It’s official – after months of deliberation, you have finally picked a date and a location for your destination wedding. Next step: sending out wedding invites to your family and friends.

Inviting people over to your destination wedding is not as easy as it sounds. A destination wedding requires thorough planning by your guests. Since it involves travelling, you should give your loved ones enough time to make the necessary travel and accommodation arrangements.

When is the ‘right’ time to inform your guests of the wedding details? Find out below:

Save –the-date cards

Depending on the destination, you can determine the timing. If you are getting married on a remote island in the Philippines, flying time will be almost 24 hours. In other words, it requires more time to plan the trip. On the other hand, reaching a destination closer to home, such as Mexico, involves less traveling time.

Either way, it is better to inform your guests well in advance about your destination wedding. Keep in mind, their schedules may be packed. To be on the safe side, send out the save-the-date invitations at least 9 to 12 months before the wedding day. This gives them adequate time to take time off work and book flights and hotel rooms.

Send the save-the-date card to everyone on your guest list. Each card should have the couple’s names, the date and location of the wedding ceremony.

Formal wedding invitation cards

Unlike traditional weddings, the invitation cards for destination weddings are typically sent 6 months ahead of time. This also depends on when you sent save-the-date invites. Usually, people expect formal invitations immediately after save-the-date cards.

As mentioned earlier, you will have to give your guests additional time to make their travel arrangements. That’s the key factor to remember for sending formal invites. Equally important is to take into account the order, assembling and addressing of all the formal wedding invitation cards. These things take longer than you expect. Your wedding card should include the exact location and address of the wedding ceremony.

RSVP date

The RSVP date for your destination wedding invitation should be 3 months before the wedding. This helps to keep headcount accurate.

Thank you notes

Send thank you notes to everyone who sends gifts before your destination wedding. If you receive gifts at or after the destination wedding, send thank you notes when you return home.

In a nutshell, get on the wedding invitations after finalizing the guest list. Make sure the card has all the relevant details to help your guests arrive for your big day on time.

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