How far in advance should invites go out?

[cleo81]

I have booked a party for dd 2nd birthday for Feb 18th. Obviously that's quite far away but I like to be organised and I am itching to send the invites out.

I have paid for 8 chn and dd doesn't have lots of friends so limited people to invite. So I want to leave enough time to invite people on the reserve list if people can't come but don't want to do it so far in advance people think it looks a bit silly and it makes people not rspv as they think it's ages away and then loose/forget about the invite.

Don't know why I am stressing about it really as for ds party I just sent them out 2/3 weeks before and put rspv date just over week before. But think I am worrying bit more as paid for set amount and know there's not so many people to invite. Plus I like to know what's what and be organised.

When should I send them out and when shall I put rspv date?

Why don't you just talk to the other parents wherever it is you know them from, and ask them then if they'd like to come, and to put the date in their diaries ?
At (not yet 2) this is obviously about who you are friends with as dc of that age don't have 'friends' - so have a conversation with them.
(That is 1/2 term week in many areas, if your friends have any school age children - might make a difference to their plans)

Send the out now, my 2 dc already have 5 birthday parties to go to in Feb (seems a busy month for birthdays around here) plus it's half term that week. It's better to give too much notice than not enough.

I also find that I I haven't had an RSVP yo an invite then a week later I send a text just asking if they can make it as I need to confirm numbers with the venue

After chat with dh we re going to send them out this week.

A few are my friends so can chat with them and one dsis. Dsis and one friend already confirmed. But a few are from dd childminders who invited dd to their parties so don't have the mums numbers and don't see them as dh drops off and we all pick dcs up at different times. Thinking about them I guess.

Dd only goes couple days a week and different days for different dcs so need to coordinate it and give to childminder so won't get to chat to mums.

I've always sent them 3 weeks before the party. If I haven't heard back from someone with one week to go I either send a text or catch them in the playground.