When to send out STDs and Invitations?

[Dominican Ally]

Hi Kim,

 

Who is your travel agent? Mine got me pricing for a number of resorts in Dominican, as well as Gran Bahia Jamaica, and I'm not sure, but I thought it was reasonable for Jamaica. PM me if you want, and I could send you her info and the price.

 

 

Alicia
 

Originally Posted by Kim Deslippe 

We planned on sending out our STD in the next couple weeks, which puts us about a year out from our wedding in Feb 2013.  Our date has been booked and confirmed with our resort but know we are just concerned about pricing because our TA is giving us prices much higher then what he originally estimated.  So, I think we will wait till the beginning of March when we can get official pricing, to send our STD just in case we need to rethink our DW wedding choice, which I will be really disappointed if we have to

I figured on sending out the formal invites about 6 months before, depending on when deposits/final payments are due to book.

STDs included:

- date

- location

- website (where guests can get resort and TA info before the formal invites go out)

 

Formal invites include:

- date

- resort

- TA info

- website

- RSVP info

 

[favorsmr]

I haven't sent them out yet, but they will include the location, the date and our wedding website, where I will be putting the travel info and travel agent contact info.  When they go out (next month, if all goes well), they will be over a year and a half  before the wedding date.

 

Originally Posted by ntlsnow 

I like that idea as well. What information did you put onto your save the dates. I plan on sending mine out in the next 2 weeks (End of January is when I will be getting married).

 

How far in advance would you send the invitations then too?

 

 

 

[joda]

We sent our save the dates out about seven months before the wedding, but we had only finalized the resort then. Most people did know the date and general area before that though, as we have a small group and had spoken to them about it. They had on it the date, the resort, and our website. Invitations just went out last week, but most people have already booked and the few people who may come will only book last minute anyway, so I thought it was better to send them closer to the date.

[elissae]

 

Amy, I am going to follow your lead.  We are looking to get married in April 2013.  We just do not have a definite date & booking yet.  We are waiting on the Easter/School break schedule for 2013.  My FI's son will be a sophomore when we marry.  The break is not guaranteed to be right after Easter so we have to wait.  UGGHHH.  

 

Anyway, we hope to know at the LATEST by early April of this year...so I am drafting my STD's now with the date I think it would be if we do have that week after Easter off and will be ready to go in April at the latest with mailing them.  I intend to include all the info you listed below.  I've already reached out to a travel agent, picked the resort & started a website.  Phew, tired already & so much more to do in the next 14 months!!!!  LOL 

 

I hope to mail formal invitations out right after the 2013 New Year.  

 

Thanks to everyone for sharing in this thread!

Originally Posted by AmyG 

My wedding date is March 16, 2012.  I sent out my STD one year in advance...so I sent them last March. 

 

My STD's included:

The date

The resort name

My website

My travel agent's info

 

My formal invites are at the printers now and I am planning on sending them out with my AHR invites at the same time by the end of next week. 

 

Hope this helps!

 

[AllieH]

A friend of mine did her STD's very simple - they knew the month, and the island, but not the date or the resort. so they sent that info out with their STDs. 

 

If I had it to do over again, I would have sent mine with a rough pricing estimate, the month and the location (Mexico), and not waited until I had more firm prices, the resort picked and a date. My waiting caused us to have to do electronic STDs instead of the paper that I wanted to do. it all worked out just fine (so far), but it was a point of stress that I didn't need at all. 

 

I definitely heard that everyone appreciated the advance notice so they could start saving (we starting talking to people right after we got engaged in July). it's January...and we've just about finished our initial flurry of booking/deposits. I'm really glad we at least were having the conversations back in July/August. 

 

just my 2 cents worth! 

 

[Kim Deslippe]

Thanks Alicia, I think we should be okay now.  My FI had a few words with our TA for sending me into such a panic. 

The pricing is back down in the area we originally figured (for whatever reason) and I've been in touch with another TA to see what she comes up with when AI prices are released in March.

 

As for our STDs, think I will still plan to send them out in the beginning of March (most of our guests are already aware of when and where we plan to go).

 

Originally Posted by Dominican Ally 

Hi Kim,

 

Who is your travel agent? Mine got me pricing for a number of resorts in Dominican, as well as Gran Bahia Jamaica, and I'm not sure, but I thought it was reasonable for Jamaica. PM me if you want, and I could send you her info and the price.

 

 

Alicia
 

 

 

[ntlsnow]

That is what I know, the month, the island, and I have already made a website. I have not sent out any STD's yet because I thought you needed a date. LOL. Everyone is telling me to just do them electronically "you're going away anyway what does it matter", and that makes me sad. I may not be having your "standard, traditional AH wedding" but I still want things to be formal and nice. I know I know, I am letting people get to me already!

 

Originally Posted by AllieH 

A friend of mine did her STD's very simple - they knew the month, and the island, but not the date or the resort. so they sent that info out with their STDs. 

 

If I had it to do over again, I would have sent mine with a rough pricing estimate, the month and the location (Mexico), and not waited until I had more firm prices, the resort picked and a date. My waiting caused us to have to do electronic STDs instead of the paper that I wanted to do. it all worked out just fine (so far), but it was a point of stress that I didn't need at all. 

 

I definitely heard that everyone appreciated the advance notice so they could start saving (we starting talking to people right after we got engaged in July). it's January...and we've just about finished our initial flurry of booking/deposits. I'm really glad we at least were having the conversations back in July/August. 

 

just my 2 cents worth! 

 

 

[ntlsnow]

Any good Vistaprint deal right now?

[beachwed2013]

My wedding is January 12, 2013 in Cancun Mexico. I sent my save the dates out 1 year, the day my fi's mom gave me her list, in advance to allow enough time for people to save money. They included the date, the resort location, and the website.

 

On the website i included estimated prices, that state they will be finalized in the near future. The website also has the RSVP and commonly asked questions.

 

I had my STD and lists of my side completed and was just waiting on a final list. Most guests appreciate the early notice (even without a date) so they can start saving money if they want to come!

 

 

[beachwed2013]

My wedding is January 12, 2013 in Cancun Mexico. I sent my save the dates out 1 year, the day my fi's mom gave me her list, in advance to allow enough time for people to save money. They included the date, the resort location, and the website.

 

On the website i included estimated prices, that state they will be finalized in the near future. The website also has the RSVP and commonly asked questions.

 

I had my STD and lists of my side completed and was just waiting on a final list. Most guests appreciate the early notice (even without a date) so they can start saving money if they want to come!