Is there advance wedding invitations that can be sent?

Question

Our wedding is in 2009. The venue and most things are booked. For number reasons we need to know who roughly can attend and who can't soon.

Is there cards you can send to let people know they are invited in advance, so they can book time off/holidays to come or they can write back saying they won't make it.

We don't want to send proper invites until nearer the time.

Answer 1

Save the date cards!! You can get them made on magnets...then the guest can keep them on the refrigerator and they are sure not to forget!!!


http://www.magnetstreet.com/store/browse/market/517/categoryList/5020

Answer 2

Please don't send those 'save the date' gizmos. They're OK for reminding people about dental appointments, but if you know someone well enough to invite them to your wedding then you should be telling them personally, not by a mass mailing.

If you already see, eMail, tMail, phone, fax, or are otherwise in contact with these people then be sure to mention it next time you make contact. If not, then dash off an e or tMessage, fax, or phone call to them. If you haven't sent out Holiday cards yet, then handwrite an informative note in their card.

Word it something like "Brenda and I have our venue all booked up for our wedding. It will be April first 2009 in Springfield. I hope you're able to plan around that date; we'd be very disappointed if you couldn't attend."

Unless this is a very close relative, you really can't expect people to give you a firm "rsvp" a full year in advance. If pressed, they may commit to attend but they won't feel truly bound by a "promise" extracted so far in advance of the date. Make another round of calls and messages about 5 months before the date. You'll get much more reliable information than when you ask a year or more in advance.

Answer 3

Congratulations! I am going with aloneinga. Usually, invitations are sent out 8 weeks before the wedding to give guests enough time to plan their trip and make any requests for time off. I do suggest sending out save-the-date notices that include just your wedding date and location immediately; then send the accommodations and travel information in a separate mailing about four months before the wedding. Also, since your wedding is during a major holiday, I would also try calling up some hotels in the area to see if you can book rooms and lock in a discounted rate. Also, be sure to let guests know they should mention your wedding when booking a room at the hotel.

Answer 4

For what reasons do you need to know now how many people can attend?

Honestly it's not really fair to ask for any sort of committment from your guests this far away from your wedding date. You can send Save the Date's out, but asking for a reply this earlier will most likely put off a lot of your guests.

For example... if someone asked me more than a year ahead of time if I thought I could go to their wedding I'd almost certainly say I'm sorry but I can't commit to coming... so for now count me as a no.

Then when the wedding invitations formally went out I'd remember that they'd already tentatively counted me as a no so I would probably be more likely to rsvp no for the actual event.

Answer 5

Usually one would send a "save the date" card, but people don't RSVP with those. Chances that most people will RSVP this far in advance are highly unlikely......you never know what may happen in a year +.

However, you could send a save the date card and in the envelope send a note with your email stating that 'for a number of reasons we need to know roughly who can attend'
Please email us and let us know if you will plan on attending or not.

Good luck

Answer 6

Send save the date cards to let people know of your plans. Usually people do not respond to the save the date's but maybe after they're all sent, you can talk to people you've invited and get an idea of who is more than likely going to come. Good Luck.

Answer 7

Family and close friends won't need to know until the appropriate time in advance, as they will be more than aware of the situation, and probably have a good idea whether they'll be invited or not, assuming, of course, that they don't invite themselves! ;)

It's up to you and your spouse-to-be to know who are most likely to attend and then add a "fudge" factor to that, to give to the wedding officiator, caterer, etc. You can narrow it down once the wedding RSVP's are sent back to you.

Anything else is superfluous.

Consult your parents and wedding planner (if applicable), and don't be afraid to check online wedding sites and libraries for suggestions!

Answer 8

You can send out save-the-date cards but they don't usually require an RSVP. My friend set up a (free) wedding website and set her home page as a 'We're Engaged!' page asking guests to save the date. Then people could leave messages of congratulations and to say if they'd be there.

Just an idea, and a lot cheaper than sending out cards.

Answer 9

We sent "Save the Date!" cards to everyone.

It just said "We're getting married! Save the date - 12/10/06 in Ft. Lauderdale, FL!"

Everyone knew to mark their calender so they wouldn't plan other trips during that time. But we didn't ask for an RSVP.

You should assume that most of the people you invite will come, unless they live very far.

Answer 10

I sent my guests a "save the date" magnet for their refrigerator, but when you do it this far in advance even a confirmation can't be relied on. I would finalize your guest list and allow for last minute invitations of 10% more people than you invited. Then organize people in three categoried: definitely will be there, maybe will be there, and won't be there but invited because of symantecs. Then count the people who definitely will, maybe will, and the 10% extra and you should be close to the final count.

Answer 11

My sister in law had something called "save the day" cards. They were fridge magnets with just their names and the date on. They can be sent when you like. You can then send the invites nearer the time. She got them in America