Invitation Timing

Sometimes I am in the middle of designing an invite when I get a frantic email about needing to "get these out right away."  Then I look at the date of the event and it is several weeks (or sometimes even months) away.  Invitation timing is critical - you don't want to send invitations too early or they might be lost or forgotten.  Too late and your guests may have already made other plans.  So, I thought it might be helpful to have a little reference guide on the timing of when to send invitations for your event.  Of course, on such a subject I consulted none other than the queen of etiquette herself, Emily Post.

The Event	When to Invite
Anniversary party	3 to 6 weeks
Bar or Bat Mitzvah	1 month
Bon Voyage party	Last minute to 3 weeks
Casual party	Same day to 2 weeks
Charity Ball	6 weeks to 3 months
Christmas party	1 month
Cocktail party	1 to 4 weeks
Debutante Ball	6 weeks to 3 months
Formal dinner	3 to 6 weeks
Graduation party	3 weeks
Housewarming party	A few days to 3 weeks
Informal dinner	A few days to 3 weeks
Lunch or Tea	A few days to 2 weeks
Thanksgiving dinner	2 weeks to 2 months