Planning
My wedding
Track your progress and access all of your wedding planning tools in one place.
To Do List
A step - by - step checklist of things to be done before your big day.
Guest List
See which guests are coming and which aren't at a glance.
Budget Calculator
Keep track of all spending associated with your big day.
Seating Planner
Organise your guest seating arrangements for all your events.
Gift Registry
Share your registry so guests can start contributing funds to your wishing well!
Competition
Enquire with and book your suppliers to go into the draw.
Unveiled Event
Connect with real couples, trusted vendors, and planning experts at your ultimate wedding planning day out!
Wedding Venues
Popular
Regions
All Wedding VenuesSydneyMelbourneBrisbanePerthGold CoastCanberraHobartAdelaideDarwinWedding Venue ReviewsDestination WeddingsBook a Hotel
Popular Styles
Beach
Garden
Luxury
Rustic / Country
Warehouse / Industrial
Waterview
Winery
Destination Wedding
Find Trusted Suppliers
Choose from 5,000+ wedding venues, services and providers across Australia.
in
Find Suppliers
Suppliers
Popular Categories
Wedding VenuesDressesPhotographyCelebrantsCarsHair and Makeup
Find SUPPLIERS By Location
SydneyMelbourneBrisbanePerthGold CoastHunter Valley
Explore All Categories
Ceremony
CelebrantsDecorationsFlowers
Reception
BomboniereCakesCaterersDecorationsWedding Hire
Fashion
AccessoriesBeauty ServicesBridesmaidDress DesignersFlower GirlsFormal WearHair and MakeupJewelleryWedding DressesLingerieShoes
Services
Hens Nights and Bucks PartiesInvitationsMusic, Bands & DJsPhoto Booth HirePhotographyPlannersSpecialty ServicesStylistsTransport and CarsVideography
Accommodation
Book a HotelAccommodationDestination WeddingsHoneymoons
Engagement
Engagement Venues
Reviews
Wedding ReviewsSubmit your reviews
Experience Unveiled by Easy Weddings; your ultimate wedding planning day out where elegance meets expert guidance. Meet top-tier vendors, get endless inspiration, and gain confidence planning your dream day.
Secure your spot ⟶
Packages
Destination Weddings
Articles
Wedding Guide
All articlesWedding InspirationWedding Venue Ideas
Real Weddings
Real WeddingsSubmit your Wedding
Expert Advice
Wedding Venue AdvicePhotography AdviceCelebrant AdviceAsk a Question
Wedding Resources
Wedding SongsExpos & EventsCeremony LocationsWedding Polls
Wedding Pages
Wishing Well
Join the Community
FacebookTikTokInstagramPinterestYoutube
Wedding Cash Giveaway

Enter here for a chance to win a $2,500 boost to your wedding budget

Advertise
  1. Easy Weddings
  2. Articles
  3. Destination Weddings
  4. When do you send destination wedding invitations?

When do you send destination wedding invitations?

By:
Alyssa Brown

Alyssa Brown

Alyssa Brown is Head of Content at Easy Weddings. She began her career as a wedding planner in 2009 before moving into digital content creation in 2014.
/
Updated on: April 12, 2024

Between the gorgeous travel imagery and the romantic notion of getting married in an idyllic foreign setting, planning a destination wedding is a delight. To keep your dreaming mind on track with the logistics, here are some basic details you should know about your destination wedding invitations.

View this post on Instagram

Here’s what we’ll cover in regards to planning your destination wedding invitation timeline:

  1. When to send the invites

  2. When to schedule RSVP date

  3. What to do when people don’t RSVP on time

  4. Are formal invitations necessary?


When do you send wedding invitations for a destination wedding?

You’ll want to give your guests plenty of time to make their plans, so for the save-the-dates, a window of 6 to 12 months before your wedding is ideal. If you’re heading to an exotic or distant location, you can even extend it to 18 months before the big day. Anything before that might be considered too early for guests to pay attention to.

For formal invitations to a destination wedding, you’ll want to send them between 10 to 12 weeks in advance of the wedding. For local weddings, the norm is more like 6 to 8 weeks, but we give guests more time to confirm travel and logistics via the joint effort of save-the-dates and earlier invitation sending.

When should you set your RSVP date for a destination wedding?

Most RSVP dates are about 2 to 4 weeks out, but there are a few things to think about when setting your RSVP date for a destination wedding.

First, look into the cut-off date for reserving hotel rooms at your destination. This will be handy when figuring out the time frame you ask your guests to respond within.

Remember that your venue will need your final guest count at some point. Find out when this is, and then aim to have your RSVP date at least a week before this. This will allow you plenty of time to follow up with any non-responders and finalise your arrangements.

If you plan on checking in with guests about their availability before sending invites, this could also influence your RSVP date.

What do you do when people haven’t sent their RSVP for your destination wedding?

Don’t panic. It’s quite common for guests to oversee your RSVP deadline. A good place to start is by checking the hotel bookings to see if guests have reserved their rooms yet. This is a good indicator of whether they plan to attend.

If your RSVP date has passed, it’s totally acceptable to get in touch with your guests personally. It’s important that you know who plans to attend, as it will help you with other areas of planning, such as catering.

Do you have to send destination wedding invitations if you already sent a save-the-date?

Yes. While save-the-dates are a fantastic way to give your guests a heads-up about your destination wedding, they’ll still expect a formal invite.

You could send it by mail, or for convenience and faster responses, by email. It should let your guests in on all of the key details of your day, like location, arrival time, date, and dress code. If you want to go the extra mile, you could include travel tips, itinerary ideas, and registry details.

See, simple, right?

Relax and remember timing and communication with your guests are essential to ensure everybody is on the same page about your destination wedding. Get those save-the-dates out in good time, followed by your formal invitations, and you’re smooth sailing from there.


Considering a destination wedding? Our destination wedding and travel team can help.

DISCOVER DESTINATION WEDDINGS

Access our free wedding planning PDF by sharing your email.

How to plan a destination wedding photo by Axioo Bali

Suppliers you'll love


View Local Suppliers

Tags / Categories

Categories: Destination Weddings

Tags: destination wedding planning, destination weddings, wedding invitations, wedding stationery

Related articles

destination wedding problemsDestination wedding problems: The guidebook of what can go wrong (and how to avoid it)
By Liv Croagh · July 10, 2025
Koro Sun Resort Fiji 3 1200x800 1Fiji wedding packages under 100 guests
By kelly · July 8, 2025
affordable thailandAffordable Thailand wedding packages
By Content Team · July 8, 2025
Planning Tools
  • To Do List
  • Guest List
  • Seating Planner
  • Budget Calculator
Suppliers
  • Wedding Venues
  • Dresses
  • Photography
  • Celebrants
  • Cars
  • Hair and Makeup
  • Wedding Packages
Packages
  • Wedding Packages
  • Destination Weddings
Help
  • Advice & Ideas
  • Ask a Question
  • Contact Us
Download the Easy Weddings app
iOS app store link
Android play store link
Are you a wedding vendor?Join Australia's largest and most trusted wedding destination today and connect with more couples to book more weddings.
List your business
Easyweddings logo
© 2025 Easy Weddings Pty Ltd.·Sitemap·Privacy·Legal