How to handle invitations/save the dates

Could you tell me where you got the Get ready for CUBA .....idea? I would like to see what sort of things to include as I am planning to do the same thing? How soon should this be sent out? I'm thinking 6 weeks before the trip? Any thoughts??

I got the idea from here. Just do a search for prewedding booklet, welcome booklet, things like that.

I haven't started yet, but I want to include things like:
- list of all our guests
- packing list
- Resort, City and Country information, map
- Excursions offered over there
- Tipping and theft prevention tips
- Useful and not-so-useful phrases in spanish (to keep it fun)
- Time and date of wedding
- Other planned activities (for example a welcome cocktail)
- Information about where to share the pictures after we come back
- and possibly some puzzles to keep them busy during the plane ride

I think we are going to send out save the date postcards with our website address on it. The postcards are just so people get something in the mail, but really we want them to keep up with the website since that is where we will post updated changes. We will also send out a hard copy of the info for the computer-illiterate, and keep them updated probably just with phone calls (since this shouldn't include too many of our guests - grandparents mostly)

Lot's of good ideas. Thanks

this is what i'm thinking too!!

I am struggling also. To help keep costs down, I would like to keep the guest numbers for the wedding small, 20 or less, and then invite everyone to the AHR. I guess this could hurt some peoples feelings but what do you do when you want to keep it smaller and more intimate??

I have been thinking of sending STDs/invites to the smaller group with the wedding website information on it for travel as well as info for the AHR. We have no plans to invite people we work with to the wedding but only the reception.

 

Would it be fair to send out more STDs closer to the AHR and make it more of an invite for the AHR without having to send out another formal invite for the AHR?

I never thought it would be this difficult to decide how to do it.

How did you word the AHR invite?

 

I have no idea what to say for that one.

I am struggling right now with this exact same thing...what to send out and when!!! My FI and I are getting married in Nov, 2010. We finally set the date and reserved it with the resort, so I want to get info out ASAP to those we want to invite to the DW so they can start figuring and planning.

 

My FI thinks its silly and a waste of our hard earned $$ to send both a STD now AND an invitation later on (I do see his point!). Especially, since by the time we would send the formal invitation (about 2-3 months before) we hope to have a good idea of who would and would not be coming with us to the DW!

 

As others have asked/mentioned...would you send the formal invite to those you know are not coming?!?! I understanding sending them to grandparents/elder guests who can't come, as I have already planned to, but to everyone else too?!?!

 

So I was all ready to just send the formal invitation REALLY early (about 7-8 months before the wedding) when a woman at work said that people may put it aside and end up forgetting about it! Hey, I agree...I could happen! Ughhh...now what do I do?!?!

 

I am creating a website to keep everyone informed as things develop, but I need to send something out to let people know of the date and the website address. What should I send?!?!

 

This post has been helpful, but does anyone have specific advise for me?!

 

THANKS! )

I say skip the STD and just send the formal invitation really early. yes, some people might put it aside and forget about it, but most people who want to be there will appreciate having more time to book their trip. Then they might put the actual invitation aside, but they will have a full trip book, they wouldn't forget that! And you can always call or email the others as a gently reminder to give a response when it's been a few months.

 

What a lot of us are doing is sending/giving a little something (like a welcome letter, or "get ready for..." booklet) much closer to the wedding date to get everyone excited about the vacation again.

We are limited on the number of guests we could invite due to the reception space, so we only sent out Save the Dates to immediate family members and very close friends. I've been reading every Wedding book I could find and this was the advice given. We will be sending out the formal invitations at a later date for the rest of our extended family and other friends.