A wedding should be a day that every couple about to say “I do” anticipates with hope and happiness, and remembers fondly forever.
As anyone with experience will tell you, though, planning the perfect celebration for this special day is hardly a piece of fondant cake. Even thinking about the preparation, logistics, and yes—finances of hosting a dream wedding has been known to make even the most savvy party hosts reach for a glass of wine.
Glöbies will agree that one of the best ways to beat stress and still have the wedding of your dreams is to cut snail mail out of the picture. Honoring tradition is fine, but why else would anyone spend countless hours (and hundreds of dollars) creating, addressing, mailing, and waiting for 300 postal correspondences when equally elegant paperless alternatives are available?
If you are new to wedding planning and are not yet familiar with the range of possibilities for managing logistics, here are a few ways that you can de-stress your planning process by going paperless:
Save-The-Dates: Elegant save the date emails are a sophisticated way to announce your engagement without having to address and mail hundreds of envelopes. You can save some trees by reaching out to your potential wedding guests with beautiful, customized Save-the-Dates that look like paper.
Invitations: paperless wedding invitations are available in a broad range of styles and themes so that you can let invitees know what to expect when it comes to the atmosphere and vibe of your celebration. Customize, design, and send your formal invitations without waiting on the postal system.
RSVPs: Few things about creating your guest list are more anxiety-inducing than waiting on tardy RSVPs! And what if one gets lost in the mail? Online wedding RSVPs allow you to see your guests’ responses in real-time, not two weeks after they’ve dropped their RSVP cards in the mail. Of course, it’s easier for your guests to RSVP online, too.
Wedding Website: What if you could review and share every logistical detail of your wedding in one place, throughout all stages of the planning process, and design that place to reflect your personality as a couple and the tone of your celebration? A wedding website allows you to do just that. Track RSVP responses, see which guests have visited your site, and communicate valuable information to your guests when they need it most without a single phone call.
Imagine this: One night, after taste-testing a few signature wedding cocktail recipes, you drift into a blissful dream on the sofa. It’s your wedding day, you’re standing in front of all your favorite people in the world holding hands with your beloved (who’s completely naked, but who cares. It’s your dream and *you* look amazing!) The officiant speaks those timeless words, “Is there anyone present who sees a reason why these two should not be joined…” and you wonder why they even bother to ask — get to the kissing part already! All of a sudden, you hear a loud SLAM. You flick your head around just in time to see your Ex burst through the doors in a frenzied state and scream, “I OBJEEEECCCCTTTTT.”
Crap. Your Ex has just dream-crashed your wedding.
You wake in a cold sweat and think to yourself, “Yeah, that could totally happen to me. After all, if Maroon 5 can crash multiple weddings, why couldn’t my Ex crash mine?” You begin lying awake night after night worrying that this nightmare could actually become a reality (although having Adam Levine croon to you sounds like a pretty good idea, and you’re kind of hoping that *will* happen.)
If you’re truly concerned that your unwanted Ex (or your unwanted Ex’s mother, who never quite recovered from the breakup) will crash your wedding, here are a few tips to consider about wedding privacy:
Protect your wedding website
The easiest way to prevent your Ex from crashing your wedding is to prevent him or her from knowing exactly when and where it will take place. While both paper and paperless wedding invitations are sent to specific individuals, your wedding website can be an open book if not properly protected. You should:
Ensure your website is password protected or that all important details, like date, location, travel information, etc. are on password-protected pages. Note: Using your Ex’s name as the password is not advised. If each guest has a personal login and password, the protection will be much stronger.
Choose a wedding website provider that allows you to prevent the site from being indexed with Google, Bing and other search engines (in your Glö account, you’ll find this setting in “Manage Glösite” > “Privacy settings.”)
Choose a generic website URL that does not include your first names, last names or nick names
Do not include the date or location in a part of the website design (like a background image) that is visible without entering a password
Take care with social media hashtags
Although having a wedding hashtag is a great idea, consider waiting to share it until the wedding day or even the reception. This way, your ex will have minimal lead time to know where and when the celebration is taking place.
Alert key friends and family members
Now I’m not suggesting you include the line: “no Ex’s allowed, see other side for details” at the bottom of your wedding invitation with a full list of names on the back (after all, 3 ft. scroll invites are *so* 2011… ) However, the last thing you want is to spend time and energy building Fort Knox security around your website only to have your second cousin, three times removed go tweeting about how they are SO EXCITED for the wedding at 1pm on April 16th at the Brown Palace Hotel, or worse, bring your Ex as their date. Um, awk-ward.
If you have friends in common with your Ex, it’s worth discreetly sharing your concerns and asking them to keep the details private in personal conversations and on social media. You can also ask them to give you a heads-up if your Ex makes any off-handed comments about Vince and Owen bro-mances or moms making meatloaf.
Be blunt with your Ex
If your Ex has exhibited stalker behavior in the past, this might be a good time for a serious “it’s not me, it’s you” heart-to-heart chat. The important thing is to be straightforward and honest. Explain, in no uncertain terms, that your Ex did not make the A-list and the B-list odds just aren’t looking good. If you already have a restraining order in place, it might be best to send one of your burly friends or family members to deliver the message for you.
Get married out of town
Hosting a destination wedding is extremely fun, and it means that your Ex will need to put in some extra effort to reach you. Plus, it’s likely that someone will learn of your Ex’s travel plans and can alert you about suspicious location or travel behavior.
Send your Ex out of town
Better than getting married out of town, let you Ex THINK you’re getting married out of town … in an exciting destination like, say, Barrow, Alaska. (Yeah, yeah, Barrowians — don’t get your knickers in a twist. We all know you fantasize about destination weddings in Cancun. Woot woot — foam party!)
There’s nothing like 15 Instagrams of you packing your down parka, six pairs of wooly mittens and toe warmers in your wedding trousseau to send your Ex off track.
Assign lookouts and bouncers
If your celebration approaches and you’re still having those nightmares, don’t feel shy about selecting a few guests to be official lookouts and bouncers. Choose your most trustworthy guests to keep an eye on the door, bar and gift table and others who can remove your Ex (or would-have-been-mother-in-law) if the unthinkable happens. Remember, over-protective grandmas and hyper-vigilant aunts can perform miracles when armed with pepper spray.
If everyone on your guest list is too petit or lush-prone to field that responsibility, bring a photo of your Ex to share with venue staff and ask them to stay alert. Venues are very quick to remove unwanted intruders.
At the end of the day, preventing your Ex from stalking your wedding comes down to protecting the details and preparing for a “what if?” scenario. Don’t be afraid to ask for help! And don’t let the worry consume you to the point where you can’t enjoy preparing for or participating in your celebration. Most important, don’t let your crasher-Ex believe anything the tabloids wrote about your breakup. You’re definitely NOT “staying really good friends” and that includes your Ex keeping well away from your wedding celebration. Snap.
A version of this article originally appeared on Huffington Post
When it comes to crafting the perfect wedding invitation wording, creating a “host” section that pleases everyone can be tricky. The host line traditionally indicates who contributed to the celebration’s planning and finances. Today, more and more couples are both planning and paying for a good chunk of their wedding celebration. Because of this, we are seeing more and more invitations where the couple is inviting their guests to join them for the wedding festivities. We also see the classy, but simple line: “together with their families” (or an equivalent variation) as the host line. This allows couples to indicate that their families have been involved to some degree throughout the planning and execution phases, financially or otherwise.
Taryn and Enrico’s paperless Glӧvite to their wedding celebration, which had a strong focus on family and friends.
This catch-all phrase works for any arrangement in which both partners, plus their families, somehow contributed during in the process leading up to the wedding. Some couples might choose this option even if neither family gave them a cent towards wedding expenses, simply to emphasize the importance of family in their lives during a significant milestone. Many couples also find that if they try to get specific, traditional wedding invitation wording does not meet the needs of their family structures.
So, what are your options if you and your intended want wedding invitation wording that specifically honors the people in your lives beyond “together with their families”?
This is where it can get complicated. In some cases, only one family takes on the role of host. Traditionally, this used to be the bride’s family by default. Thank goodness for changing norms! To convey, with your wedding invitation wording, that only one family is the host, open the invitation with the parents’ surname and the father’s first name if the couple is married or otherwise legally paired. For example:
“Mr. and Mrs. John Doe Invite you to attend…”
Here’s an example in which the hosting parents are two mothers who are married to each other but have different last names:
“Mrs. Jennifer Collier and Mrs. Christine Emich Invite you to attend…”
Note: Ms. is also acceptable for a married woman who has a different last name than her partner. Since you have multiple options, it’s always a good idea to ask the hosts how they would like their names to appear on the invitations.
If the parents are divorced or separated, include both parents’ full names:
“Mrs. Jane Doe and Mr. John Doe” Invite you to attend…
Ms. is also acceptable here.
What if the host parents are divorced and remarried? If this is the case, list the contributing families by first and last name, beginning with the mother of the bride (if applicable).
If a parent has passed away, you can include the surviving parent’s name first. For example:
“Mrs. Jane Doe and the late Alex Doe Invite you to attend…”
Here’s another option:
“Mrs. Jane Doe Invites you to celebrate the marriage of Kristen Alicia, daughter of Alex Doe, and Mr. Cody Farley”
It’s traditional to list the bride first on the invitation, using only her first and middle name, followed by the groom’s name. In the case of two brides or two grooms, you can list your names in alphabetical order. Many modern couples choose to break this tradition by using the same format for both names of the couple to be married. After all, not everyone changes their name after marriage!
Remember, this process can be as simple or as complicated as you want it to be. Show your creativity and break tradition, if that’s what suits you and your beloved, but don’t forget to honor the people who are helping you make the day happen! You can see more about wedding invitation how-to’s in our complete wedding invitation guide, or read on below!
This is the fourth in a multi-part series. We hope you find the advice in this series helpful as you navigate the world of Save the Date notices, wedding invitations, and wedding websites!
Time truly seems fly as your big day approaches and event plans take shape. Now that you’ve chosen an invitation design, crafted the perfect wedding invitation wording, and finalized your guestlist, it’s time to send those invites out to guests!
Figuring out what to write on the front of each envelope and then sitting down to write it can be a time-consuming and even complicated process, so take a deep breath, grab some wine and dive in! (Hint, sending online wedding invitations will significantly decrease the time needed to address, lick and stamp all of those envelopes!)
Even if you plan to break some (or alot of) rules with your wedding, knowing how to address wedding invitations will help you rule-break with intention. The traditional etiquette of addressing wedding invitations requires knowing each guest’s relationship status. Are they married? Single? Living with a partner but not married? Divorced? Widowed? Other nuances include whether a couple shares a last name or not and whether anyone on the invite has a specific professional title (we’ll do a separate post for those inviting members of a royal family…) Are you exhausted yet?
While the possibilities seem almost endless, we’ve tried to break things down into bite-sized pieces.
Single guest
Rule of Thumb is to use the prefix Ms. or Mr. (Miss for unmarried women under age 16), and spell out the guest’s first and last name
Ms. Jane Smith Miss Jane Smith – if guest is under 16 Jane
Single Guest invited with a +1
Mr. John Smith and Guest Jane and Gues
Married Couples with the same last name
If the guest is married and has the same last name as their spouse, you can use the husband’s full name, or spell out both spouses’ first names. Traditionally, the man’s name is listed first (but we all know times have changed!) For same-sex couples, you can list either spouse first or use alphabetical order if you can’t decide.
Mr. and Mrs. John Smith Mr. John and Ms. Jane Smith Ms. Sarah and Ms. Jane Smith-Doe Jane and John Smith Sarah and Jane
Kate and David’s paperless Glӧvite outer “envelope,” sent to a married couple that shares a last name, with prefixes omitted and both names spelled out. Open the envelope!
Married Couples with different last names or un-married couples living together
For unmarried couples living together, or married couples with different last names, include both partners’ first and last names with the appropriate prefixes. Traditionally, the man’s name is listed first, but we say List the person you’re closest with first. If you’re similarly acquainted with both, list them in alphabetical order. Same goes for a same-sex couple. It’s also tradition that, married couples were listed on the same line on the envelope and unmarried couples were listed on separate lines – but we think that’s rather silly. After all, we all know co-habiting couples that have out-lasted married ones.
Mr. John Doe and Ms. Jane Smith Mr. John Doe and Ms. Jane Smith-Doe Mr. Mark Turner and Mr. Christian Smith Jane and John Mark and Christian
Entire Households, including children living at home
You may choose to include the names of children in a family, if children are welcome at the celebration and will not receive their own invitations because they are living at home. You can also address the family as one unit if they are all invited.
The Smiths Mr. John Smith and Family John Smith and Family Mr. John Smith, Ms. Jane Doe and Family Mr. John Smith and Miss Alicia Smith (a father and daughter) Ms. Sarah and Masters Evan and Stevie Smith (a mother and her two sons)
Above: Kristin and Broen’s paperless Glӧvite outer “envelope,” inviting a family. Open the envelope!
Divorced Female
If your female guest is divorced, it depends on the name that she uses socially. Some women keep their married names and others do not, so it’s always best to check.
Ms. Jane Smith
Widowed female
When addressing an invitation to a widowed guest you can use her husband’s name or her own first name. Again, this is down to personal preference, so you might want to ask.
Ms. Jane Doe Ms. John Doe
Professional titles
Several distinguished titles warrant acknowledgement when addressing a formal wedding invitation. If any of your guests are doctors (Dr.), judges (The Honorable…), commissioned officers (Captain), or retired commissioned officers (Colonel), include the appropriate title on the envelope in place of a social prefix.
The Honorable John Smith and Mrs. Jane Smith (he is a judge)
Traditionally, the man’s name is listed first when addressing an invitation to a heterosexual couple. However, if only one spouse in a married couple has a title, place that person’s name first on the envelope, regardless of gender.
Doctor Jane Doe and Mr. John Smith (She is a doctor and uses her maiden name professionally and socially) Doctor Jane and Mr. John Smith (She is a doctor and uses her married name socially)
When both spouses have titles, include both individuals’ names and titles. Some titles (in the cases of doctors and commissioned officers) can be combined if both individuals in a couple share the same title.
Doctors Jane and Sarah Smith The Doctors Smith
So many details! But addressing your invitations correctly will be worth the effort.
If you’re going all the way and sending paper invitations with both outer and inner envelopes, a rule of thumb is that the outer envelope is the more formal of the two. That means the inner envelope can omit first names or titles. You can also just use first names the guests are close friends or family members.
This is the third in a multi-part series. We hope you find the advice in this series helpful as you navigate the world of Save the Date cards, wedding invitations, and wedding websites!
The time to finalize RSVP wording and send out wedding invitations is fast approaching – eek! Although you’ve likely sent Save the Date cards, giving your guests plenty of notice on the final wedding details helps them to cement their plans. If any of your are traveling to your wedding, they may need extra time to prepare, so don’t feel pressured into waiting to send those invitations out!
Your wedding invitation design is definitely important. However, your wedding invitation wording also sets the tone of your celebration, while giving guests important information about the who, what, when, where and how.
Kristin and Bröen captured the beachy vibe of their destination wedding with their wedding invitation wording – see the live version here. They honor all the people who made the day happen—showcased by “together with their families. Their intentional choice of the words “held on the beach” subtly tells guests the dress code is beach-appropriate clothing and footwear. Because their online wedding invitation linked directly to their wedding website, they did not need to include a specific URL.
Whatever your style, there are a few elements that you’ll definitely want to include in your wedding invitation wording:
Who is inviting or hosting the celebration – in the past, this was traditionally the bride’s parent’s names, but in the modern-world, this can include any combination of hosts – parents, step-parents, grandparents, guardians. If there are too many to mention by name on the actual invitation or if the couple is hosting, something as simple as “Together with their families” or “With great joy, we invite you…” is a lovely way to begin
What the guest is being invited to: for example, “Witness/Share in/ Celebrate the marriage of..,” “As s/he weds,” “Share in their happiness on the top of a mountain as Jane marries Casey” – you get the idea.
Who is getting married / celebrating – this is traditionally each person’s first and last name, but using first names only can also set a wonderfully intimate tone
Where and when -Date(s), time(s), & location so that each guest knows exactly where to gather and what time to be there
How to RSVP – be specific with guests about how (on your website? by email? by reply card?) they should RSVP and when you need to hear from them
Extra (optional) information can include:
Details about any post ceremony celebrations – e.g., “Reception to follow,” or “Dinner and Dancing to follow,” or “Please join us for cocktails after the ceremony” or “party to follow at Studio 18 starting at 7pm.”
Wedding website URL – so guests know where to find more information and potentially RSVP
Dress code- no one likes to be under (or uncomfortably) dressed! This information is particularly important if there are special considerations like dressing warmly for an outdoor ceremony or wearing shoes that are appropriate for sand/grass
If you run out of space for these extra invitation wording details, your wedding website is a great place for all of the spill-over. In addition to the extra information mentioned above, your website may also contain a basic schedule of the day/weekend/week (when the reception or after-party begins, and when certain activities are planned), FAQs (like whether or not children are invited), accommodation suggestions and more information that guest will find helpful, useful and fun. [what to include on a wedding website post] If you are sticking with traditional paper invitations only – then inclusion cards give extra space for all the details.
Jenny and Alan used their online wedding invitation wording to set the tone – and included all of the extra details on their wedding website. See more photos and details about their casual brewpub wedding (there were wooden rings and a magic wand – squeee!)
Your wedding website is also the perfect place to collect online RSVPs. However, if you’re sending printed invitations and requesting snail-mail RSVPs, be sure to include your RSVP cards and self-addressed, stamped envelopes that guests can mail back to you within the wedding invitation envelope.
Invitations can embody a wide range of themes. They also give guests an early idea of what to expect at your ceremony and celebration, especially if you’ve been planning for awhile now and know how the event will look and feel. If calligraphy or traditional wording aren’t your style, there are all kinds of ways to mix things up.
There’s not much about Rachel and Scott’s wedding invitation wording that guest’s wouldn’t love. This invite sets the tone for a celebration that everyone will want to attend, regardless of their dance skills.
This is the second in a multi-part series. We hope you find the advice in this series helpful as you navigate the world of save the date notices, wedding invitations, wedding RSVPs and wedding websites!
Wedding invitation wording and RSVP wording are certainly steeped in tradition, but they have evolved into a flexible art, much like wedding Save the Dates. How you phrase your invitation and RSVP questions should convey the same amount of personality as the wedding invitation design and also set the tone for your guests. If you’re mailing printed invitations, response cards are a separate inclusion, along with a pre-addressed, stamped envelope. To save time, money, and make life easier for guests, many modern couples are opting for email wedding invitations and collecting wedding RSVPs online. Whether you are going the traditional snail mail route or embracing a paperless approach, there are several things that you’ll definitely need to ask.
What to ask
As a minimum, your RSVP questions should cover the following:
RSVP response Deadline: Nudge guests to RSVP by a certain date to give yourself time for final catering numbers and other guest-related tasks.
Guest’s name: If you’re collecting online RSVPs through Glo, we’ll keep track of this for you. However, if you’re sending printed cards, don’t forget to ask the guest to give their name so that you know who the response belongs to when it’s thrown into the pile. One tip is to number your response cards on the back in light pencil and track it on a spreadsheet. This will ensure you know who is RSVPing if one returns without a name.
Attendance status: Guests will need to select whether they are attending or will be unable to make it.
Total # attending: If you’re requesting a response via paper reply cards or certain online services, be sure to include a spot for the number of guests attending and an area to write in the name of each guest. If you’re using Glo for your RSVPs, we’ll collect a reply for each guest that is invited and tally those responses for you.
Meal preferences (optional): This is a must for those serving plated dinners. If there will be a variety of food on offer, you may want to ask about guests’ food allergies or other dietary preferences. If children are attending – you might want guests to specify the number of adult vs. kiddo meals.
Additional logistical questions (optional): As modern weddings have grown in length and number of activities (today’s average wedding is 3 days long with 4 events!), the amount of RSVP information needed to plan the event has also expanded. This is one area where online wedding RSVPs can make your life much simpler. Logistics questions may include things like: arrival/departure dates, hotel/accommodation choice, the need for transportation to/from events, or the need for a babysitter.
Questions for fun (optional): If you’re hoping your guests will feel included in your celebration, there’s no better way than asking them to contribute ideas. Your RSVPs can include fun questions like dance floor requests, which will ensure everyone hears something that will get them onto the floor, or other polls and surveys
RSVPs for events not everyone is invited to (e.g., Rehearsal dinner): If you have any events with a smaller guestlist – keep this in mind as you are designing your RSVPs. If you are using Glo to collect online RSVPs, simply tell us which guests should be able to see details for and RSVP to each event. If you are sending printed cards, consider printing separate cards for the different events or creating different versions featuring the relevant events. All of these options will prevent hurt feelings!
Tentative “Save the Date” RSVP (optional): Knowing attendance numbers early on in your planning can be immensely helpful. Online RSVPs provide an easy option to ask for a preliminary or tentative RSVP response around the time you send the Save the Dates. If you are sending email Save the Dates with Glö, we would suggest using our yes/no/maybe attendance question option, which will ask guests for a preliminary RSVP response. Guests will choose from 5 possible responses options that give you an idea of how certain they are they that will or won’t be able to attend. Based on each guest’s response, we’ll calculate an estimated attendance number for you.
Online wedding RSVPs can save time, stress and tears
Tracking RSVP responses
As replies come in, you’ll need to track who has and has not responded. With mailed cards, you’ll likely need a spreadsheet to keep track of everyone’s replies. As the deadline approaches, be sure to leave enough time to call or email anyone who has not submitted an RSVP.
If you’re using Glo to collect your RSVPs online, we’ll keep track of the responses and tally the results for you. As the RSVP deadline approaches, you can use the “Messages” section to quickly send email reminders to anyone who has not responded.
Just like wedding styles, response card wording can run the gamut from formal to casual to humorous. There isn’t “right” or “wrong” wording, and it is possible to infuse RSVPs with personality that resonates with the theme of your wedding.
Example RSVP deadline: You can get clever with the language, but the RSVP deadline is typically worded a few common ways:
The favor of reply is requested by DATE
Kindly reply by DATE
Please reply on or before DATE
The RSVP reply options can reflect the kind of affair you’re planning. For more formal weddings or those with traditional elements, guests can indicate their attendance in one of the following ways:
Accept with pleasure, Decline with regret
Gladly accept, Sadly decline
Delighted to attend, Regretfully cannot attend
But there is no reason you can’t be creative and add some personal flair with personalized or unusual RSVP wording.
We’ll talk more about specific phrasing and word options, including what to list on your wedding invitation, in part three of this series. You can also check out our complete guide to wedding RSVPs here. Questions? Please add a comment below.
You’ve heard the horror stories. Collecting wedding invitation RSVPs from your guests can be painful, but it doesn’t need to be! Traditionally, the RSVP process has started when the wedding invitations go out in the mail and you then wait…wait…and wait for the RSVP cards to be returned. In today’s world, you also have the option to collect wedding RSVPs online, which can be faster and less stressful.
Whether you go old school or adopt a modern-minded approach, here are some top tips on how to make the entire wedding invitation RSVP process run smoothly:
Be s.p.e.c.i.f.i.c – let your guests know *exactly* how to RSVP (e.g., please email your RSVP response to ourwedding@glosite.com) and what your RSVP deadline is. If you are asking guests to RSVP on your wedsite, include text on your invitation like “Please RSVP on our website at: davidandkate.glosite.com by March 1st, 2015.” (Oh, and make sure your wedsite host is set up to handle any responses sent by a guest who thinks your URL is an email address – e.g., davidandkate@glosite.com – because it happens more often than you’d think!)
Snail Mail Bonus Hint: if you are collecting RSVPs by snail mail, set the RSVP deadline two weeks *before* you actually need the responses to arrive. Most guests will feel good if their response is simply postmarked by the reply date (as the taxman has trained us to do…)
Give options- Do you have some friends who like texts and others who prefer email? Thought so! Make it easy for your guests by giving them permission to RSVP in the manner that they prefer: online, email, and text messages are easiest for some while mailing in an RSVP card might feel more comfortable for an older relative.
Snail mail bonus hint: If you’re using snail mail RSVP cards, make sure you include a pre-addressed and pre-stamped return envelope with adequate postage. Also, on the card, provide an alternative method to RSVP (like an email address or phone number.) That will help the busy guest who discovers the RSVP card in her “to do” pile 5 days after the RSVP deadline!
Stay organized – As the RSVPs start to roll in, make sure they are captured in one place so that you know both who has/has not RSVPed, as well what the responses are. If you’re not using a service like Glö to capture, organize and tally your responses, start a guestlist and RSVP spreadsheet. Here is an example spreadsheet in case you want to steal it! When you receive an RSVP, remember to add it to the spreadsheet right away so that nothing gets lost or forgotten.
Snail mail bonus hint: If you are sending paper RSVP cards in your invitations, number each one lightly on the back in pencil and mark down what number card goes with what guest or household on your spreadsheet. You’d be amazed at the number of cards that are returned without a name on them and this will make things oh-so-much easier to track.
Follow up (gently) – Your guests are interesting, fun people – but this means they are busy too. Although you are thinking about your wedding day and night, they are not, and there is *nothing* wrong with that. Many of your guests will need a gentle reminder that the RSVP deadline is coming up. Email is a great way to reach out.
Snail mail bonus hint: if you’re not using a service like Glö to manage your RSVPs and guest communications online, make sure you gather everyone’s emails and phone numbers together early in your planning so you have them when you need to follow up on those final missing RSVPs.
Plan ahead – don’t wait until 3 days before your catering numbers are due to start calling everyone in panic. Add some calendar invites to remind yourself when to send the first gentle reminder and when to start picking up the phone and dialing. If you’re collecting RSVPs online – consider asking guests to submit a tentative RSVP (i.e. using the “yes/no/maybe” question type on your Glö RSVPs) when you send out your Save the Dates. Their earlier you can start to get a handle on your attendance numbers, the easier your planning will be!One other tip is to build in some buffer for the unexpected yay or nay. Expect one or two guests to drop out at the last minute and one or two others to call at last minute and ask whether they can still come. If you are mentally and logistically prepared for this to happen, it will be less stressful when it does!
At the end of the day, the most important thing is not to panic. Collecting RSVPs just requires a patient and methodical approach. You will get there!
Like many newly-engaged couples, you’re probably wondering what’s next. Preparing for a wedding can seem overwhelming, especially at first. You have so many things to think about—where do you even start? If designing wedding invitations, crafting the perfect RSVP wording, and sending out a Save the Date to your guests are still on your to-do list, we understand.
A good set of first steps is to choose a location, venue, and date. Making those initial decisions will give you a concrete timeline and a sense of the space you’ll have to work with. Once you have a date in mind, it’s time to let your guests know!
A “Save the Date” card is usually sent about six months before the ceremony. The wording on this card generally includes:
“Save the Date!” – a call to action for what you want your guests to do!
Couple’s names – you can go as formal (first and last names) or informal (first names only or nicknames) as you’d like
Date(s) for the celebration – if you already know you’re planning a one-afternoon, multi-day or week-long celebration, let your guests know so they can block off the relevant time
Location where the wedding will take place – this could be the actual venue or just the city/area if you haven’t booked a venue yet
Wedding website URL – Your wedding website can be a great place to start sharing more details, like accommodation and travel options, and start to collect some tentative RSVPs. Your website is dynamic, so you can always add to and update it as your planning continues. If you’re sending email save the dates, the card can link directly to your website so that guests reach it directly
At the bottom of the card, many couples add the note “invitation to follow” to inform guests that more information is on the way
Kate and David used Glö to send out these gorgeous Save the Date cards for their winter destination ski wedding.
Your Save the Dates can be as unique as you are, whether you’ll be printing hundreds or sending paperless versions. The design and wording on your Save the Date will help set the tone for a celebration that your guests can look forward to. A photograph is a fun way to add your own personal, creative touch to your Save the Date design. We love these ideasfrom Pinterest. If you’re going to DIY your save the date cards, then personalized stamps make it easy to prepare large numbers of cards by hand.
Looking for something that will save time, stress and tears? Email Save the Dates are a great way to save on printing and mailing costs. They also eliminate the grueling task of physically addressing, stamping and mailing hundreds of cards and ensuring that each potential guest receives all pertinent info. A paperless save the date can also offer tracking, so you know for sure that each and every guest has received the good news.Going digital doesn’t mean losing your personal style, though, as you can see in the Save the Date below from Broen and Kristin’s 2012 wedding.
Broen designed these custom Save the Dates with the couple’s wedding logo and sent them digitally with Glo. Guests conveniently received the Save the Dates via email and then visited the couple’s wedding website for additional details so they could start planning to attend.
If cards aren’t your style, you could announce your “Save the Date” with a refrigerator magnet. That way, your guests can pin up your wedding date where it’ll always be in sight. If you’d rather stick with something guaranteed to fit in a letter-sized envelope, these mini calendars contain your wedding date, are easy to produce, and will let your guests think of you all year long. Want to break the mold? Maybe you and your intended love to read (or your guests do)… Send them a bookmark.
Do you have any other gorgeous Save the date wording ideas or design tips to include? Share your comments below! Be sure to check out our complete guide to wedding save the dates as well!
Taryn and Enrico’s 
