How early should save-the-dates go out?

Standard timing:

• Local wedding (most guests within driving distance): 4-6 months out
• Out-of-state wedding: 6-8 months out
• Destination wedding: 9-12 months out
• Saturday in October (peak season for OOT travel): 6-8 months

For an October wedding, send save-the-dates between February and May.

Why not earlier than that:

• People forget. A save-the-date that arrives 14 months out gets lost in mail piles. Six months is the sweet spot for "mark your calendar" without being so early they shrug it off.
• Your details may change. Venue, date, even guest list can shift in the early months. Sending too early locks you in or forces you to send awkward updates.

Why not later than that:

• Guests need to book travel. International or expensive flights need 4+ months lead time.
• Hotel blocks for guests fill up if your area has events the same weekend.

The other thing: save-the-dates and invitations are different. Save-the-dates go 6-8 months out with bare facts (date, city). Invitations go 6-8 weeks before the wedding with the actual details (venue, time, RSVP). Don't conflate them.