Here’s Everything You Need to Know About Inviting Guests to Your Destination Wedding
Inviting guests to a wedding is a momentous occasion. I still remember how nervously excited my partner and I were when we finally sent out the Save the Date cards and invitations for our destination wedding in the South of France. Once the invites are out, your wedding is no longer just an idea. It starts to feel real.
In this blog post, we share our best tips about destination wedding invitations. We will discuss wording, provide you with useful templates, and give you a timeline for sending out your invitations.
Destination Wedding Invitations: FAQ
The date is set, the venue is booked — it’s time to shout it out! Here are our wedding experts’ answers to the most frequently asked questions about destination wedding invitations.
1. When Should We Send Out Our Destination Wedding Invitations?
As a rule of thumb, plan to inform your guests of your destination wedding approximately one year to ten months in advance of your big day. Start your communication with guests by sharing a simple Save The Date that only includes high-level details of your wedding.
More formal destination wedding invitations follow after your Save the Date cards, and are typically send out 4 months out from your wedding.
For a full wedding planning and invitation timeline, check out our downloadable wedding binder.
2. Do We Need to Send Out Save the Dates for a Destination Wedding?
Yes. For destination weddings, Save the Dates are absolutely necessary. They serve as an early announcement to your guests, encouraging them to reserve the date or weekend of your celebration.
If your wedding falls on a holiday or during a peak wedding season, your guests will appreciate having ample time to arrange their schedules accordingly.
A Note on the Timeline of Your Destination Wedding Invitations
Admittedly, not everyone informs their guests 10 to 12 months out from their big day. However, early communication helps you with planning your wedding, and your guests with planning their attendance.
We decided to inform our “A-Listers” well in advance of our wedding to gather responses and get an approximate headcount. Once we had received responses from our closest family and friends, we sent out further invites to those who were initially not on our A-List.
This may sound a little bit cruel, but the reality is that not everyone whom you would like to attend your wedding will be able to. Having a “B-List” helps manage headcount and attendance. Inviting everyone in one go would not have been practical for us, as we decided to keep our wedding party to just 30 guests.
Last, those guests who are on a tight budget will appreciate your efforts to inform them early. Booking flights or hotels early usually means better rates. With early communication, you give your guests plenty of time to compare flights, put in their vacation, or secure accommodation. This is especially helpful if your wedding takes place during holiday season or requires long-distance travel.
So, as a general rule, the sooner you inform your guests, the better!
Trust us, your guests won’t complain about having extra time to get pumped up for your big day – it’s more time for them to find the perfect dance moves!
2. What Should Be Included In Our Save the Date?
It is important to remember that the first communication with your guests does not have to include all the details, but it is helpful to be specific about dates and location.
Initially, your guests ought to know :
1. The Dates
The first invitation you send out is called a Save the Date for a good reason. Its purpose is to make sure your guests block their calendars for your wedding.
Make sure your Save the Date includes the days and dates that guests are expected to attend.
For example, destination weddings in Europe are typically a three-day affair. Things kick off on Day 1 with a welcome or rehearsal dinner. Day 2 is the “day of”. That’s when the ceremony and reception take place. Last, on Day 3, you and your guests come together for a more casual wedding brunch.
Your destination wedding Save the Date card should make it clear which activities are optional to attend. Typically, your guests’ participation on Day 1 and Day 3 is optional, whereas they absolutely need to be there on Day 2 when you exchange your vows.
2. The Location
Mention your wedding venue’s exact location in your destination wedding invite.
In a destination wedding Save the Date, it is helpful to be very specific about the venue’s location. Instead of just providing the location name, give additional travel information about the nearest airport, how to get to the location, or where to find nearby accommodation.
3. Suggested Accommodation and Lodging
At 10 to 12 months out, even you may not know all the details about accommodation and lodging yet. But to the extent that you can, provide your guests with hotel or Airbnb options.
In our case, the hotels near our wedding venue in the South of France did not accept bookings one year in advance. In our Save the Dates, we were only able to provide hotel names but asked our guests not to book anything yet. Once the hotels opened up for bookings, approx. 6 months out from the wedding, we sent our guests a reminder about their accommodation.
4. A RSVP Deadline
Most importantly, your Save the Date should contain an RSVP-by date for your guests. If you send out Save the Dates 12 months out, give your guests 2 to 3 months to respond. Those who are keen to attend will have booked flights and accommodation by then, giving you a first indication of who will be able to attend.
5. Dietary Preferences
It is helpful, but not essential to ask about dietary preferences and restrictions in your Save the Date. Usually, your caterer only needs to know about dietary restrictions a few weeks in advance. However, knowing what people eat or don’t eat, can help you find the right caterer in the first place.
3. When Should We Send Out Wedding Invitations?
Destination wedding invitations are sent out to those guests who RSVPed to your Save the Date card and who are planning to attend your wedding.
A destination wedding invitation is more formal than the Save the Date. You should now include all relevant details guests need to know about your wedding. The start time, the run down and the dress code should all be mentioned, for example.
4. Invitation Wording Suggestions
A wedding invitation is a deeply personal document, so providing a wording suggestion that works for everyone is difficult, if not impossible. Here are some ideas to give you inspiration for writing your destination wedding invitation.
The Basic Invitation
In its most basic form, an invitation contains you and your partner’s name, the date, location and venue name. On a second page, the invitation typically contains a more formal run down with the key events of the day.
Here’s a simple wording example:
[Your Name]
and
[Partner’s Name]
joyfully invite you to join them
as they celebrate their love and start their new adventure together.
[Date]
[Location (City, Country)]
Please join us for a weekend of love, laughter, and celebration in the beautiful
[Venue Name].
RSVP by [RSVP Date]
For travel and accommodation details, visit our website: [Wedding Website URL]
We can’t wait to share this special moment with you!
The South of France Invitation
Usually, however, destination weddings are supposed to be fun (and the text above does not exactly scream fun). So here’s another sample invitation for a wedding in the South of France:
Say “Oui” to a Weekend in the South of France!
[Your Name]
and
[Partner’s Name]
are tying the knot in the stunning South of France,
and we want YOU to be there!
Date: [Date]
Location: [City, South of France]
Join us for a weekend filled with sunshine, wine, and romance
as we say “I do” in the French Riviera.
RSVP by [RSVP Date]
Get ready for an adventure!
For details on flights, hotels, and all things French, visit: [Wedding Website URL]
We can’t wait to celebrate with you!
Bon Voyage and see you soon!
The Lake Como Invitation
Last, here’s a simple example for a destination wedding at Lake Como in Italy.
Ciao Bella! Pack Your Sunglasses and Get Ready for La Dolce Vita!
[Your Name]
and
[Partner’s Name]
are getting married on the breathtaking shores of Lake Como,
and you’re invited to celebrate with us in true Italian style!
Date: [Date]
Location: Lake Como, Italy
Join us for a weekend of love, laughter, and lots of pasta as we say “I do”
with stunning lake views, delicious Italian cuisine, and maybe even a Vespa ride or two!
RSVP by [RSVP Date]
Get ready to sip some limoncello and dance under the stars!
For travel details, accommodations, and all things Italian, visit: [Wedding Website URL]
We can’t wait to toast “cin cin” with you!
Arrivederci and see you in Como!
4. How Can I Design My Destination Wedding Invitations?
There are websites that let you design and print your destination wedding invitations.
In our case, we decided not to send out printed invitations. Even though we both absolutely adore traditional letters and invitations (especially when printed on nice, thick paper), we ultimately decided to only send out virtual invitations by email. Our guests were too spread out internationally to justify the expense and cost of traditional invitations.
We used Joy, a popular wedding website designer, to create our wedding website. It is super simple. Joy also gives you a guest list manager, so it was a helpful tool in our planning process.
However, if you are a fan of traditional, printed invitations, our recommendation is to use Canva. Their library of destination wedding invitation templates is very comprehensive and easy to use!
Last, you can also find a designer to create a personalized wedding invitation for you. Etsy or Fiverr are great places to find design talent at affordable rates.
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