From early save-the-dates to the small print on your invites, here's how to get destination wedding stationery right.
There is something rather lovely about a save-the-date that tells your guests to pack their sunglasses. Destination wedding stationery works a little differently to the traditional version, simply because you are asking people to do more than pencil in a Saturday — you are asking them to plan a trip. Getting the details right, and getting them out at the right time, makes all the difference to how many of your favourite people are standing there with you.
Start earlier than you think
For a wedding at home, a save-the-date sent six months ahead is perfectly normal. For a wedding in Cyprus, Greece, Malta, Spain or Italy, you want to give guests closer to nine to twelve months' notice. This gives them time to request annual leave, start saving, and book flights before prices climb. If your date falls near school holidays, a local festival, or peak summer season, earlier is better still. We often suggest couples confirm their venue and date with us first, so the save-the-date can go out with real confidence behind it rather than a provisional guess.
What to include on a save-the-date
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Start your enquiryKeep it simple but complete. You need the date, the destination (country and nearest town or resort is plenty — the full venue address can wait for the invitation), and a line letting guests know a formal invitation with accommodation and travel information will follow. It is worth adding a short note such as "destination wedding — further details to come" so nobody mistakes it for a local evening do. If you have a wedding website, now is the time to share the link, even if it is still fairly bare. Guests appreciate somewhere to check back for updates as flight and hotel options firm up.
Invitations: timing and what belongs on them
Send formal invitations around four to six months before the wedding. This is later than a UK wedding, deliberately, because by then your travel and accommodation arrangements should be settled and you can give guests accurate, useful information rather than vague promises. A destination wedding invitation typically needs a little more than its UK counterpart: the full venue name and location, suggested or recommended accommodation (particularly helpful if you have arranged group rates), nearest airport, and a clear RSVP date that allows enough time for guests to book flights once they have confirmed. If you are holding a welcome gathering the evening before, or a farewell brunch the morning after, this is also the place to mention it, even in outline, so guests can plan their stay accordingly.
This is exactly where working with a planner who handles guest accommodation pays off. Once we have blocked rooms or negotiated rates with hotels near your venue, you can put real, bookable information on the invitation rather than leaving guests to search alone.
Wording that sets the right expectations
Destination wedding wording can be a touch more detailed than a traditional invite, and that is no bad thing. Be upfront about whether children are included, whether the day is adults-only, and what guests should expect in terms of dress and ceremony length — an outdoor ceremony in Cyprus in July calls for different guidance than an October evening wedding. If you are self-funding travel for guests, say nothing; if you are covering certain costs, a simple accompanying note or a conversation is often better than trying to fit it on the card itself. Many couples now include a short "travel essentials" insert — currency, approximate transfer time from the airport, and a note on weather — which guests find genuinely useful rather than excessive.
A wedding website is not essential, but for a destination wedding it earns its place. It is the natural home for the information that would clutter a beautiful invitation: a day-by-day itinerary, accommodation links, local recommendations, and an RSVP form. Update it as details are confirmed, and let guests know when something has changed, rather than relying on a group chat that half the guest list has muted.
The small print worth getting right
A few practical details are easy to overlook but matter enormously once guests are booking flights. Double-check the venue name is written exactly as it appears officially, so nobody's taxi driver is left guessing. Include a contact number for the day itself, in case anyone is delayed. If your legal ceremony and your celebration are happening separately — not uncommon with destination weddings — make sure guests understand which event they are being invited to, and when. And always build in a little flexibility around your RSVP deadline; flights and finances take longer to arrange than a straightforward "yes" to a local wedding.
One quiet advantage of choosing Cyprus as your destination is how much this simplifies: with over 300 days of sunshine a year, you have genuine confidence in your date without needing contingency plans for weather, and because it remains our flagship destination with a dedicated on-island team, we are able to confirm venue, accommodation and legal requirements early enough that your stationery can carry real, settled information rather than placeholders.
Stationery is a small detail in the grand scheme of planning a wedding abroad, but it sets the tone for how organised and cared-for your guests feel from the very first envelope. Get the timing and the details right, and the rest of the planning tends to follow suit.
If you would like help working out a stationery timeline alongside your venue, accommodation and legal paperwork, we would be glad to talk it through. Get in touch with Weddings in the Sun for a free consultation, and let us help you plan a destination wedding your guests will be genuinely excited to receive that envelope for.