when to send rehearsal dinner invites?

twojunebrides

FI and I are inviting our out-of town guests to the rehearsal dinner, with the thought that if they are traveling, they may be arriving a day early, and we'd like to feed them, and spend some extra time with them.

I googled when to send rehearsal dinner invites and everything said 4 weeks before the event.  We sent wedding invites today for our wedding (June 20.... so about 8.5 weeks out).   My thought is that if these people know they are invited to the rehearsal dinner, they will make their travel arrangements to be able to go, but if they don't know, they might just arrive on wedding day.

I want them to get rehearsal dinner invites early enough that if they want to attend, it isn't too late to make appropriate travel arrangements.... So, is sending them like 6 or 7 weeks before the event too early?

Only 2 guests will be flying in, and they've been told that they are invited to the rehearsal dinner, but other oot guests will be driving 4-8 hours.  

novella1186

twojunebrides said:

FI and I are inviting our out-of town guests to the rehearsal dinner, with the thought that if they are traveling, they may be arriving a day early, and we'd like to feed them, and spend some extra time with them.

I googled when to send rehearsal dinner invites and everything said 4 weeks before the event.  We sent wedding invites today for our wedding (June 20.... so about 8.5 weeks out).   My thought is that if these people know they are invited to the rehearsal dinner, they will make their travel arrangements to be able to go, but if they don't know, they might just arrive on wedding day.

I want them to get rehearsal dinner invites early enough that if they want to attend, it isn't too late to make appropriate travel arrangements.... So, is sending them like 6 or 7 weeks before the event too early?

Only 2 guests will be flying in, and they've been told that they are invited to the rehearsal dinner, but other oot guests will be driving 4-8 hours.  

Can you call the people who are flying in and just give them a heads up? 

This happened to us; I sent my RD invites out when I was "supposed to" and three of my relatives that I'm really close to won't be able to come. They didn't realize they were invited, so they're flying in late Friday night for the wedding on Saturday. I was kind of bummed out, and realized I should have made it clear farther in advance. Totally my mistake. (To be honest, the RD was one of those things we totally forgot about for a while because we were so focused on other things. Lesson learned). 

Maggie0829

I would just call up your OOT guests and invite them over the phone. 

littlepep

I would give them a heads up via phone like PPs suggested. Like you said, they may already be planning to come in a day early. Everyone in the bridal party should know that they are invited. 

twojunebrides

novella1186 said:

twojunebrides said:

FI and I are inviting our out-of town guests to the rehearsal dinner, with the thought that if they are traveling, they may be arriving a day early, and we'd like to feed them, and spend some extra time with them.

I googled when to send rehearsal dinner invites and everything said 4 weeks before the event.  We sent wedding invites today for our wedding (June 20.... so about 8.5 weeks out).   My thought is that if these people know they are invited to the rehearsal dinner, they will make their travel arrangements to be able to go, but if they don't know, they might just arrive on wedding day.

I want them to get rehearsal dinner invites early enough that if they want to attend, it isn't too late to make appropriate travel arrangements.... So, is sending them like 6 or 7 weeks before the event too early?

Only 2 guests will be flying in, and they've been told that they are invited to the rehearsal dinner, but other oot guests will be driving 4-8 hours.  

Can you call the people who are flying in and just give them a heads up? 

This happened to us; I sent my RD invites out when I was "supposed to" and three of my relatives that I'm really close to won't be able to come. They didn't realize they were invited, so they're flying in late Friday night for the wedding on Saturday. I was kind of bummed out, and realized I should have made it clear farther in advance. Totally my mistake. (To be honest, the RD was one of those things we totally forgot about for a while because we were so focused on other things. Lesson learned). 

That's like exactly what I don't want to happen!  We decided to send  rehearsal invites early, but include a note that basically says, "If you arrive early, please join us."   That way they know they are invited, but that they don't need to rearrange plans if already made. 

I called the people I really want to be there and told them that they are invited. 

[Deleted User]

Another vote to just give them a heads up that they are invited and that an invite with the dinner details will follow in a few weeks. I did make up invites for the rehersal dinner, nothing fancy, but just something that had the addresses on it that were needed. Since I diy them, everyone who needed to be at the church got ones that had the church address and the resturant address on them. The OOT got ones with just the resturant information & time on it. Figured they didn't need to be bored with the rehersal.