How long before an event should you send the invitations?

The short answer: six, four, two weeks, then the day before

The calendar Carton Blanc proposes by default rests on five mailings dated relative to the event: D-42, D-28, D-14, D-1 and D+2. It fits an event on a list for a professional or friendly audience, meaning people whose diaries fill several weeks in advance.

Each email lands on the same weekday as the event. An event on a Thursday is announced on a Thursday, invited on a Thursday and reminded on a Thursday: guests pick up the rhythm, and you avoid weekend mailings, which are read less.

Why six weeks for the first announcement

An announcement six weeks out asks nothing of the guest except to note the date. It reserves the diary before other requests arrive and gives you room to correct course: if registrations come slowly, you have time to remind without urgency.

The announcement holds the date, the venue, the theme and the flyer. It does not yet hold the full programme: that waits for the D-28 invitation, which can detail it without contradicting the announcement.

The invitation at four weeks: when people decide

Registrations arrive mostly in the days after the detailed invitation. It is therefore the email that matters most, and the only one you must write with care: an explicit subject line, the date in the first line, one registration link.

If you miss that window, the D-14 reminder recovers part of it, but it will never replace a well-placed invitation. A guest who learns of an event two weeks out first checks whether they are free, then decides, and many never reply.

The reminder at two weeks: only to those who have not replied

The D-14 reminder goes only to guests who have not yet registered. Sent to everyone, it irritates those who already replied and makes them doubt their registration was recorded.

The reminder text fits in three lines: the date, how many places remain and the link. If the room is almost full, say so: a real number weighs more than an adjective.

Cases that depart from the calendar

The default calendar is adjusted to the nature of the event. These are the most common departures, each with its reason.

• Wedding or event involving travel: announce several months ahead, to leave time to book transport and accommodation.
• Year-end gala: announce earlier than usual, because November and December diaries are full by September.
• Afterwork or local meeting: the invitation at four weeks is enough, with the reminder at two weeks and the reminder the day before.
• Tasting with very limited capacity: invitation a little later, reminder soon after, so places are not held by lukewarm registrants.
• Recurring event: always keep the same intervals; the regularity of the reminder matters more than its exact day.

The reminder the day before and the follow-up message

The D-1 reminder goes only to registered guests. It gives the address, the arrival time and a link to add the date to a calendar. It reduces forgetting, which accounts for most unannounced absences.

Two days after the event, a message thanks those who came and offers absentees a catch-up date. It is prepared as a draft before the event, with a text for each group.

A checklist before sending

Before each mailing, go through these points; they avoid last-minute corrections.

• The date, time and address are in the subject line or the first line.
• The registration link is a single link and works on a phone.
• The flyer opens without a download and its text is readable at small size.
• The venue capacity is entered, so the waiting list opens at the right moment.
• The test email received at your own address landed in the main inbox, not in spam.

Frequently asked questions

Is it too early to invite several months ahead?

For a wedding or an event that involves travel, no. For a local evening, an announcement that early is forgotten: six weeks are enough.

Can I send invitations less than two weeks before?

Yes, for an afterwork or a last-minute event. Plan a single invitation and the reminder the day before.

Can I change the email dates in Carton Blanc?

Yes. Drafts are created with the default calendar and you adjust the sending date of each before it goes out.