Skip to content
Dear Help Center home
Dear Help Center home

Creating an Event

Events are at the heart of Dear. An event represents a specific occasion - a wedding, birthday party, anniversary celebration, or any other gathering you’re planning. This guide walks you through creating your first event step by step.

Before You Begin

Before creating an event, you’ll need at least one template in your collection. Templates determine:

  • The visual design of your invitations

  • What information fields are available (date, venue, dress code, etc.)

  • The pre-written messages you can send

If you don’t have a template yet:

How to Create an Event

Step 1: Start the Event Wizard

  1. Go to My Events in the sidebar

  2. Click the Create Event button in the top-right corner

  3. The event creation wizard will open

Step 2: Overview (Basic Details)

The first step asks for the essentials:

Select a Template

Choose which template to use for this event. Templates are grouped by event type (Wedding, Birthday, Anniversary, etc.) for easy browsing.

  • Use the search box to find templates by name

  • Templates show a small thumbnail to help you identify them

  • Once selected, the template cannot be changed for this event

Event Name

Give your event a memorable name. This appears in your event list and helps you identify it. Examples:

  • “Emma & James’ Wedding”

  • “Sophie’s 30th Birthday”

  • “Mum & Dad’s 25th Anniversary”

The placeholder text will suggest a name based on your chosen template’s event type.

Click Next to continue.

Step 3: Event Details

This step shows custom fields based on your template’s event type. The fields you see depend on what the template needs.

Common fields include:

  • Event Date - When is your event happening?

  • Event Time - What time does it start?

  • Venue/Location - Where is it being held?

  • Dress Code - What should guests wear?

  • RSVP Deadline - When do you need responses by?

Specialty fields for certain event types:

  • Weddings: Ceremony location, reception location, registry URL

  • Birthdays: Age/milestone being celebrated

  • Corporate Events: Agenda URL, networking information

Fill in as many fields as you can. Some fields may be marked as required (you can’t proceed without them), while others are optional.

Tip: You can always edit these details later if you’re not sure yet.

Click Next to continue.

Step 4: Attendees (Optional)

The final step lets you add attendees to your event. You have two options:

Select Existing Attendees

If you’ve previously added attendees to your account, you can select them from the dropdown. This is useful when you invite the same people to multiple events.

Create New Attendees

Add new attendees directly in this wizard:

  1. Click Add new attendee

  2. Enter their details:

    • Name (required) - Their name or family name

    • Email (required) - Where to send invitations

    • Phone - Optional contact number

    • Max Guests - How many plus-ones they can bring (leave blank for no limit)

  3. Repeat for additional attendees

Tip: This step is optional. You can always add attendees later from the event details page.

Step 5: Create Your Event

Click Create or Submit to finish. Your event will be created and you’ll be taken to its details page.

After Creating Your Event

Once your event is created, it starts in Draft status. This means:

  • Attendees cannot see it yet

  • You can make changes freely

  • No invitations have been sent

From your event page, you can:

  • Edit details - Update any event information

  • Manage attendees - Add, remove, or edit attendees

  • Preview messages - See how your invitations will look

  • Send messages - Send invitations when you’re ready

  • Publish - Make the event live for attendees

Event Messages

When you create an event, Dear automatically generates messages based on your template. These typically include:

  • Invitation - The main message inviting guests to your event

  • Reminder - A follow-up for those who haven’t responded

  • Thank You - A message to send after the event

You can preview and customize these messages before sending them.

Tips for Success

  1. Complete your details first - Fill in all event information before sending invitations. Blank fields may show as empty in your invitations.

  2. Preview before sending - Always preview your invitation to see exactly what guests will receive.

  3. Start with a small test - Send a test invitation to yourself or a friend before inviting your full guest list.

  4. Don’t rush to publish - Take your time to get everything right while in draft status.

  5. Use descriptive names - If you’re managing multiple events, clear names help you stay organized.

Related Articles:

Powered by Plain