RSVP Date for Destination Wedding?

ShadeofGreen816

Hi all - I'm having some trouble deciding what an appropriate RSVP date is for my wedding. Here are the pertinent details:

Wedding is 8/16/14 in South Carolina, most family/friends live in Indiana and Missouri. So some travel required, but not necessarily plane tickets if people choose to drive. STDs went out in Feb with website info that has been kept up to date. Rooms need to be reserved by July 16th to get the group rate. Also, my contract states that I need to give my venue an "estimated guest count" by July 16th. 

I guess my question is, I have typically heard 4 weeks to be the RSVP timeline, but that doesn't' give much (read: any) wiggle room with the venue. Is it OK to set my RSVP date for July 5th or 10th or so to give people time and also give me a couple extra days to call any delinquent guests who don't RSVP on time? Also, does this mean they should go out around the first of June?

Obviously I am a mess. Help! Thanks!!

Maggie0829

I would speak to your venue to see when they need the final headcount.  The "estimate guest count" is just that, an estimation on how many people you think will be there.  What you really need to know is their deadline for the final guest count.

When you find out the final guest count add 5-7 days to that date and that should be your RSVP date.

And the date you send out your invites depends on your wedding date.  So  the earliest your invites should go out is June 16th (8 weeks/2 months before your wedding date).

In your invites I would make sure to include accommodation information and the deadline to book rooms to receive the group rate.  Just because you sent STDs doesn't mean that everyone has looked at or will look at the website so make sure to include any and all pertinent information on enclosure cards.

KatWAG

July 5th is way too early for yoru RSVP date. I would do July 31st or August 1.

I agree with Maggie, add an insert for travel/ hotel info.

ShadeofGreen816

Maggie0829 said:

I would speak to your venue to see when they need the final headcount.  The "estimate guest count" is just that, an estimation on how many people you think will be there.  What you really need to know is their deadline for the final guest count.

When you find out the final guest count add 5-7 days to that date and that should be your RSVP date.

And the date you send out your invites depends on your wedding date.  So  the earliest your invites should go out is June 16th (8 weeks/2 months before your wedding date).

In your invites I would make sure to include accommodation information and the deadline to book rooms to receive the group rate.  Just because you sent STDs doesn't mean that everyone has looked at or will look at the website so make sure to include any and all pertinent information on enclosure cards.

Thanks for the reply. I was definitely planning to include an accommodations card in the invite, either separate or as part of general information about the weekend (we are hosting a welcome dinner on Friday for everyone who will be in town by then).

Also, I feel kind of silly because just reading again - I promise for the 4th time today - and found a tiny little sentence tucked into a completely different part of the contract that says they need a guest count 2 weeks before and the exact head count 3 days before. This makes it much easier!

Maggie0829

SarahRN87 said:

Maggie0829 said:

I would speak to your venue to see when they need the final headcount.  The "estimate guest count" is just that, an estimation on how many people you think will be there.  What you really need to know is their deadline for the final guest count.

When you find out the final guest count add 5-7 days to that date and that should be your RSVP date.

And the date you send out your invites depends on your wedding date.  So  the earliest your invites should go out is June 16th (8 weeks/2 months before your wedding date).

In your invites I would make sure to include accommodation information and the deadline to book rooms to receive the group rate.  Just because you sent STDs doesn't mean that everyone has looked at or will look at the website so make sure to include any and all pertinent information on enclosure cards.

Thanks for the reply. I was definitely planning to include an accommodations card in the invite, either separate or as part of general information about the weekend (we are hosting a welcome dinner on Friday for everyone who will be in town by then).

Also, I feel kind of silly because just reading again - I promise for the 4th time today - and found a tiny little sentence tucked into a completely different part of the contract that says they need a guest count 2 weeks before and the exact head count 3 days before. This makes it much easier!

I would still double check with them.  Read that line word for word and make sure that they know that you are following their contract rather then just want is verbally told to you.

ShadeofGreen816

Thanks for the suggestions, ladies. I have a meeting next week with my venue to iron out details, so I will be sure that any and all dates are clarified at this time.