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“Hi Sunny! What is the standard amount of time to deliver a wedding invitation to my destination wedding? I don’t want to annoy my guests with constant calling if I give them out too late but I feel if I give them out too early, no one will feel pressured to RSVP. My wedding is next year June. Thanks!” – Mya

“Hello Mya,

I completely understand your concern for the proper timing of sending out your destination wedding invitations. In the world of destination weddings, timing is everything!

There’s a standard rule from top notch wedding experts to send out wedding invitations no less than four weeks for convenience and no more than six weeks to prevent long RSVP delays. Of course in the world of destination weddings, regular time frames are a bit different. Destination wedding brides have to take into account their potential wedding guests’ work vacation schedules, ability to travel, and other commitments. Then there’s the matter of orchestrating group booking that you should factor in.

I asked our very own Weddingmoons expert, Marsha-Ann, about the best time to send a destination wedding invitation out to your guests. Her advice; approximately 9 months, give or take a month or two, based on the number of guests being invited and the approximate number of guests a couple thinks will respond favourably.

The rule of destination weddings is the more advanced notice a couple can give their guest, the greater the ability for the invitees to plan for travel. If I were you, I wouldn’t sweat having to call my guests too much. Chances are, you will be in contact with the majority of your wedding guests on a regular enough basis to iron out the travel details. Between making bookings, finding out more about the destination and planning activities on resort for the week

If nine months time makes you a bit uneasy, try sending out a  “Save-the-Week” at nine months and then your official wedding invitations three months after that. The best thing you can do for your wedding invitees is to nail down your wedding date. Once you are 100% (or at least 90-95 %) sure of your date, make up a “Save-The-Week” to give out to your guests. The magic of a “Save-the-Week” is, it’s a great teaser for and it’s always an anchor to be sure of advanced notice to all.

Since your guests will most likely spend a few days at your lush destination, let them  know the dates of the full week of your wedding with a “save-the-week” (make sure to specify which date your honeymoon officially begins and you are no longer available!!), so they will know how many days they need to keep in mind before the actual invitations arrive. Get creative with your Save-The-Week; they can incorporate elements of the destination in the design of it to get your guests excited!

Anything that makes the process of attending your wedding smoother will definitely help not only your guests, but you as well. Go ahead and take some of the pressure off of yourself by sending out your wedding invitations earlier rather than later. Your “To Do” list will thank you for it!

Congratulations on your wedding and Happy Planning!”

-Sunny

From destination wedding budgets, trouble-in-laws and beyond, Sunny’s got you covered! Ask your wedding etiquette questions here:

1. Send you question to us on our submit page here. A photo is not necessary- unless of course you want to brag about your new engagement ring!
2. Check back with us at sandalsweddingblog.com to see your destination wedding etiquette questions answered..
3. Follow us on twitter @Weddingmoons and tweet us your questions using #SunnySays and we’ll make sure she gets it.