Event timeline generator
Turn one event date into every send-by and deadline date, plus a downloadable day-of run sheet.
Wedding and party planning fails on dates far more often than on ideas. Save-the-dates go out too late for guests to book travel, invitations go out before the venue is confirmed, and the caterer asks for a final headcount three days after the RSVP deadline you printed.
This generator works backwards from the event date. Choose the event type, enter the date, and it returns every send-by date with the rule that produced it — then writes the whole timeline into a calendar file you can import into Google Calendar, Apple Calendar or Outlook.
Runs in your browser · free · no sign-up
Your date
The day guests arrive. Every send-by date is calculated backwards from it.
Changes how much notice the plan assumes.
Your send-by dates
Event day: Tuesday, April 27, 2027
Send save-the-dates
24 weeks before the event
Tuesday, November 10, 2026
Send invitations
10 weeks before the event
Tuesday, February 16, 2027
Send the reply reminder
4 days before the RSVP deadline
Friday, March 26, 2027
RSVP deadline
4 weeks before the event
Tuesday, March 30, 2027
Final headcount to the caterer
14 days before the event
Tuesday, April 13, 2027
Event day
The date you entered
Tuesday, April 27, 2027
The download contains one all-day event per milestone. All-day events are deliberate: a send-by date is a calendar date, not a 9am meeting in whatever timezone your phone is in.
Day-of run sheet
Sample timings, adjusted to your start time
Treat the run sheet as a starting point to hand to vendors, not a script. The numbers that matter most are the three you control: setup access, the headcount call, and when the kitchen needs final numbers.
How to use it
- 1Pick the event type. Each type carries its own planning offsets, from a 24-week save-the-date window for a wedding to a four-week invitation window for a dinner.
- 2Enter the event date. The calculator reads it as a calendar date, so daylight-saving changes cannot shift a deadline by a day.
- 3Read each milestone with its rule: every date is explained as "N weeks before the event" rather than appearing as a bare number.
- 4Check the warnings. If a milestone has already passed, the tool says which ones instead of pretending the plan is still possible.
- 5Download the .ics file to put the dates in your own calendar, then set the day-of start time to lay out the run sheet.
How the maths works
All dates are calculated as UTC calendar dates from the event date, and every offset is a whole number of weeks or days. That matters more than it sounds: if the arithmetic ran on local time, an event in a country that changes its clocks could put the RSVP deadline on the wrong day.
The offsets are planning conventions, not regulations. A wedding is planned 24 weeks out because guests need time to book travel and take leave; a dinner party is planned four weeks out because nobody needs a hotel. Change the event type and the whole schedule moves.
The day-of run sheet is a separate, fixed sequence of moments expressed as minutes from the start time, so it moves with you if the ceremony slips. It covers venue access, vendor arrival, guest arrival, service, speeches, cake, dancing and last call.
- Save-the-date = event date − 24 weeks (wedding default)
- Invitations = event date − 10 weeks
- Reply reminder = RSVP deadline − 4 days
- RSVP deadline = event date − 4 weeks
- Final headcount = event date − 14 days
A worked example
A wedding on Saturday 19 June 2027, using the default wedding offsets:
- Save-the-dates
- Saturday 2 January 2027 (24 weeks before)
- Invitations
- Saturday 10 April 2027 (10 weeks before)
- Reply reminder
- Tuesday 18 May 2027 (4 days before the deadline)
- RSVP deadline
- Saturday 22 May 2027 (4 weeks before)
- Headcount to caterer
- Saturday 5 June 2027 (14 days before)
- Event day
- Saturday 19 June 2027
Every row above is what the generator returns for that date. Note how the reminder lands four days before the deadline rather than on it: a reminder sent on the deadline day is a reminder nobody can act on.
Frequently asked questions
When should I send save-the-dates and invitations?
For a wedding, save-the-dates 6–8 months ahead and invitations 8–12 weeks ahead. For a birthday or a dinner, 4–8 weeks for the invitation is plenty. The generator's defaults sit inside those windows and can be changed by choosing another event type.
When should the RSVP deadline be?
Early enough to give the caterer a final headcount. Most caterers want numbers 7–14 days before the event, so the reply deadline should be at least a week before that, which is why the wedding default is four weeks out.
What does the .ics download contain?
One all-day event per milestone — save-the-date, invitations, reminder, RSVP deadline, headcount and the event itself. All-day events are deliberate: a deadline is a date, not a 09:00 meeting in your timezone, so importing it cannot shift it by hours.
Can I use this for a corporate event or a baby shower?
Yes. Both are in the event-type list with their own offsets: a corporate event is planned 12 weeks out with an eight-week invitation window, and a baby shower 10 weeks out. If your venue has its own deadlines, treat the earlier of the two as the real one.
What if my event is sooner than the timeline assumes?
The generator still shows the dates and flags every milestone that has already passed, so you can see what to compress. Send the invitation now, keep the RSVP deadline as a fixed date at least a week before the headcount is due, and tell the caterer the number is provisional.
Ready to send the invitation itself?
InviteVia turns your plan into a digital invitation with RSVP collection, guest messaging and a link you can share or print as a QR code.
Where to go next
Save-the-date vs wedding invitation
What belongs in each one, and why sending them in the wrong order causes confusion.
When to send wedding invitations
How the invitation window interacts with travel, holidays and the RSVP deadline.
RSVP and attendance estimator
Work out how many replies and guests to expect before you set the headcount deadline.
All planning tools
The other free tools in this section, in one place.
These figures are planning rules of thumb, not quotes or guarantees. Rates are editable defaults, and your venue or caterer may use different ones — treat the output as a starting point for a conversation. Nothing you type is uploaded or stored.