STD/Invitation help!

StephMarye

Earning My Ears
Joined
Jan 15, 2017
Hi Everyone!

Our wedding is on April 19, 2018 - and of course I wanted to get started on our save the dates/invitations. I intend on sending our save the dates within the month.. and wanted to send our invitations at around the 8 month mark (considering that it's a destination wedding!) When did you ladies send your STD/invites?

I ask because I contacted our Wedding Event Manager with some questions regarding the time for our DP (to include in our invitations of course!) She said it was a bit premature to start on STD's/invites, and said we wouldn't get an official time for the DP until 6 months prior to the wedding.

I was disappointed at her response (it was written a bit.. catty.) If I wait until the 6 month mark to order my invite, with printing and shipping, then mailing to guests, do you ladies think it will be enough time?

Just feeling a little overwhelmed, and a bit disappointed that our WEM isn't being very helpful. :sad: TIA!
 
Yeah, 6 months is standard for booking dessert parties. And since you're sending a Save-the-Date, your invitations don't need to be sent so far out. A standard time frame for destination wedding invitations is 2 or 3 months (vs. 6 to 8 weeks for at-home weddings). For the Save-the-Dates you can always just say the park/resort where the DP will be held without giving a specific location. Especially if you'll be providing transportation, people won't really need to know which venue they're going to.

Standard IllumiNations dessert party start time is 30 minutes before the show, which starts at 9pm, except during the holidays. The other fireworks showtimes move around a bit more. I don't think you need that on a Save the Date either.

Hang in there. It can be frustrating not to get a lot of help from your sales consultant or planner when you're still more than 6 months out from your date, but it's because they're giving other, closer events the increased attention you'll get when your date is closer.
 
I’m actually dealing with similar angst. We ordered our save-the-dates a while ago and they’re all addressed and ready to go, but we’re trying not to mail them until our guests can actually book accommodations, and Disney still hasn’t finalized our room block. So, we’re hoping against hope we can still send them out by the 8-month mark (which is in about two weeks for us). Don't know the exact timeline for the invitations yet, but probably about 3 months out, as Carrie said.

But anyway, I don’t think you need that specific information for the save-the-date. Ours are EXTREMELY general- just our names, the date, “Walt Disney World, Florida,” and an exhortation to consult our website for more information (which can be updated as needed). This far out, I think people just need to figure out getting time off work, if they can get flights/hotels at an acceptable price, etc.- not necessarily the nuts-and-bolts of their visit/the wedding day.

I really, really sympathize with your frustration. Our first and second-choice dates were chronologically after our third, which is what we wound up with, so by the time that was finalized, it seems we were already behind the game. Disney just sent me vendor lists yesterday for services I had to book months ago. :scared1: It is definitely exacerbating the stress of wedding planning.
 
We did the save the dates for a November wedding (this year) around the middle of March. We just had the date on there with no mention of the wedding time or even the fireworks party. We are using all Disney people for the wedding and not outside vendors but some approved vendors (the DJ, the videographer) and had no trouble getting them set up at 6 months out. We are not having a weekend wedding though so that might be helping out.

Liz
mom of bride
 


Thanks for your advice! We are 10 months away, but I feel there is so much to do..! It's a little frustrating that they provide vague responses.. Just yesterday I had another issue with them! They forgot to respond to an e-mail I sent in May, and hadn't booked our DP in Epcot! I followed-up since I hadn't heard from them.. and they apologized for their mistake. THANKFULLY, there was a spot at UK Lochside left, which was our second choice. :sad2: I don't want to be the annoying bride that sends tons of e-mails, but at the same time the mistakes that have already been made make me weary. I'll try to hold all of my questions for our planning session in October.. and until then, I'll just post on here for guidance, haha! o_O:D
 
Thanks for your advice! We are 10 months away, but I feel there is so much to do..! It's a little frustrating that they provide vague responses.. Just yesterday I had another issue with them! They forgot to respond to an e-mail I sent in May, and hadn't booked our DP in Epcot! I followed-up since I hadn't heard from them.. and they apologized for their mistake. THANKFULLY, there was a spot at UK Lochside left, which was our second choice. :sad2: I don't want to be the annoying bride that sends tons of e-mails, but at the same time the mistakes that have already been made make me weary. I'll try to hold all of my questions for our planning session in October.. and until then, I'll just post on here for guidance, haha! o_O:D

There is a lot to do but in this time period you can concentrate on the things that only you can do and do this far out. Your clothes, the clothes of the wedding party, etc. Start pinning the ideas for what you want etc. In a month or two you will have the planning guide you need to fill out and that will give you more to do.

Our dessert party information was included in the contract. Was yours?

I find that the best way to handle a Disney wedding is to realize that Disney has a way they do things and they don't really stray too far from it. True there may be somethings you need to nail down now but so much can wait until your planning session and that time before the wedding. I am trying to stay on top of everything and so far so good. I really only maybe emailed the planners a couple of times after we signed the contract and before the planning session and I think that was room block related and to let them know our preferred DJ.

As far as invitations, the recommended timeline to send out on Disney's paperwork is three months before the wedding so although you can be thinking about all of that now; there is no pressing need to have those ordered. My daughter's are going out mid August and we know what she is doing but the order has not gone out yet. Her aunt works at a print shop but is ordering the invitations from Carlson and she said that has a very quick turn around time.

Good luck!

Liz
mom of bride
 
There is a lot to do but in this time period you can concentrate on the things that only you can do and do this far out. Your clothes, the clothes of the wedding party, etc. Start pinning the ideas for what you want etc. In a month or two you will have the planning guide you need to fill out and that will give you more to do.

Our dessert party information was included in the contract. Was yours?

I find that the best way to handle a Disney wedding is to realize that Disney has a way they do things and they don't really stray too far from it. True there may be somethings you need to nail down now but so much can wait until your planning session and that time before the wedding. I am trying to stay on top of everything and so far so good. I really only maybe emailed the planners a couple of times after we signed the contract and before the planning session and I think that was room block related and to let them know our preferred DJ.

As far as invitations, the recommended timeline to send out on Disney's paperwork is three months before the wedding so although you can be thinking about all of that now; there is no pressing need to have those ordered. My daughter's are going out mid August and we know what she is doing but the order has not gone out yet. Her aunt works at a print shop but is ordering the invitations from Carlson and she said that has a very quick turn around time.

Good luck!

Liz
mom of bride

I already received our planning kit, and it's due within a few weeks! I have so many questions but I feel like I can't write my wedding planner... Thankfully, I already found my perfect dress, and wedding party attire.

My DP information wasn't included in my contract. My Wedding Consultant told me that was something I would discuss with my Wedding Event Manager so I thought nothing of it! They apologized for the mistake on their end, and I suppose since it was settled I'm not even mad about it..

Preferred DJ!? Did you choose a Disney DJ?? I'm going with Disney... and didn't even know there were options?!

I think I'm just having a rough day! Thank you for your guidance! It's greatly appreciated. :love:
 


I already received our planning kit, and it's due within a few weeks! I have so many questions but I feel like I can't write my wedding planner... Thankfully, I already found my perfect dress, and wedding party attire.

My DP information wasn't included in my contract. My Wedding Consultant told me that was something I would discuss with my Wedding Event Manager so I thought nothing of it! They apologized for the mistake on their end, and I suppose since it was settled I'm not even mad about it..

Preferred DJ!? Did you choose a Disney DJ?? I'm going with Disney... and didn't even know there were options?!

I think I'm just having a rough day! Thank you for your guidance! It's greatly appreciated. :love:


If you have your planning kit you have tons of work to do now LOL. I can't remember when we got the DJ info but it was either in the original folder when we had our sales/site visit...I think that was it...there was a list of Disney DJs...they don't have their own; they outsource that. You are not guaranteed your request but I checked out a few and then the one I wanted spoke to me and said that I could request him but he could not save my date until he heard from Disney. I emailed the planner and made my request and then a couple of days later heard back from the DJ that he had been contacted to do my daughter's wedding.

And the planning kit we received did not have to be back until a few weeks before our actual planning meeting. I want to say it was due three weeks before our planning session so if yours is due back shortly that is much further out than ours was.

Liz
 
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