i’ve probably said it on each wedding planning blog post, but the engagement-wedding timeline as we once knew it is gone. COVID has changed how we do just about everything, and weddings are certainly no exception!

short answer on how Don and I decided when we’d send out our save the dates? as soon as our hotel block link was live (13 months before the wedding). does it sound early? yes! is it actually early? nope. and here’s why, and what we had to consider:

• other events around the wedding date - especially if you’re getting married during the holiday season

  • we’re getting married in november, about 2 weeks before thanksgiving. so it was important for our out of state guests (which is basically half of our guest list) to know ahead of time in regard to holiday plans. but perhaps even more importantly - there’s a large medical conference in town during our wedding weekend. our venue made us aware of this when we booked in january (22 months before the wedding) and that hotels had already been booking up for this rescheduled conference. so basically, we chose to send them as soon as we could to give a big part of our guest list the best chance at getting a reasonably priced hotel room. highly recommend checking to what’s happening locally around your venue in the days surrounding your wedding.

• your guest list

  • even if you aren’t having a destination wedding, unless all of your guests live in the same state as your venue - it’s technically a destination for someone. if you’re like us and have a good portion of your guest list coming from out of town, keep in mind that they’ll need to make travel accommodations. add the pandemic on top of that, and it’s best to err on the safe side and send your paper goods out sooner than later.

• the MAIL

  • the postal service has been experiencing delays anyway, but factor in the upcoming holiday season, and we know it’s just going to get more chaotic. best to beat the holiday rush!

as for invites, while the timeline has still shifted, be mindful of your venue. some require a final headcount 2 weeks before the event, some require it a month before, etc. if you aren’t offering a digital RSVP option, keep the fact that you need you wait to receive your RSVP cards back, and again - the postal service is…having a time. just remember to give yourself and your guests enough time to help alleviate some of the inevitable stress that comes with planning a wedding!