When should I send Invitations?

Here's my plan for our wedding next July 2010:

 

1)11 months before- mail STD's- ( did this already)

 

2)9 months before- Letter to guests: with Booking/ Payment & Resort Info- kind of wish I included this in the STD's but didnt want to bombard the guests with too much info at once. They probably won't book that early any way. Plus, the rates weren't available. This will be a reminder to guests and give them a push for them to make deposit to book.

 

3)4 months before: send out formal invites in March with RSVP date of May 1. By then ppl should know if they are coming.

I am getting May 14th, just after you!! I am actually going to be sending out my invitations in October, so before the holiday rush. Just so I can give my guests a good six months to reply by since I know some of them are trying to save enough $$$ to go. And sending them out after Christmas only gives people a three month window with my TA to do her payment program, whereas if they book before the first of the year they have 4-6 months to span out payments. My best friend is designing them and working on them right now so that she can send them to me by the end of september to get out the first week of October!

 

I am asking my guests to respond by March 1st, since I also have to work on finalizing numbers before the wedding. And I haven't heard of RSVP'ing to the TA. I have only heard of you, and then they are on their own to call up the TA and arrange travel for themselves. And if you give them all the information to contact the TA they should know to do it all themselves.

It's funny how we are all doing it differently yet it all makes sense

 

To each her own!

We got engaged in October 08, and decided on a date and location in December so we were able to send out STDs in January for our wedding date in November. Because we are getting married close to the holidays, we wanted to give people as much heads up as possible so they could plan their holiday travel schedule.

 

We sent out our invitations the end of July and have gotten about 25% of the RSVPs back already. So far, there haven't been any surprises one way or the other. We put our deadline for the end of September. This doesn't give us much time for OOT bags, etc. BUT we pretty much already know who's coming, and this gives people who on the fence as much time as possible to make a decision - we know a DW is a commitment to attend.

 

It didn't matter to our TA when our deadline was, although our low priced rooms expired before we even sent out the invites. However, all of this info was on our wedding website, sent out with our STDs. And guests are still getting good rates who are booking now.

 

So I would think about how much time you need, and what will give your guests time to decide.

Thanks ladies for the information, it has helped me a lot.

You are so right! So funny how everyone does it differently. I am getting married Jan. 2010..I sent Boarding Pass STDs in March which had a lot of information about travel arrangements, TA contact info, etc. and it also directed people to our website. Then I made formal invitations (very simple) with RSVP cards. I sent these out Aug 1st. We already have 38 people booked (probably everyone going) but this helps me to organize and make sure people who have sent RSVP'd yes are/have booked.

Lots to keep track of but this has worked for me!

So with the time tables everyone is say I should be sending my Invites in Nov. and ask for the RSVP by Jan? My only worry is that people will be to caught up with the holidays.

i would recommend that you send your invites in sept or oct to give your guests as much time as possible to plan for your march wedding...but that is just my $.02.

you're right about the holidays...when people are spending bank on travelling for turkey day, buying gifts and travelling over christmas and new years, the last thing they'll want to do is think about flights to a destination wedding.

when did you send your STDs out?

I sent out my STD in May of this year. I guess I better get on my Invites then.

you've already got 8 booked though - that's great! how many ppl are you inviting??

 

good luck with the invites!