Facebook Wedding Invites: The Big Debate
With social media becoming so much a part of our lives, and especially our kids’ lives, then perhaps it is no surprise that sending out wedding invitations through Facebook has become a growing trend. After all, many people stay in touch not through phone calls or even letters and postage stamps, but by liking a friend’s photos and sending them a message through Messenger apps. While some people might think that wedding invites and Facebook should never be said in the same breath, the decision to do so or not ultimately rests with the ones celebrating their marriage on that day.
A Quick How-To Guide For Creating the Event
Many times, the bride and groom might create the event first, but if they have asked you to help out, then creating a wedding invitation via Facebook is quick and easy. Simply log into your Facebook account and on the left side bar, click on events. You will see a button that says “Create Event”. Press on that, and make sure to select private, otherwise anyone can search and find their wedding. Then you can customize the theme, photos, date, location and time to their special day. Once the event has been created, you can add guests based on your friends list, e-mail address, or text message.
Keeping Track of the Guest List
Once people have been invited to the wedding, they have three options: going, not going, or maybe. Since weddings are catered based on the exact number of people attending, it is important to have an exact count of those who can make it, and those who cannot. For the guests who will be there, you have up-to-the-minute tallies of the exact number so you can pass those details on to the caterer, wedding planner, and other important figures. Other people may have to decline, but the event page will still allow them to send their well-wishes and communicate online with the other guests who will be attending. If anyone clicks the “Maybe” button, you can use Facebook to message them and see what their final answer will be.
Including Paper Invites
Even if Facebook becomes the solution for reaching out to as many people as possible, one role a Mom can have is reminding everyone that there is value in compromise. Some special guests, such as grandparents, close relatives, and siblings will appreciate having a paper wedding invite arrive in the mail to be unwrapped and treasured as a memento of this important day. So be supportive and encouraging of how they want to reach out to people but be gentle also in reminding the tech-savvy generations of the value of paper copies.
Keep The Bride’s Feelings in Mind
No matter how excited (or not!) you may be about the bride and groom’s decision to use Facebook invites for the wedding, remember, it is their choice. And your help can be invaluable especially if there are cousins or other family members who may not be on their Facebook friends list, but who still need to be invited. Just remember to check first before you go ahead and invite all of the friends and relations whom you think should be included, because at 35 dollars or more a head, wedding guest lists can really add up. The bride and groom should always have first choice of who is invited, and who is not. Just remember what is really important: that two people have chosen to spend their lives together forever.
