My father turned 85 years old this year; I wanted to throw him a surprise party and I thought it would be clever to invite 85 guests. When I began planning the party I found that until I knew how many guests were going to attend I could not book a space. Save the Date cards came to the rescue, I sent out the cards asking for an RSVP, this way I could have an approximate number of attendees. I received a great response from his friends and work associates whom he had not seen in years; I was even able to locate some old army buddies.
I believe that one of the keys to getting such an overwhelmingly positive response was due to the fact that I sent Save the Date photo cards with my Dad’s picture on the front cover. The photo card made the pre-invitation more special because people could see the man they were about to celebrate. I think that seeing a picture invokes memories, hopefully all fond ones, makes one want to see that person again and recount old times.
The party was a sensational event for all that attended and my dad was happier that I had seen him in years!
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
It’s funny…I never really thought of using Save the Dates outside of weddings. It’s such a great idea to use them for other occasions like birthdays.
I like to send out Save the Dates whenever i am going to be traveling to a specific location. For example if im going to be coming over my parents house i send them a save the date instead of telling them that i am coming. This way its official and they know that i will be arriving on that day. I feel like i am important enough that my presence deserves to be announced in advance by a save the date card.