Evite for AHR?

RyanAmanda · 07-09-2008, 04:31 PM

I'm not sure if this goes under etiquette or invites...I'm a little lost if you couldn't tell..lol.

Our AHR will be a catered lunch with open bar on a Sunday - nothing fancy (I'm not wearing my dress) but more a chance to see everyone who couldn't come. It will be the week after we return so it will be the first time we'll see everyone since coming home.

We don't want people to think it's a 'regular' wedding reception and we don't expect presents at all.

My sister recommended sending an evite instead of mailing invites - what do you think about that? Is it a little tacky? There's two reasons she recommended it - our hall only holds 100 people and we have a guest list of 130. Since that means we'll have to cut people from the invite list, it allows us to invite them as other's RSVP no (I would block the guest list on evite so people wouldn't know they got invited at different times). As well, of the 60 invites we mailed out for our DW, we only got RSVP cards back for less then half! It just bugged me that I spent all the time making them (not to mention the cost of postage) to not have people mail them back.

So what do you think? Mail invites or just send an evite?

SheaS · 07-09-2008, 04:47 PM

I wouldn't suggest it... only because I know from experience that people don't rsvp to evites either. I think they open the email, and not knowing if they can come or not, don't rsvp, and then the email gets moved to the "read" or "old" folder.... if you did acutal invites, at least they have a copy to remind them to rsvp.

However, evite does have a reminder email it can send out, but for me it didn't work.
You are right though, people have a hard time rsvp'ing no matter what!

Yari · 07-09-2008, 11:15 PM

I would mail an invite out, IMHO an evite is too informal. BUT that is just me.

~Kate~ · 07-10-2008, 01:39 AM

I would actually be okay with doing an evite for an AHR. I have a few friends that actually did this for their wedding (although they had to mail a few to those who weren't very internet savvy) and had a lot of really positive comments on how easy it was to RSVP and how much more environmentally friendly it is. Now they are big "green" people, so a lot of guests knew they were trying to keep with a green wedding theme.

Anyway, I guess maybe it depends on your guests...Shea is right, you'll probably have those who won't RSVP properly no matter what you do. Personally, though, I would be very happy to receive or send an evite for a casual AHR. Let us know what you decide to do!

arhoyaltres · 07-10-2008, 07:45 AM

I am undecided about this as well since those who were invited to the DW are also invited to the AHRs (we are having one in his home town and one in mine) and we didn't want to send guests multiple invitations. My AHR will be 1.5 months after our wedding, but my FI will be almost 6 months so putting multiple sheets w/in the DW invitation wouldn't really work because folks would easily forget to RSVP to the AHR. So right now we are going w/ Evites to the AHR for those who received DW invitations and we are going to mail modified invitations to our AHR guests. We know it's going to be costly, but we don't want them to feel left out by not receiving anything in the mail.

lscilley · 07-10-2008, 07:48 AM

Maybe send out a really easy casual invite and then remind them with a evite.

RyanAmanda · 07-10-2008, 10:56 AM

Sounds like there's no foolproof way to make people RSVP.

We just mailed out our invites a month ago so I kind of feel repetitive sending out another invite. And since the AHR is the week after our DW, we would need to mail them out soon since we need final numbers to our caterers before we leave.

I'm just so torn on this. If everyone had RSVP'ed to the wedding, then I would have no problem mailing AHR invites. It just seems like such a waste of our time (and money!) since we only got back half our wedding invites.

We weren't planning on doing favours for the AHR - if I did an evite though, then I could. Because I could use the money I saved on invite supplies and stamps to cover the cost of the favour.

ErinB · 07-10-2008, 11:10 AM

Can you do an invite postcard that directs your guests to call or RSVP to your website?

I know that in my group of friends we always stick invites on the fridge, which is good so we have a paper reminder.

I did RSVP postcards, (that stupid people aren't sending in!) and we directed guests to our website for "additional information, accomodations, and pictures".

I've had a surprising number of guests respond to the web-site. More in fact, that responded to the wedding invite or STD for Jamaica.

Yvette · 07-10-2008, 11:23 AM

wow we have the same story on this one. i spent a lot of time making our invites, spent so much money on postage and haven't gotten many RSVP's back at all! it feels like such a waste! we plan on doing an AHR next summer and i am def thinking about doing an evite.

i don't think it's tacky, esp since it's not a formal event. i say go for it! it sounds like you have a good plan.

Maura · 07-10-2008, 11:30 AM

i agree with yari that i think sending out an evite for a wedding event is a bit tacky. but to each his own, and thats just my personal opinion.

cant you just send out a postcard invitation for the AHR and ask people to RSVP to your website or call you by X date? sorry but i think that the reason for wanting to use the evite (so you can have a rolling guest list) is quite rude... either people are invited right away or not invited at all, IMHO.