
- Category: Invitations & Stationery
- Priority: Recommended
- Link: https://readytoweddy.com/wedding-checklist/1-month#approve-printed-materials

Approve the final proofs for signs, menus, programs and table numbers about 3–4 weeks before the wedding, checking every name, date and time carefully.

**Why it matters:** Printed pieces are easy to overlook until they’re on an easel with a typo. Approving proofs now gives printers time to produce and deliver them, and gives you time to fix mistakes. Checking names is especially important, because a misspelled name on a welcome sign or program is the kind of detail people remember.

**Steps:**
- [ ] List every printed item and who is producing it.
- [ ] Include signs, photo-sharing signs and table numbers.
- [ ] Check menus and allergy labels against the final menu.
- [ ] Check programs against your timeline and guest list.
- [ ] Have someone who hasn’t seen them proofread every name.
- [ ] Confirm sizes, quantities and delivery dates.
- [ ] Approve in writing and save the final files.

**Helpful questions:**
- “When will these be delivered, and to which address?”
- “Can we get a reprint quickly if something changes?”

**Tips:**
- Often forgotten: Stands, easels and frames for signs are often forgotten until the day before.
- Read proofs aloud; it’s easier to catch mistakes that way.


## FAQ

### What stationery do you actually need for a wedding?

Most weddings only need a way to invite guests and collect replies. Save-the-dates, programs, menus, place cards and signs are optional, so keep the pieces that help guests or matter to you.

### What should a wedding invitation include?

Include the hosts’ or couple’s names, date, start time, venue name and address, how and when to RSVP, and [your wedding website](https://readytoweddy.com/guides/create-wedding-website). Dress code and reception details can go on the invitation or the website.

### Are digital wedding invitations acceptable?

Yes, many couples use them. They’re quick, easy to update and simplify RSVP tracking. Consider sending printed invitations to guests who don’t use email or would especially appreciate one.