Destination Wedding Invitations 101

Destination wedding invitations are usually the first thing your invited guests see about your wedding – so here’s my roundup of what to include on your invites, when to send them out, and ideas on where to find them.

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What to include in your destination wedding invitations:

Certainly, you want your invites to have all of the details for your guests because the more you can give them up front, the less repetitive questions you’ll be fielding from them before your trip. So, in addition to your names, your wedding date/time, the location of your wedding and reception, and a way to RSVP (I’m a huge fan of online RSVPs – saves you time and money!), I always suggest to include information about where they can find allllll of the nitty gritty details. Just send ‘em to your wedding website!

Pro tip: if your wedding website URL is long and complicated (and maybe a bit hard to type in), use bit.ly or a QR code generator to make it even easier for your guests to find your website.

On your website, make sure you have all of the info from your invites and add the contact number of your group travel agent, the airport they should be flying into, information about group or private transportation to their resort/wherever they’re sleeping, information about how to get to the ceremony and reception (if different than the resort), a timeline of other wedding events. Are you going to do a group catamaran cruise the day before your wedding? What about an off-resort excursion like visiting Dunns River Falls or the Blue Hole? Tell your guests about these right away so they can plan their days at the destination accordingly!

If your wedding will have a dress code, add that to your website! Most guests will assume resort chic applies to your wedding but if you’re going for a black tie event, they’ll need to know before they pack so they can bring the right attire.

Share a little bit about the resort or the region that you’re getting married in. Get your guests excited to join you abroad, not just to see you get married, but to enjoy a little R&R too!

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When to send your invitations:

Almost every client asks me, “do you know when I should send out my invitations for my destination wedding?”. So here’s my official answer, based on past client successes, and my own experience.

The answer, my friend, is somewhere around a year ahead of time. This will give your guests enough time to book their rooms, find airfare, and take vacation at work.

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Where to order invites from:

Hands down my favorite large invite company is Basic Invite. They allow you to order custom samples of everything they offer before you commit to buying large numbers to send your guests. The number of designs they offer is insane (so many!) and offer plenty of options at all price points. 

For some beautiful modern travel-themed save the dates and invite suites, we love Here and There Web Studio.

If you’re looking for something completely custom, I think these bespoke invitation suites by Aimee Willow are seriously stunning.

Which type of invitation is pulling at your heartstrings?

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Looking for more destination wedding planning tips? We’ve got your back!  Click here to read more journals that will help you.

And, if you’re ready to find your destination wedding photographer, contact us! We offer photo and video services, no travel fees, and custom collections for every single one of our couples. We can help make your dream wedding day come true.