This is a collaborative post.
As soon as you get engaged, the first thing you’ll inevitably want to do is tell the whole world. The social media announcement has now become something of an art, and all your friends and family members will be delighted to see you’re about to take the big plunge.
Unfortunately, some couples are a bit less savvy when it comes to communicating about the wedding to come. The exact method and timing of how you inform your loved ones and guests may not be the most important thing on earth, but it’s still rather critical!
To help make sure you get it right — because most of us are doing this for the first time — the following rundown offers a few key dos and don’ts when it comes to wedding communication.
DO: Create a Wedding Website
Wedding invitations and save-the-dates are still commonplace, and many people love the tradition of receiving these mementos in the mail. Of course, you don’t have to abandon this tradition. But whether or not you go that route, setting up a wedding website with the fine details will go a long way for guests.
People misplace invitations all the time and sometimes they simply get lost in the mail. Plus, when you build a wedding website, you get a chance to provide a lot more information and personalise it all in your own style. And, perhaps best of all, it offers an opportunity to be a bit greener and live an ethical lifestyle by reducing waste.
DON’T: Do Everything Last Minute
The point of sending out a save-the-date card is to allow people time to plan. This becomes difficult for guests if you don’t let them know soon enough. Sometimes couples need to rush but under most circumstances, you need to have a lot of lead time. The traditional rule of thumb is to send them out anywhere between six to nine months before the event.
DO: Follow Up on Invites
The old days of mailing everything made RSVPs more difficult. Now, people have it easy, so be sure to take advantage. You still want to give people enough time to think about it, look over their finances and make plans for a day that’s more than half a year away. But once the RSVP date passes, follow up with anyone you haven’t heard from by email. Build in an extra few weeks (or even a month), because you know there will be stragglers. And, this way, you can use that buffer time to chase down the ones who haven’t been able to commit.
DON’T: Forget the Thank You
People who go fully digital shouldn’t abandon normal etiquette and courtesy. It may not seem as important if there is no hand-written letter and stamped envelope involved. But you still want to thank all your guests for attending your special day. A simple email can suffice, or you can jazz it up with a digital card. Almost anything is fine; just don’t forget to say “thank you” in some way.
Communicating Your Love
It’s amazing how far we’ve come. In the last decade, modern communication has forever changed — and most of us never want to go back to the old days. Still, there is an element of tradition when it comes to weddings. This is both part of the fun of it all and means there are certain expectations.
But if you create a wedding website, give people enough time to plan, follow up easily through digital channels, and remember to give thanks, your new modern wedding won’t diverge too far from a classic.
