Is 3 months out too late to order invites?

stephk31

Good afternoon

My fiance and I are getting out engagement pictures taking end of May (due to the weather in Illinois) and we are getting married end of August.
I was planning to use the engagement pictures in the invites....will it be the pictures be taken too late to do this?

LeiselEB

I think it would be too late - you'd be having your pictures taken at the end of May, but you won't get them back from the photographer for at least a few weeks (I'm assuming). Then you'd have to settle on invites, see proofs, get them ordered, assembled, stuffed, stamped, addressed, and sent out. If you DIY, maybe it'd be quicker. Keep in mind that invites should be sent out around 8 weeks ahead of the wedding. I would feel rushed if I were you.

That might just be my opinion, but there are so many posts here about things going wrong with invites, and I know that not every photographer can whip out a bunch of edited prints very quickly. 

Talk to your photog and see what they suggest, but have a back up plan ready.

Maybe you could have your engagement pictures made into a guestbook to use at the wedding, and then send out invites without the photos?

willywally5

I think if you choose the invite or at least have it narrowed down to a couple and move QUICKLY once you get the proofs, you should be fine. Might have to recruit some helpers for addressing them so they get out in a timely manner

Kas254

Another consideration: photographers are notorious for being S-L-O-W. I know a couple brides who didn't get their final wedding prints for close to a year. Not saying engagement pics will take that long, but it might not be a couple days turnaround like you are assuming.

Unless you are positively confident your photog will turn these around within 1 week, I would find another plan. Perhaps ask if he or she can do a mini shoot for invitation photos now then do the full outdoor engagement shoot later?

TiffannieF

I ordered ours at the 3 month mark, came in in enough time for addressing and all!  But I did only have 63 going out...might be different if you have over 150 addresses...

stephk31

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_invites-paper_is-3-months-out-too-late-to-order-invites?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:cd062f89-8272-496a-b0ab-225e1f87acecDiscussion:622258e9-c8a5-4129-bfb6-cabd8b86e5f2Post:00e2f7b6-2dab-4fc3-9caf-cf120beba217">Re: Is 3 months out too late to order invites?</a>:
[QUOTE]Could you order all your stationary except the piece that will include the photo sooner?  Then you can have everything but stuffing envelopes  ready. Probably though, you're better off moving up the e-photos.  Winter landscapes or indoor photos can be nice also :)
Posted by ceh789[/QUOTE]

Lol, indoor photos would be tough because my horse is going to be in some of them ;) Thank you for all the advice, ladies.

I already have the invite and wording picked out, I just need to add the pictures. Our photographer will give us the copyright and a cd with the pictures, so hopefully we should get them quickly.  I do have a plan B, so I guess I will see how nervous I get when time gets closer.

Regardless, invites will get send out no later than 2 months either way!!
I really like the idea of ordering everything but the actual invite in advance.