Electronic save-the-date

fletchk

Has anyone out there sent their save-the-dates electronically? If so, which website would you recommend using? I'm trying to keep things as simple and cost-effective as possible. Thanks!

hlvonb

I personally am a fan of eating the slight extra cost and mail them out to your guests.

CMGragain

I detest online STDs or invitations.  We used postcards from Vistaprint for STDs.  They are custom printed, and are cheaper to mail.

AddieCake

The thing about STDs is that they work best if they can get stuck on the fridge or desk or somewhere the people are likely to see it. If I got an electronic STD, I would likely forget about it b/c I wouldn't see it again. 

jalyndani

Total newbie here, but I lurk all the time. I thought I'd toss in my two cents. 

I sent email Save the Dates since we're having a very small family-and-close-friends-only ceremony and reception. Less than 70 people, and mostly couples. I...well, I screen-capped a Save the Date preview that I personalized on one of those crafty websites. I made it a JPG file, then inserted it in an email, with our website and emails in text below the image. We're on a supremely tight budget, so the cost of paper/postcard STDs was out of the question. I thought by having a "clickable" link to our website would be super easy for everyone, and we put the important ceremony & reception info on there (as in the fact that our's is an adult's only event). However...

I've worried constantly if everyone received it. Did I get the email address right? Did their email host kick it to the Spam folder? What if they didn't check their email? And now I'm finding out that some people didn't even f'ing NOTICE the website link underneath it. Like the person who told me today that she and her 2 infants (who will be 15 months and EIGHT WEEKS old at the wedding) can't wait to come. But that's a rant for an entirely different thread. 

To sum it up- I'd go with paper if I could do it all over and if I had more money in my budget. Good luck to you! 

KatWAG

I dont like electronic STDs. People can forward emails to someone who is not invited. And then you are in an awkward situation.

Cookie Pusher

FSIL did email STDs for her wedding. The next night, she sent us an email asking if we got the STD because other people's got stuck in their spam filters or bounced back. They ended up having to follow up with everyone they sent an email to because they had no idea if anyone got them. This is a big risk when doing electronic stuff. They had originally planned on doing electronic invites too, but thankfully changed their minds after this debacle!

ETA: Seriously? Y'all are stalking me over this stuff?

melbenso

I sent mine electronically through the Knot because I thought it would be easier to get people to all of the info on our wedding website.  We have a lot of people coming in from out of town, so we had a lot of directions, hotel accommodations, etc. to share.  Granted,everyone we sent them to were tech savvy, so there wasn't a "will they check their email?" problem. 

The only problem I encountered was that a few of them bounced back (all from the same server, so for some reason that internet provider didn't like the way it was sent).  But I got a notification for each one that bounced back and just emailed a copy of the save the date to each of those people personally.

Save the Dates (I refuse to call them STDs) aren't necessary or required.  Only an invitation is. So send them they way you want to.  The only way I'd be worried about electronic Save the Dates is if a decent portion of your guest list aren't regular email checkers.

[Deleted User]

I have to agree with the pp that said she would look at it & then forget it, I would do the same. I prefer something I can stick on fridge or attach to my wall calender. I'm more likely to remember and also be more excited about it too.

Inkdancer

Just throwing in another perspective here:

I found out recently that my future in-laws put my university email down on the family mailing list (which I can't see yet because I'm not married into the family yet). Apparently people have been trying to send me all kinds of emails there, but I'm locked out of it because I graduated. Emails sent there don't bounce back, they just go into a black hole and are never seen again.

Don't let this happen to you. If you decide to go the electronic route (which I do not recommend for reasons outlined by PPs) then please make sure you have an up-to-date email for everyone.