Invites vs Announcements

greeneyedmaggie

My fiance and I are paying for the majority of our wedding. Once we sat and started making a guest list we realized what we had thought would be a small wedding of 80 or so was actually closer to 200.  That being said most of my family lives far away and there would be a significant cost for them to come here for our big day. Would it be bad form to send some of my family announcements instead of invites? If I do send them announcements do I then not send them Save the Dates. I don't want people to feel left out, but I also can't afford to spend most of my budget feeding people. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!

Beazilla

If you send them STDs, then you have to send them an invite. It's ok to send them an announcement instead and you can mail announcements the day of the wedding (not before). Announcements just let people know you're married, even if you didn't want to send them an invite and aren't gift-grabby. Be sure you have a clear line of which relatives you're inviting and which ones you aren't. If they're people you'd want to come to the wedding if they lived closer, then you should invite them and let them decide if they're going to come.

HobokensFury

Do not send them save the dates.  Make sure you send the announcements AFTER the wedding, not before.

CassieeK

If you send STDs, it implies you need them to keep the date open b/c they are invited.  If they aren't invited, don't send them those, and send announcements after the wedding.

JanoBean75

Most of my budget went to feeding people. I skipped things like expensive floral arrangements, uplighting, expensive decorations and put my money toward awesome food. I did a lot of DIY and used a grocery store for our flowers (bouqets and bouts) and they came out awesome for under $400.

That said, an STD is essentially an invitation. Anyone who receives one is invited. You're simply letting them know the date and location early and will send details (the actual invitation) later. If you want to send announcements you can send them the day of or immediately after the wedding. You mention the date and place, but not the time.

For my sister's first wedding (which was an elopement), my parents sent this:

Mr. and Mrs. John Smith
joyfully announce the marriage of their daughter
Jane Smith
to
Mr. William Johnson
Saturday, the twentieth of May
Two thousand and one
San Juan, Puerto Rico

greeneyedmaggie

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I will NOT be sending save the dates to everyone, only those who will be invited. I'm essentially going to be inviting Aunts and Uncles and leaving out the cousins. That's what my Mom suggested and I think it's the best approach.