If you’re hosting a wedding shower, one important detail to remember is when to send bridal shower invitations on time.
If you’re wondering why it matters, you’ll find out here!
When to Mail Wedding Shower Invitations on Time
As a rule of thumb, wedding shower invitations should be mailed six to eight weeks before the party.
Do not send invitations sooner or later, unless the following applies:
► The shower falls on a holiday weekend.
If the wedding shower will take place during a long holiday weekend, you may send invitations sooner than the typical 6 to 8 week mark, but no sooner than 8 to 10 weeks.
► You have numerous out-of-town guests on the list.
If the majority of guests will be traveling, it is polite to inform them of the shower 10 weeks prior to the date of the event.
► The wedding shower is held during peak season.
Lastly, if the party will be held during peak season — i.e. the summer months from June through September — it is acceptable to mail out wedding shower invitations six to nine weeks before the shower.
During the summer months, graduation parties, Father’s Day, weddings, vacations, and the busy start of a new school year, it is nice to give ample notice to allow your guests to attend.
Calculator for Mailing Wedding Shower Invites, By Date
Here’s a calculator to determine when you should send out the invitations based on the shower date.
| Date of Wedding Shower | When to Send Bridal Shower Invitations |
| January 1 – 15 | November 6 to November 20 |
| January 15 – 31 | November 20 to December 6 |
| February 1 – 15 | December 7 to December 21 |
| February 16 – 28 | December 22 to January 5 |
| March 1 – 15 | January 4 to January 18 |
| March 16 – 31 | January 19 to February 2 |
| April 1 – 15 | February 4 to February 18 |
| April 16 – 30 | February 19 to March 4 |
| May 1 – 15 | March 6 to 20 |
| May 16 – 31 | March 21 to April 4 |
| June 1 – 15 | April 6 to April 20 |
| June 16 – 30 | April 21 to May 5 |
| July 1 – 15 | May 6 to May 20 |
| July 15 – 31 | May 21 to June 4 |
| August 1 – 15 | June 6 to June 20 |
| August 16 – 31 | June 21 to July 5 |
| September 1 – 15 | July 7 to July 21 |
| September 16 – 30 | July 22 to August 5 |
| October 1 – 15 | August 6 to August 20 |
| October 16 – 31 | August 21 to September 4 |
| November 1 – 15 | September 6 to September 20 |
| November 16 – 30 | September 21 to October 5 |
| December 1 – 15 | October 6 to October 20 |
| December 16 – 31 | October 21 to November 4 |
When to Send Shower Invitations: Why It Matters
You may think, I’ll get ahead of schedule and send invites super early. It’s a good idea in theory, but it will most likely backfire. Here’s why.
Sending Invites Too Early
When you send bridal shower invites too early, guests tend to forget to RSVP altogether and may have other events that interfere in the plans.
As a result, you may not get an accurate headcount and could encounter greater last-minute cancellations as a result.
Mailing Invitations Too Late
On the flip-side, you may be wondering why it matters if you send them later. Won’t it be fresh in guests’ minds if you send invitations late?
While that is true, this method tends to fail.
This is because guests may already have plans on that date and you may have fewer guests in attendance due to the last-minute notification.
Moreover, some guests may feel they were a last-minute addition, based on the date it was sent and the wedding shower date fast approaching.
Worse of all, it makes the celebration appear to be thrown together haphazardly.
As you can see, sending out shower invitations too early or too late isn’t an ideal scenario.
Instead, follow the calculator above and send wedding shower invitations on the proper timeline.
As a result, your friends and family will:
► Have plenty of time to RSVP — but not too much where they may forget.
► Be given plenty of time to make travel arrangements, if needed.
► Guests can peruse the best wedding gifts ahead of time rather than frantically registry-shopping down to the wire
And you’ll be the ultimate host, that’s for sure. :)
Postage for Mailing Invitations
Now that you know when to send wedding shower invitations, buy postage early. And get the stamps you want!
I always run into the issue of my post office running out of the “cute” postage for weddings; the floral designs, the ‘LOVE’ stamps, etc.
If you want to purchase postage that looks beautiful with your invites, you can purchase wedding stamps here from the USPS and have them sent to your door.
See? Nice and easy.
And if you’re worried the envelopes won’t look pretty enough with your handwriting, order bridal shower invites through Minted here. Why? In addition to their beautiful quality and on-trend designs, you’ll get FREE envelopes and FREE envelope addressing in a beautiful script that looks picture-perfect.
Here’s an example:
If you need wedding shower invite inspiration, there are beautiful designs available here.
► To browse by popular theme, check out: 10 Best Wedding Shower Themes.
