When to send wedding invitations in Ireland, month by month

Send save the dates 9 to 12 months before your wedding and invitations 12 to 14 weeks before, the timing the Irish directory Weddings Online gives. Set your reply-by date 6 to 8 weeks before the wedding: the venues we checked want first numbers about two weeks out, and you need weeks to chase replies. For a wedding abroad, send everything earlier.

When should you send wedding invitations in Ireland?

About 12 to 14 weeks, or three months, before the wedding. That is the range in Weddings Online's guide to sending invitations around the holiday season. In March 2026 the wedding planner Aisling McVeigh of DANU Collective told RTÉ to allow three to four months, while noting that some couples now plan a whole wedding in three to six months.

You will still see shorter advice. Bridebook Ireland's 2026 timeline says six to eight weeks, and Weddings Online's general checklist says two months. Six to eight weeks is tight for most Irish weddings, for three reasons:

• Guests need leave. Weekday weddings are common. Of the 19,274 opposite-sex marriages registered in 2025, 35.3% were on a Friday, 26.5% on a Saturday and 17.1% on a Thursday (CSO, table VSA46).
• There are a lot of guests. Weddings Online's December 2025 survey of 1,014 participants found an average of 141 guests, so chasing replies takes weeks.
• Venues want numbers early. The venues we checked ask for first numbers about two weeks out, and some want room lists sooner.

If you have less than 12 weeks, send as soon as you can, with a link, and give guests a shorter reply window.

Wedding invitation timeline for Ireland, month by month

Count back from your wedding date. This table is for a wedding in Ireland. The changes for a wedding abroad are further down.

Treat it as a plan, not a rule. Replace the venue rows with your own venue's dates.

When should you send save the dates in Ireland?

9 to 12 months before the wedding. Weddings Online and RTÉ's planner give the same range, and the planner stresses starting early for weddings abroad and peak-season dates. Choose 12 months if you are marrying on a weekday, in summer or abroad, because guests have to arrange leave.

Christmas is the catch. If your save the date falls in November or December, Weddings Online suggests posting it in early November, before the Christmas cards arrive, or waiting until January. It also suggests a digital save the date alongside a card, and advises ordering printed stationery early because printers are busy before Christmas.

A save the date needs your names, the date, the place (town and county) and a line saying the invitation will follow. Examples are in our guide to invitation wording.

What reply-by date should you set?

Start with your venue. Ask in writing when it needs anticipated numbers, final numbers and the table plan, because the dates vary. In October 2026 we read the published guides of four Irish venues:

• Castlemartyr Resort, Co. Cork: anticipated numbers 14 days before, final numbers 7 days before, and the seating plan in electronic format no later than 4 days before.
• Lord Bagenal Inn, Co. Carlow: numbers at least 2 weeks before and final numbers 1 week before. Rooms with no name on them are released 4 weeks before. The page is undated.
• Amber Springs Hotel, Co. Wexford: draft numbers 2 weeks before, the table plan 1 week before (submitted through Moposa), final numbers 72 hours before and the guest bedroom list 6 weeks before.
• Clontarf Castle, Dublin: its wedding FAQ gives no numbers deadline, so the date has to come from your venue contact.

Now count back from the earliest date. Weddings Online's RSVP guides put the reply-by date two to four weeks before the wedding (one, another), and up to eight weeks before for a wedding abroad. That works when the guest list is short.

Irish weddings average 141 guests, venues want first numbers about two weeks out, and you need roughly four weeks after the reply-by date to chase the stragglers and draft the table plan. That puts the reply-by date six weeks before the wedding. If guests are booking rooms at the venue, add a week or two, because Amber Springs wants its list six weeks out. If invitations go out 12 to 14 weeks before, guests get 4 to 8 weeks to answer.

Example: a Friday wedding on 20 August 2027

• Save the dates: between 20 August and 20 November 2026 (12 to 9 months before)
• Notice appointment: on or before Thursday 20 May 2027 (3 months before)
• Invitations out: between Friday 14 May and Friday 28 May 2027 (14 to 12 weeks before)
• Reply-by date: Friday 2 July 2027 (7 weeks before)
• First chase message: Friday 9 July 2027, after a week of grace
• Phone calls: Friday 16 July 2027
• Decide about the rest: Friday 23 July 2027 (4 weeks before)
• Anticipated numbers: Friday 6 August 2027
• Final numbers: Friday 13 August 2027
• Table plan to the venue: by Monday 16 August 2027 at the latest (4 days before), earlier if your venue asks

How do you chase guests who have not replied?

1. A week after your reply-by date, message each household that has not replied. Weddings Online suggests allowing a week or so of grace first, so the message does not feel premature (chasing RSVPs). Keep it short and friendly.
2. A week later, phone anyone still silent. Weddings Online's timeline puts calling guests who have not responded one month before the wedding, so a reply-by date 6 to 8 weeks out gives you room.
3. Three weeks after the reply-by date, decide what to do with the rest: treat them as not attending, or ask a family member who knows them.
4. Keep a note of late changes, and tell the venue before its final numbers date.

Hi [first name], we are finalising numbers with the venue and haven't heard from you yet. Could you let us know by [date] whether you can come? You can reply here: [link]

When should you build the table plan?

Start a first draft about four weeks before, from the replies you have: Bridebook Ireland advises building your seating plan as responses come in. Finish it once your final numbers are in, and send it by the venue's date, 4 days before at Castlemartyr and 1 week before at Amber Springs. Check your venue's table size first. Tables seat up to 10 at Amber Springs and 8 to 12 at Clontarf Castle. Our guide to the table plan in Ireland has the steps.

When should you send invitations for a wedding abroad?

Earlier, because guests have flights, leave and rooms to arrange. Here is the order, with the Irish sources we found:

1. About 12 months before: save the dates, with a link to a page that has the basics. Irish sources range from 6 months to a year or more. RTÉ's planner says 9 to 12 months, especially for weddings abroad. Bridebook Ireland says 6 to 9 months for guests travelling from abroad. A stationer quoted in Weddings Online's Ask the Experts round-up says at least a year.
2. 4 to 6 months before: invitations and the full travel page. Stationers in the same round-up give 12 to 16 weeks for guests coming from abroad. We treat that as the shortest sensible window, because flights and rooms are the slow part.
3. At least 4 months before: your own paperwork. Some countries require a Certificate of Freedom to Marry. The Department of Foreign Affairs says to submit your application a minimum of four months before the wedding. It costs €60 per applicant plus €6 postage, with an extra €60 if you apply less than 28 days before, and witnessed declarations cannot be dated more than six months before the marriage. Each country has its own requirements, so contact the civil registration office there first.
4. 6 to 8 weeks before: the reply-by date, as at home. Add flights and transfers to the questions you ask.

Our guide to guest travel for a wedding abroad covers airports, transfers and what to say about entry rules.

Do you need to give notice before marrying in Ireland?

Yes. Whether your ceremony is civil, religious or secular, you need a marriage notification appointment with your local civil registration service at least 3 months before the wedding. Both of you attend, and the fee is €200 and non-refundable (HSE, checked October 2026). The three months run from the appointment date and waiting times vary, so book early. The Marriage Registration Form you receive is valid for 6 months from your intended wedding date. For the full steps, read our guide to getting married in Ireland.

How Tying The Knot handles this

If you build your invitation on Tying The Knot, the second half of this timeline sits in one place. You share one link with every guest, and each household replies once, per person, with meals and allergies. Your dashboard shows who has replied and who has not, with reminders to chase them. Once replies are in, you can build the table plan and download it as a picture and a CSV spreadsheet to send to your venue.

It costs €750 including VAT and includes 12 months' hosting. Allow time for the preview and two rounds of changes before the date you want to send invitations. See how it works, the pricing and the table plan.