It depends on if I'm throwing a party at a popular time of year or not. If it's for my birthday party, I usually send invites out 3 weeks before the party.

If it's for my annual New Years Eve party, I try to spread the word in November and then wait until December to actually invite people.

I have an annual Christmas party .... people know to expect it, but the date has jumped around a lot over the years - as early as the 6th and as late as probably the 19th. I typically put the invites in the mail the weekend after Thanksgiving - so it doesn't get lumped in with all that craziness

My daughter was born the week of Thanksgiving, and this year her birthday falls on Thanksgiving day. This makes parties a challenge. I sent invitations to her party, which is happening next weekend, four weeks in advance to account for holiday scheduling.

I often get invitations to parties with only a week's notice, and that is just not enough time, IMO.

in general, a few weeks notice (in the three range) seems reasonable, but i think you need to send save the dates out for parties and events anywhere in the november-december vicinity as soon as you know them. You can send out the RSVP request a few weeks before, but that way people have marked their calendars way in advance and can leave a slot for you if they want to come.

I think 2-4wks is good notice.

4-6 weeks for formal or large events (wedding, party honoring a person); 2-3 weeks for casual events (dinner party at home, cocktail party at a venue); less time for very informal events (come watch the game).

Of course, consider giving ample notice with a save-the-date if it requires bringing a dish, buying a gift (a shower), or wearing a special outfit.

@jrenee27, I think these days you can choose one, the other, or a mix depending on your audience. I love a mailed invitation, but for the kind of party where you invite everyone you know (or at least the ones you like) on Facebook, printed invitations would be expensive and, maybe, arrogant.

Bottom line, I think it's about being respectful of your guests and yourself.

If you're putting a lot of work into a party, you want your guests to come enjoy it. If it's an intimate dinner party with a small invite list, then you need to give your guests time to commit and give yourself time to fill in the gaps left by friends that decline. If it's a formal affair, you want to give your guests plenty of notice to plan outfits and child care, and to clear their schedule of conflicts.

At the end of the day, timing and medium should be chosen by respect and affection for your guests.

I think 2-3 weeks for most things (except really large/special events). I keep getting one week's notice (often times less) for baby showers, and that is frustrating and a bit tacky. I have had to miss most of these events(including a family member's, which caused some seriously hurt feelings) because I simply wasn't given enough time to plan for it.

A timely post....

I just got an invite to a friends house with one day's notice.... yup, you're not going to see me there.

A weeks notice??? Not if your party's on a Saturday night, they get booked up first and even if I get my invite out a month in advance my friends make their family event's a priority. I was on another post where it was suggested that Thursday are a good evening for parties because of that.

Yeah, I get the 'word out' a good month before and issue invitations within two weeks. That does the trick. Also, I invite more folk that I can handle because, most times, 30% can't make it.

I concur with the 2 - 4 weeks timeframe. More is too long; people will forget about it. Less risks people already having committments.

Not that invitations matter all that much any more - it's impossible to get firm numbers for a party, even if it's important. These days "Yes" means "Maybe", "Maybe" means "No", and "No" means "Hell no".

I allowed two weeks notice for the wedding shower I gave yesterday. I mailed invitations and asked for a response. According to the responses 10 people were coming. In reality 20 people showed up. So. . . a couple young people got to sit on the floor. It was alot of fun, but I would have preferred an RSVP from those attending!! All the food was eaten, drinks almost gone. If it had been a formal event I would have been ticked off! It has been my experience people won't formally commit to anything. Annoying

We sent out our pre-Thanksgiving potluck with friends invites last week. I just think that if these are the people you really want to spend some time with, you need to get on their holiday schedule early enough so that they aren't burdened with conflicts.

-Alana
http://www.kitschykitten.com

It really depends on the event. We sent out New Years Eve party invites in November, mostly becuase we live in a rural area and it gives guests time to plan if they can come, becuase it involves an overnight stay & at least 2 hours travel.

It all depends on the event.

1. Network months prior (brand yourself)
2. Focus on at least a 20 block radius if its a venue.
3. Have your friends, co-workers and family help spread the word.
4. Don't spam.
5. Utilize all your (free) online resources.
6. Target your demographics
7. Finally, 3 weeks prior to your event, Sunday between 11:00 & 12:30 is best for non-business events.

Good Luck everyone,

Freddie AvilaVIP