Invites vs. save-the-dates vs. announcements?

Albireo

I was talking about announcements with FMIL the other day. I said I'd never received an announcement when I was invited to a wedding, just a save-the-date and then an invitation. She wondered if, with the advent of email and Facebook, announcements had gone the way of the dinosaur.

It's also just occurred to me that there are people who we wish could come, but we don't want to pressure them to come because they're so far away (and one person has a crippling phobia about flying). Are those the people we need announcements for -- just to let them know we didn't forget them without actually inviting them?

crushme8602

engagement announcements = engagement party

quotequeen

Announcements aren't sent to people who are invited to the wedding - the invitation is sufficient announcement for that.  They are sent after the fact to those who were not invited.  Personally, I think they are generally a bad idea unless you eloped or had an extremely small wedding.  Otherwise, anyone close enough to you to actually want an announcement was probably invited, and other people are likely to think you are just looking for a gift.

MrsJG2Be

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_invites-paper_invites-vs-save-dates-vs-announcements?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:cd062f89-8272-496a-b0ab-225e1f87acecDiscussion:4a098f47-4fe1-4077-9d06-495f7f944da0Post:eb918c28-68ee-479d-a3d1-797bb72ecd6d">Re: Invites vs. save-the-dates vs. announcements?</a>:
[QUOTE]Announcements aren't sent to people who are invited to the wedding - the invitation is sufficient announcement for that.  They are sent after the fact to those who were not invited.  Personally, I think they are generally a bad idea unless you eloped or had an extremely small wedding.  Otherwise, anyone close enough to you to actually want an announcement was probably invited, and other people are likely to think you are just looking for a gift.
Posted by quotequeen[/QUOTE]

What do you suggest doing if you're going to have a small destination wedding? We're not eloping but anyone who can afford to go, we would love to have there. Would you send out save the dates and invitations?