I'm German and my FI is American. We both live in the US and our wedding will take place in the US as well.
In Germany it is customary to have a Polterabend, which is basically like an informal party to honor the couple that traditionally happens the evening before the wedding (
Wikipedia). Since most of my friends and family won't be able to come to the wedding in the US we decided to have a Polterabend in Germany a few weeks before the wedding. We would like to also invite FI's immediate family and our close friends from the US to this event. We realize that most probably won't be able to come but we feel that they should still receive an invitation.
We're wondering what the best wording for this would be? Most people that we're thinking about inviting from the US know about the party in Germany but we still want to avoid any confusion about whether or not this is the actual wedding. Also, most people won't necessarily know the term 'Polterabend.' The invitation will include a link to our wedding website which has a section about the Polterabend.
Also, when do you think these invitations should go out. Is 8 weeks sufficient?