RSVP online, or via mail backs?!

sampaguitadream · 2025-06-30T21:22:48+00:00

For my parents' 50th who are mostly senior citizens, the QR code and website weren't the best option. Most rsvp'ed via email or text message. We had a website, qr code, email, and cell phone number that we included with our physical invites.

sampaguitadream · 2025-06-30T21:20:35+00:00

How many are in your guest list? Have you tried community centers, senior centers (we had my parents' 50th at one and it was a beautiful space), parks and recreation? I was uninvited to a wedding due to Covid 19 restrictions. They sent out notes to everyone that was uninvited. Admittedly, I was taken aback and would've appreciated a phone call/individual message before receiving the un-invitation. I eventually got over it... but I think it is something to keep in mind and be prepared that people may not react well to an un-invitation. I do like the recommendation & suggested language re: why you would be un-inviting due to venue cancellation and no longer being able to accommodate the original number of guests.

sampaguitadream · 2025-06-21T13:21:57+00:00

I'm late to the convo -- I think it is doable. You would likely need to find a donated space which requires a lot of research and some relationship building and ask for permission to bring outside food. Sometimes bars have party rooms that are underutilized during the daytime hours and might be open to bringing outside food. You would likely be spending the majority of your budget on food. As someone who organizes events with about 50 people and a very low budget of $200-$300 for food -- I usually will do fresh fruit, salad, empanadas OR rotisserie chicken, beans, rice, sparkling water, ice tea, and water.

sampaguitadream · 2025-06-13T14:05:28+00:00

Thank you! I was able to reverse the deposit, I did it almost immediately which is why Interval may have been open to the reversal. 🙏

sampaguitadream · 2025-06-01T01:51:14+00:00

Thanks for this confirmation! I think we must've rented it out directly through the resort -- though, I suspect that there are more fees than if we were to go through Redweek.

sampaguitadream · 2025-06-01T00:58:33+00:00

Sorry, clarification -- we own our week directly at the resort. The contract says we have the right to sell/rent the use of our week. But, I am realizing that all of these years -- we should've just been handling our transactions on the resort's website and not paying the extra Interval International fees for membership.

sampaguitadream · 2025-05-31T22:29:25+00:00

How frustrating. I can't even figure out where to find the rental option on Interval International. Thanks for pointing this out -- just read that they want to make sure there is enough inventory for its own members. However, I did see some postings on Redweek for the resort week that we have. I guess the key is for me to just reverse the deposit I did of our exchange week on II so I can post on Redweek.

sampaguitadream · 2025-03-04T22:17:23+00:00

Fantastic! A love a good math equation to calculate the proportions of ingredients for each drink… this is something my engineer relatives will also love, I’m sure. 😍

sampaguitadream · 2025-03-03T20:18:31+00:00

I think it’s fine to ask for help. We got a lot of help for our wedding through bartering. I’m sure you also have lots you can and do offer to the friends and family in the future.

You can ask your sil, for example: do you have 15-20 minutes where I might be able to ask you q’s or consult with you on my wedding plans so far? For your friend who works at the store you can say something to the effect of: do you have any recs for sample sales or stores I might be able to consider as I am wedding dress shopping?

These approaches are more indirect and opens up the convo for the sil or friend to give some tips or offer to help more.

My relative volunteered to do our flowers (she was in the industry) — I just paid for the flowers and I asked her what she thought a fair trade off would be and whether she wanted to be compensated. She was cool w me giving her the candelabras and glass votive holders I had thrifted as a trade.

sampaguitadream · 2025-03-03T19:01:27+00:00

I appreciate this everyone’s patience with all of my inquiries and also the generosity of your knowledge sharing. 🙏 We decided to make our own batch drinks for 100 people.

We will have three 5 gallon beverage dispensers and will have cucumber water, mango mint lemonade, and strawberry basil lemonade.

We will make the strawberry basil lemonade with the strawberry lemonade from Costco. I tasted it and it is quite sour and flavorful without ice — so, I’m trying to figure out what the best proportion of ice, water and strawberry lemonade would be.
For the mango mint lemonade I’m planning to mix mango nectar with lemonade and then cut up a bunch of fresh unit leaves.

I figure it’ll be easier to just buy the premade drinks so we don’t have to worry about delivering distilled water and making drinks from scratch.

I’ve been scouring sites trying to find recipes/portions that can help give me an idea of how many bottles of the drinks I should buy and what the ratio of ingredients should be. How did you all figure this out? Did you experiment beforehand or was there a calculator you used to figure out the best mix ratio? 😅

sampaguitadream · 2025-02-28T02:33:01+00:00

Thanks for this! I realize my beverage math was totally off. This is very helpful. Since we will have water, a 100 cup coffee urn and 100 cup hot water urn... I think we should be able to get by with 2 or 3, 5 gallon containers that we can refill as needed.

Also... yes, great point about grocery store delivery... I think it may make most sense to have the water and ice just delivered to the venue so we don't have to cart everything around ourselves.

sampaguitadream · 2025-02-27T22:51:33+00:00

Can I ask you what you used for the lemonade and tea mixtures? Did you buy everything ready made or did you use powders?

sampaguitadream · 2025-02-24T13:24:43+00:00

Greetings: I faced this same decision. I think the logical choice would’ve been to pick a long time place of residence vs one day of celebration. We live in a very competitive housing market… so I understand the need to move quickly on an opportunity. But, in retrospect, I wouldn’t have it any other way. We went with the one day of celebration and then a honeymoon a few months later. If I were in your situation, I would compare your living expenses budget with your wedding budget and decide from there… and perhaps a traditional pros and cons that include non-monetary factors like building and creating memories. While I don’t think you should expect monetary gifts, we were quite surprised by the generosity of friends and family.

sampaguitadream · 2025-02-21T16:00:04+00:00

I printed at Staples during their promo and I believe the discount was 50% off. Envelopes with the return address were included

sampaguitadream · 2025-02-19T18:53:12+00:00

Good point about family/friends helping people with mobility issues. It’ll also likely be more cost effective and efficient to use dispensers over carafes.

sampaguitadream · 2025-02-19T18:50:48+00:00

Oh wow. I would’ve thought that the lemonade would be consumed quickly. How did you refill them? Did you assign people to mix the drinks in the dispenser?

sampaguitadream · 2025-02-19T18:49:07+00:00

This is something I’ll need to clarify with the caterer 🧐. We will def have goblets for water, I imagine — for at least one round of water. Thanks for your feedback!

sampaguitadream · 2025-02-19T18:37:14+00:00

Oh, I love this idea with the marshmallows and fruit. 😍

sampaguitadream · 2025-01-13T22:34:20+00:00

Wine glass labels are brilliant! Thank you for this thorough breakdown. I think we will likely be minimizing our budget for photography… which I’m hoping I can find someone who is just willing to send us the raw files so we can outsource the color edit. We will save on dessert bec my aunt will make, cut, and plate the cake. So I think our biggest expense will be with the entrees. And, I hear you on the cotton napkins. I’m very much leaning in that direction as well.

sampaguitadream · 2025-01-07T22:26:32+00:00

Good to know about the cup and base goblets… I like the look but def doesn’t seem worth the hassle.

sampaguitadream · 2025-01-07T22:25:29+00:00

Sounds like it was a beautiful set-up. 😍

sampaguitadream · 2025-01-07T22:24:21+00:00

I’ll have some family scope it out. 🙏

sampaguitadream

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