Question from Eloisa:

My Anniversary Event is going to be on a Sunday and it will be a daytime event.  Should I send Maps & Directions to all the guests even though 6 families will be staying with family members who may go to the party and will have the map & directions?  Can I just send hotel information to the families coming from Texas because they don’t have family here?  Should I still send info on renting a car because most airports have car rental places there?

Is it possible to send the Maps & Directions a few weeks after the Invitations?  It is possible that we might not send out Save the Date cards but it is not confirmed yet but if we don’t we are planning on sending the invitations 12 to 10 weeks before the event and get replies a lot sooner then usual so that I can get a head count for certain items.

Thanks for your help.

Answer from Wedding Expert Angela:

Hi Eloisa.  Nice to hear from you again.  Yes, you should send maps and directions to everyone.  You never know who will change their mind and stay somewhere different and not know where to go as a result.  Hotel information, especially if you have arranged a group rate, should be sent to all out-of-town guests (even if they are staying with family).  Arranging a group rate (discount) at a hotel is as easy as asking, and sometimes people will change their mind about staying with family if it is not too expensive at a hotel.  As for car rentals, it is not as important to include, because you are right—airports have car rental places.  If you can arrange for a discounted rate at a car rental place, then it would be worthwhile to include it in the invitations.  Note that most VISA cards have built-in insurance for car rentals if you use the Visa card to rent the car.  Of course, each person would have to check their particular card for details, but this might encourage more of your guests to rent a car.

Yes, you can send maps and directions a few weeks after the invitations, but usually it is included in the invitations (which also saves on postage).  Save-the-date cards are important so out-of-town guests know your event is coming up and can plan for it, and are usually sent out 6 months (or more) in advance.  If you have communicated with them already about your event, there is no need to send out save-the-date cards.  Sending the wedding invitations 12 to 10 weeks before the event is perfectly acceptable, but just know that it might not be enough time for out-of-town guests who are just hearing about it for the first time to arrange to attend.

If you have further questions, feel free to comment below.

Angela Fiebelkorn, Ask The Wedding Expert