Invitations matter more for a wedding abroad than for one at home, because your guests have a lot to arrange before they can say yes: flights, rooms, time off, sometimes passports. And you need their answers early, because final numbers drive the catering and the seating at a venue in another country. Here is how to run it without it taking over your life.
A typical timeline
These are typical timings. Your venue’s own deadline for final numbers is what matters most, so work backwards from it.
Nine to twelve months before
Save the dates go out. For peak summer dates, or if many guests are flying, earlier is kinder: flights and rooms book up.
Four to six months before
Invitations go out, with the details guests need to book: the date, the venue, the schedule, where to stay and how to get there.
Eight to twelve weeks before
The reply deadline. Final numbers drive the catering and the seating, and your venue will tell you its own cut-off.
Four to six weeks before
Chase anyone who has not replied, confirm meals and dietary needs, and send guests their final information.
What goes on a destination wedding invitation
- The date and time of the ceremony, and the venue with its address.
- A simple schedule for the weekend, so guests can plan which days to travel.
- The dress code, which matters more in the heat than guests expect.
- How to reply and by when.
- Where to find travel and accommodation information, ideally on one web page rather than in the invitation itself.
- A contact for questions, because someone will always ask about the airport.
What to ask guests when they reply
- Whether they are coming, and for each person on the invitation, separately.
- Whether they are bringing a guest or children, with names and ages for the children.
- Their meal choice, and any allergies or dietary needs.
- Anything specific to a wedding abroad: when they arrive, whether they need help with transfers.
- Optionally, a song request and a message for you.
Keeping track of the replies
Replies arrive by text, email and the odd voice note. A spreadsheet fixes that for a small wedding, as long as you are the one filling it in. For a bigger list, a wedding RSVP website does it for you: guests reply on their phone from a private link, every answer lands in one list, you see who has not replied and can send a reminder, and the totals for your caterer are ready when you need them.
Our RSVP website, included with every package
Every Weddings in the Sun package includes a private wedding website with digital invitations, in your colours and with your photos. Guests reply, choose their meals, tell you about children and plus-ones, and share photos on a pinboard. If you are planning your wedding elsewhere, you can still get your own.
See the RSVP websiteInvitations and RSVPs for a wedding abroad: your questions
- When should I send save the dates for a wedding abroad?
- Typically nine to twelve months before, and earlier for peak dates or if lots of guests are flying. Guests need time to book flights and take leave, so earlier is almost always better abroad than at home.
- When should invitations go out for a destination wedding?
- Commonly four to six months before, a little earlier than for a wedding at home. Your coordinator can tell you the dates that suit your venue, because the venue’s own deadlines for final numbers are what really matter.
- What RSVP deadline should I set for a wedding abroad?
- Many couples set it eight to twelve weeks before, to leave time to finalise numbers with the venue and caterer. Ask your venue for its cut-off first and work backwards.
- What should be on a destination wedding invitation?
- The date and time, the venue and its address, a schedule for the weekend, the dress code, how to reply and by when, and how to find travel and accommodation information. Keep the invitation short and put the detail on a website.
- How do I collect RSVPs for a wedding abroad?
- Use one place for every reply, so you are not piecing it together from texts. A spreadsheet works for a handful of guests; for more, a wedding RSVP website records attendance, meal choices, children and dietary needs, and shows who has not replied.
- How do I ask guests for their meal choices?
- Put the menu in the reply form and ask each guest to choose for themselves, their plus-one and any children. It is far easier than collecting choices by message later, and your caterer gets exact numbers.
A wedding RSVP website
Collect replies, meals and children’s details in one private place.
Read moreDestination wedding invitation wording
Examples, and what to put on the website instead.
Read moreWeddings abroad: the full guide
Cost, legal side, guest numbers and where we plan weddings.
Read moreHow many guests can we bring?
What genuinely fits each party size.
Read moreUK wedding planner for weddings abroad
How we plan a wedding abroad with you.
Read more