Whether your event is a small gathering or a big one, an invitation is always a part of it. When you come to think of it, the invitation, mainly the save the date, serves to be the very first glimpse that guests are going to have about your invite.
Though it may seem like an unimportant piece (or pieces) of expensive paper, it does serve a useful purpose. Even until today, it isn't something that you should think about going without, no matter how you're trying to pinch the penny.
When your guests receive an invitation to your event, it creates that frenzy of excitement. Once all your guests have received theirs, chances are, you're going to have circles of friends talking about it. People will look forward to your event. For the most part, it also keeps the blood pumping as you strive to perfect each day of preparation leading up to the event.
Even in this digital era, invitations are still very much present in the form of e-invites. This fact would also show greatly why proper invitations are always a must for any event. That said, read through below to learn more about why invitations shouldn't be skipped when planning an event.
1. It Serves As Your Party's Introduction.
To start with, invitations are important because they serve as your party's introduction. Invitations are more informative than you ever thought it to be.
When you send these out to your guests, they'll know exactly what your event is going to be about. It saves you all the hassle of answering through a hundred messages also to clarify what, where, when, etc. In an invitation, these are all loud and clear. It's going to be so hard for your guests to miss out on this information.
When you've sent your invites out to your guests, it's like you've made that big introduction to your event, too. Your guests will know that your party exists, and then they can start preparing for it.
That said, you mustn't miss out on the pertinent information like the following:
• What type of party: (e.g., A barn party)
• Who is the celebrant: (e.g., Marc)
• On what occasion: (e.g., Marc's first birthday)
• When: (e.g., Saturday, August 27th)
• Where: (e.g., Marc's parents' farmhouse, with this specific address)
• RSVP: (e.g., 111-111-111, Lina, Marc's mom)
When you've got all that information on your invitation, your guests now know everything that they need to know about your event.
A bonus tip to make your invitation even more informative is this: add that extra sheet for a map to your event. That way, you're giving your guests that convenience also of knowing where to go. Right, when they open your invite, they can also map out their schedules on their mind as to how early they may have to leave their homes, so they'll make it on time.
When you're that particular about the details, it also helps make your event more smooth-sailing on the day itself.
2. It Makes It Easier For Your Guests To Remember Your Event.
Because everyone regularly checks their social media accounts or text messages anyway, you might also mistakenly feel like texting or sending out a message is alright. That way, you can save a few bucks rather than generating an e-invite or printing out invitations. False! You're only giving your guests even more chances of forgetting your event.
After reading your text or social media message, chances are, the recipient will never look at that message again. As they go about with their daily busy lives, your message will fall even more in the back of their mind. It would take another guest, or yourself, to remind them about it before they spring back to reality and remember your event.
Had you sent an invitation instead, this wouldn't be the case. It's easier for guests to remember you when they have a proper invitation to show for it. For instance, even with e-invites, they will recognize the look of it.
Human beings are quite photographic individuals. For as long as the event hasn't happened yet, they'll keep remembering the design of your invitation, and even the details in it. Plus, once they've opened the e-invite, this also increases the chances of the recipient actually noting it down.
When you've made all that effort to send an invitation, it shows that you're serious about your event. Hence, your guests will take it more seriously as well.
This advantage is also further heightened if you decide to send out printed invitations. Once they've read through the details, most people are going to clip this on their journal or place it on their fridge. When your invitation screams at them every day, then surely, they won't forget that you've got a party coming up.
3. It Sets The Tone Of Your Event.
If you're going to send a text message or a social media message to invite guests to your event, it's going to be so difficult for you to set the tone of the event. Don't expect your guests to be able to read between the lines. They'll never know the theme or imagine it, even when you've specified what the theme is.
If you're trying to create a uniform tone for the wardrobe of your guests, for instance, this is just going to be close to impossible.
Save yourself all this trouble through an invitation. Generally, your invitation will be designed in the tone that your event is also in. Casual events call for brighter, more relaxed invitations, such as a housewarming party invitation. If you're hosting a black-tie event, then the invitation will also be more formal.
Now that your guests have an invitation, they'll have an idea also of what to expect. The notes you want to convey can all be seen, depending on the tone that you're trying to set through your invitation.
4. It Lets You Know Who's Coming And Who's Not.
When you're in the process of creating your invitations, you'll have a long list of guests. But, you're not sure if all of these guests are coming. Your invitation is one of the best ways for you to know who's coming and who's not. How? Through the RSVP section.
When you create your invitation, never miss out on the RSVP. Don't just put the details of who to contact. But, also include the deadline. Do specify that whoever doesn't respond on that date will be removed from the guest list. This may sound strict, but it's the way to go, especially when you have quite a big guest list.
First, by setting the deadline for the RSVP, you can start on the seating arrangement after the deadline. That way, it's easier for you to group people in the groups that you know they'll be comfortable in.
After all, you'll also want your guests to stay until the very end. Seating does matter, as if they're seated beside their mortal enemy or a bitter ex-lover, then the whole night will just be ruined for them. You'll see these guests racing through the doors to leave.
Then, when you know who's coming and who's not, you now have a more narrow list of the guests that may need special arrangements. Perhaps you may want to help them out with hotel and transportation options or consider having accessibility for persons with disabilities or elderlies.
These may seem like details that you should no longer engage in, but with a straightforward invitation, you're able to go this specific with your event planning. It may cause you a little bit more stress this time on, but the efforts will prove to be worth it come the event day itself. When everyone is happy and having fun, your party is a hit.
5. It Creates That Sense Of Anticipation.
Another reason for you to use a proper invitation for your event is that it helps build that excitement. House warming parties, for instance, are an exciting party to help welcome the new neighbors into their new home. It’s a chance to get to know each other and to make new friends in your new locality. Hence, your guests, or your new neighbors, are going to feel flattered and be so happy that they've received an invite to your event.
Who knows, they might even start preparing for it as soon as they've finished reading through the details. There's just that element of excitement and happiness that guests receive from opening an invitation. It's like opening a pleasant surprise.
This sense of anticipation may not always be present through ordinary text messages, for instance. Especially when they've opened the text message at a busy time of the day, chances are, the recipient is just going to skim through it, or even read it so fast to get it over with. Not only does this make your guest forget your event, but it also dampens up that fun and exciting factor.
A proper invitation does make your event feel official and whether your friends are invited or not. Then, there are also questions about the theme, the venue, and other matters. Once they've received the invitation, all this excitement even heightens.
6. It Helps You Control The Crowd.
The RSVP is very, very important. When you're sending out an invitation, don't forget that part. If you're the recipient of the invite, don't also forget to respond to it. More than just giving yourself an idea of who's coming and who isn't, one of the most critical functions that can be achieved through the RSVP and the invitation as a whole is that it helps you control the crowd.
Most event venues will always have a limit. So, it's your job also to be able to stick to this limit so that everyone will be comfortably seated. If your guests intend to bring another person (which, by the way, is not always a good thing to do), at least you have an idea. Hence, you know if 300 people will be 300, or if you need to make a little bit more adjustment.
Along with controlling the crowd, with the number of people that respond to your invitation, you'll also be able to manage the food. This is also why guests have to be very considerate about who they bring if the guest wasn't invited in the first place.
7. It Helps You Manage Your Food Budget.
If invitations can help you control the crowd, it means you can also manage your budget on food. It would also be easier for you to plan your menu if you have control over who will be attending the event.
Remember that you're paying for the food of every person that goes. If it turns out that half of your guests couldn't make it and yet you still paid for their headcount, you've just wasted so much money. On the reverse, too, you wouldn't want to be confused with your headcount, such that your food won't be enough for the guests. Yikes!
This fact is also fundamental to highlight, as there's a higher chance of your guests responding to RSVP's and the deadline if it's printed on your invite. They may respond to your text, but their "Okay" may not necessarily mean that they're coming. It may only be an acknowledgment that they've received your message.
Then, even if right there and then, they tell you they're going, this might change as the event day gets closer. With an RSVP through the proper invitation, everything is clear.
Conclusion
As you've now read through this article, here's to hoping that you've erased that connotation in your mind that invitations are becoming obsolete pieces of paper. Even in this digital age, you'll still see many people sending e-invites.
If you're one of those that have turned instead to social media messaging, or worse, text messaging to invite your guests, please reconsider using invitations. You will not only miss the fun of customizing your invitations, but you will also be losing the personal touch it conveys to your invitees.
These reasons enumerated above should also be enough to convince you that yes, you still need to send those invites. When you do, you're giving that personal touch that no text message can ever replace.
