Post # 1
Member
382 posts
Helper bee
I’m not one to keep an address book updated and handy, so when it came time to send out Save-The-Date Cards we had to do some tracking to get all of our friends addresses. Our case is a bit special because we live overseas and can’t call people to ask, so we made a Facebook event. You know, like one of those “I need your phone number because I dropped by phone in the toilet while I was wasted at the bar Friday night!” deals.
It hasn’t been very successful. We’ve only gotten a few responses from our very best friends. We were only able to send out 15!
So I was wondering, what has been the most effective method you’ve found for gathering addresses for Save-The-Date Cards and/or invites? Was it calling every single person on your guest list? Sending out a mass e-mail? Rounding up the troops (bridesmaids, grooms, FMILs) and sending them out into the field? … Or maybe I’m just very disorganized, and everyone else keeps good track of these types of things? 
Post # 3
Member
5784 posts
Bee Keeper
This is kinda stalkerish but I used online state property records for some people I absolutely could not get a hold of.
Post # 4
Bee
2362 posts
Buzzing bee
- Wedding: June 2010 - New York Botanical Garden
email and the phone – and we tried until we got them all! (and anyone that our parents wanted to invite, I made them send me the addresses, or they (their friends – not our parents) didn’t get one!)
Post # 5
Member
2186 posts
Buzzing bee
i sent out an email to my friends and family that i invited from my side of the list – it was a “mass list” but everyone was bcc:ed so it didnt look like one.
i got 100 percent response from everyone.
the folks on FH’s side, thats their problem. I gave them a deadline and they pretty much stuck to it. however there are a few work friends of FH that i still dont have addresses for. but i told him t hat if i dont get addresses, they dont get invites. 🙂
Post # 6
Member
151 posts
Blushing bee
I actually gave out some of our STD’s in person so they have them…gives me more time to actually collect their addresses for the invites! I used facebook, texting, phone calls, and emails…and it was somewhat successful! Good luck!
Post # 7
Member
546 posts
Busy bee
I sent a facebook message to a lot of my people…I don’t have everyone’s email. Pretty much everyone responded to the direct message to them. I don’t think those events are particularly effective…I always ignore them when I get things for them unless they are actual events that I am already kind of aware about.
Post # 8
Member
790 posts
Busy bee
I sent out a mass text message, carried an address book, made phone calls and had my Future Mother-In-Law and my mom get all there addresses. I was a daunting task. Some people will get invites who didn’t get save the dates because I just couldn’t get their address
Post # 9
Member
1020 posts
Bumble bee
i sent emails, texts, and FB messages to my side. i also sent emails/fb messages to most of fiances friends that are going to be invited..i’m leaving it up to him and his mom to get their families and families to me 🙂 if i dont get them, no STD or invite!
Post # 10
Member
1403 posts
Bumble bee
For our relatives’ addresses, my parents and I spent an entire evening calling the people they had in their contact book, and if we didn’t have someone’s contact information, we’d ask other people if they knew. We even had to look up a few in the phone book. And if we couldn’t find someone’s contact info anywhere and had absolutely no idea how to get ahold of them, well… we figured we’re not that close to those people anymore so why invite them? 
For my friends, I sent Facebook messages personally to my friends whose addressses I didn’t have. Thankfully they all replied.
Post # 11
Member
3344 posts
Sugar bee
I think you might benefit from setting up a google form to collect your addresses by email.
Check it out:DIY address form
Post # 12
Member
1740 posts
Bumble bee
i ask them in person and i made a list. for my family i asked my mother
Post # 13
Member
341 posts
Helper bee
I sent out facebook msgs to all guests I had as friends. They usually got back to me within a day. For others, I asked my mom and Future Mother-In-Law to gather for me. 🙂 It only took a few days to get them all gathered. Now I keep them all in an excel spreadsheet!
Post # 14
Member
120 posts
Blushing bee
We found that text messages were the most effective… When we sent out emails, people were slower to respond, because they felt pressure to write a long ‘catchup’ email… With text, it was quick and simple and they usually did it within a few minutes… Not sure what your texting charges are abroad, but it’s an idea…
Post # 15
Member
156 posts
Blushing bee
I asked around. My FH mother and my mother were a great help. If I couldn’t get their address I sent them an e mail, found them on facebook. I did whatever I could to get the correct address. Maybe you could call one person in the states and ask them to do some of the address seeking.
Post # 16
Member
120 posts
Blushing bee
Oh… and for the rest, we sent individual Facebook notes. I hate to say it, but I get annoyed when I get big mass requests for address / contact info — It doesn’t make me feel very special. I know it’s a pain, but it still seemed to work well. [Sidenote] Sometimes when you send out emails with multiple recipients, you run the risk of ending up in spam. So, don’t take it personally, maybe some people legitimately never saw it.
