I have several questions that i desperately need answers to! My wedding is in September 2005 in Athens, Greece, where my hubby is from. However, we were legally married in Nov 2003 (no wedding) in order for my guy to be able to stay in the U.S. Most everyone we want to invite knows our situation and several say they want to attend our wedding ceremony. Is it appropriate to send save-the-date cards and invitations to family and friends that I know will NOT be able to attend due to financial/personal situations? I don't want to give the impression that we expect gifts but I don't want them to feel snubbed either since they know of our plans. Should everyone in my office of 25 receive an invitation since a few say they might like to come? It's a fairly close-knit office and we are welcoming anyone who wants to attend and can make the trip! Is it tacky to print save-the-date cards myself using cardstock? Since I took his last name more than a year ago, how should the invitations be worded? Should I use my married or maiden name for wedding purposes (reply cards, registries)? How do I go about asking guests to let me know as soon as possible if they might attend so that i can inquire about group airfare? What is my responsiblity for arranging their travel, hotel, and transportation to the church/reception? I know I sound obnoxious and I apologize. I am at a loss as to how to proceed and haven't found answers anywhere. Thank you for any input!
Melinda
Etiquette Now
WEDDING ETIQUETTE EXPERT
Jan 10, 2005, 2:39 PM
Post #2 of 2
(1424 views)
Re: [melinda_50] Delayed wedding in Greece
[In reply to]
Dear Delayed Wedding,
First of all, please remember that you are renewing your vows and this is not a wedding. Having said that, send your 'Save the Date' cards and invitations to everyone you wish to attend your renewal ceremony, always remembering to ask them to share in your renewal, not wedding.
You can definitely print your own cards. Many do these days and with the wonderful fonts available, the cards turn out great.
You would use your married name on your invitations. It would look like this:
The honour of your presence is requested
at the renewal of the wedding vows of
Mr. and Mrs. Your New Name
Date
Time
Location
Usually for a destination wedding/reaffirmation, the guests are responsible for their own transportation and lodging. You are only responsible for your attendant's lodging. So, if you want to try to secure a group rate for air fair, you may wish to issue your invitations well in advance--perhaps two months. Make your reply date tight, say about two weeks. You can explain in a short letter, sent with the invitation, what you are trying to do.
You may alternately send this information along with your 'Save the Date' cards. This way you can send the invitations at a reasonable time--6 to 8 weeks before your reaffirmation.
It is best to obtain information from a variety of hotel options, luxurious to thrifty for your guests. You could send this information with the 'Save the Date' cards. Once you have an idea of who is actually going and where they will be staying, you can then determine land transportation. The hotels may even provide this for you.
You won't know until you have the number of guests and where they will stay.
Delayed wedding in Greece
