Getting guests to RSVP and book

[dpitre]

I'm getting married on Oct 16, 2010.  I sent out my STDs the first week of February.  The first wave of bookings was in March/April and then I had another wave of procrastinators about 3-4 months out.  I had two sets of guests just book last week- four weeks out.  At first I thought we would only 25 people, but now we're at 45.  Generally, my immediate RSVPs were the ones that booked right away.  Most of those that are on the fence or ask the most questions do not end up coming.  Then I got a few nice surprises.  :-)

 

Don't stress about the number- I did at first and now I can't be more excited for the crew that's coming.  (Oh and when I thought there were only a few people coming, that opened up budget for additional activities that I could pay for!)

[RobbyC]

I am sending out an email sort of like a save the date thing about a year before... Asking people who are interested in going let me know.  That way I know who to send actual invites to when we get airline pricing... Do you think this will help? 

[NikkiT1021]

I'm getting married October 21, 2011 and we are planning to send our save the dates by November and invitations at the end of January.  I generally have the worry that we are inviting too many people (first wave 100). But from what it sounds like by what you girls are saying, maybe 1/2 will actually book?  Most of these are family members and close friends but there are others that I would like to invite past that initial 100. Do you think I should go for it or wait for the first deadline?

[wnmrtn8]

I totally understand. I also sent out about 100 invites and we been having the hardest time for people to send out a respond for RSVP and its driving me crazy. We had a deadline of Sept 1st. I send out email reminders, it's hard.  My wedding is Dec. of this year. So far I have 54 guest RSVP with hotels and flights.

[mochamakes3]

Teira,

 

We have had one couple book before we even had our wedding confirmed, so I don't think we will be able to include them with our group. My parents are trying to decide where they are leaving from. His parents don't even have passports and we are not even sure if they'll be able to get them. We initially told them we were getting married three months earlier to try and get them into gear and now that they know the truth they are dragging out the application process. I just want to get our invites out so that people will book through our group not on their own. I was extremely mad when my MoH sent me an email with lower rates. Yes, I know they are available but those rates are for inferior rooms and don't include all the member and group extras. We only get free private events if we have 75 room nights booked. If everyone books through other avenues, there's no way I'm shelling out an extra $40 a person for a formal reception.
 

Originally Posted by Teira1031 

Mochamakes3 - don't stress I'm also an April bride an my STDs just went out also. I'm worried about people not booking either though, nobody has really asked me for the TA info and it sounds like a lot of people want to wait for their tax refund to pay but hello that's like a month before the wedding! I'm so stressed and overwhelmed. Not to mention FMIL told FI yesterday that FFIL might now go to the wedding now and FIs brother is already not going. I feel horrible the majority of the people going are my friends and family and FI only has like 4 people coming " class="bbcode_smiley" height="" src="http://files.bestdestinationwedding.com/images/smilies//sad.gif" title="" width="" />

[MsClarke724]

This will worry me too, I know it!!  I am a Jan 2012 bride and was planning on sending my STD's in March - is that too early??

[sunstarsmoon]

 

 

Originally Posted by MsClarke724 

 

This will worry me too, I know it!!  I am a Jan 2012 bride and was planning on sending my STD's in March - is that too early??

 

not at all, it gives your guests a chance to save some money up! I sent mine about 10 months before

 

[sinesbride]

Some people are still budgeting. That much I do know. We RSVP'd yes to a friends mexico wedding by the deadline they gave which was a month ahead of time, but we didn't actually book the trip till two weeks before the wedding. We cut it really close. It was more finances for us and trying to decide whether we were taking our 1 yr old or not. I'm expecting the same to happen for us when we finally send our save the dates. However, I hope to send ours out a year and half ahead of time giving people plenty of time to book and pay...I will give them a fake deadline first and then those who don't make it I will give them one final deadline...which will be way before the actual deadline again...LOL...I just don't want to be stressing out about things I shouldnt be...the whole point for me having a destination wedding.

[MsSmithtobe]

I like the fake deadline idea. lol  Luckily since I first posted, half of my guests have RSVPed. 38 RSVP and 3 booked! Keep Hope Alive! lol

[L&J]

1 month till our wedding and I still have 4 guests that RSVPed Yes but have not booked flights or hotel. It's making planning very difficult because i still feel like they aren't locked in and could decide not to come. A friend who had a destination wedding had one guest that said he booked a flight and was sharing a room with someone else but he never showed up in Cabo. The groom got a TEXT the morning of the wedding with some story about him missing his flight which we later found out wasn't even true! Very rude.