Bonfire invitations- Rehearsal and dinner invitations.

I didn't bother with extra invitations. I just spread the news by word of mouth.

I was thinking of doing that but it's 90 families. That would be a lot of spreading for the bonfire.

When we sent out our invitations we included an info card that indicated to check our wedding website for other weekend events. We did a destination wedding and everyone was invited to the welcome dinner and the farewell brunch. It worked out well for us but we were safe to assume that the RSVP for the wedding included the other events too.

Similarly to you, I'm having an event the Friday before the wedding, and then the rehearsal/dinner. I sent specific e-invites to the other events so I could keep tabs on how many people were coming and plan accordingly.

FMIL and FH's stepdad were in charge of planning our RD, so I let them decide whether they wanted to do separate invitations. They ended up sending separate invitations about 5 weeks before the wedding and had people RSVP for it separate from the wedding RSVPs.

I might be reading your OP wrong, but are you asking that guests RSVP to these other events as well? I would skip that, get a head count for the rehearsal dinner but leave the bonfire open.

I think a wedding website would be a great way to let people know about the bonfire. I don't think you need to "invite" people to the rehearsal dinner, just mention that it will take place, as a thank you, at the same time that you ask them to attend the rehearsal. So however you were planning to communicate rehearsal details.

We are doing the same, a bonfire open to all guests after the RD. Its on the wedding website with the event schedule.

We're sending out invites for the rehearsal dinner as well and will have the guests rsvp via email.. We are sending out our wedding invites next week, and we plan on sending the rehearsal dinner invites about a week or so afterwards so we have enough time to get RSVPs back. I think a note about the bonfire on the wedding website is the best option since it's an open invite type of event.

I would do Facebook event invite to the bonfire. It's informal

First of all, you don't tier a reception, so you don't tier a RD. You don't let anyone know (especially via an invitation) that they weren't invited to a hosted dinner, but anyone and everyone who happen to be in town -- a category to which they've been assigned -- is invited to celebrate you at the big bonfire that's happening after the dinner they weren't invited to attend. To top if off, you're actually thinking of inviting 90 families to this post dinner bonfire? If that's not overkill, I don't know what is.

No formal invitations are necessary when it comes to a RD. People send them, but they are totally unnecessary (another useless expense in the scheme of weddings). Those who are immediate family and members of the BP should be given the information, but you certainly don't need to print up more invitations and wait around for RSVPs.

As far as inviting anyone to a post dinner bonfire who was not invited to the dinner? I wouldn't think of attending, but If you're totally sold on that event, Erin Wood, then you'd better host it with plenty of free alcohol and finger foods.

It's okay. We all have different opinions and expectations.

I don't consider it a tiered event and I was never planning on putting the RD and bonfire on the same invitation. I would be sending them all out separately or including just bonfire insert to the guests not in the wedding.

Yes there will be plenty of free booze and smores for everyone plus coffee, tea and hot chocolate.

I don't think the entire 90 families will show up but I want everyone to know that if they happen to be in town a day early we would love to see them. I don't want to have anyone who was in town that didn't hear about it feel left out.

Hey Erin! We sent evites for our rehearsal dinner after we received wedding RSVPs back, but we'd also emailed our bridal party months beforehand about the wedding weekend so they knew it was coming

For our welcome reception (post rehearsal dinner) we just put the information up on our wedding website, included the info in the welcome bags, and had our friends help spread the word!

I was going to do word of mouth, but wanted to make sure FMIL FFIL were named on the RD invites so we are going to print some out. We'll only need about 20 so it'll be about twenty bucks to do. I'd do word of mouth or evites for other stuff.

Why not just make an announcement at the rehearsal dinner?

Thank you Lynnie! I could probably do that. Maybe do the people not tech savvy via phone. Like grandparents.

@JuneBride- that will cover wedding party and parents but the bonfire will be for everyone invited to the wedding. Not just wedding party. It's like an out of town welcome event.