Destination wedding invitations: timeline, wording, visa letters and paperwork

Destination wedding invitation timeline

• Save the date: eight to twelve months before, so guests can book flights and time off.
• Invitations: three to four months before, once accommodation and transport are settled.
• RSVP deadline: about two months before; with flights involved, the sooner you know who is coming, the better.
• Visa invitation letters: as soon as a guest says they need one, because consulate appointments can take weeks.

Which language should the invitation be in?

Each invitation is published in one language: buttons, dates and the RSVP form appear in the one you choose out of eight (English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese and Korean). Pick the language most of your guests speak and write the texts that matter — your story, the dress code and the registry note — in both languages, one under the other. Nobody is left out and it is still one invitation.

Destination wedding invitation wording example

“Pack your bags! Emma and Daniel invite you to celebrate their wedding in Seville, Spain, on June 14, 2027. Travel details and RSVP inside — kindly reply by April 14.”

What traveling guests need to know

• The nearest airport or train station, and how long it takes to reach the venue.
• Where to stay: two or three nearby options, and whether there’s a shuttle from the hotel.
• The time of each part of the day, in local time, with a map.
• The dress code and the weather to expect.
• Currency, plugs and getting around, in one line each.

On the invitation, venues go in the schedule with their maps, the shuttle is asked in the RSVP and managed in its own tab, and the rest fits in a few lines of your story.

The invitation letter for a visa

Guests who need a visa to attend a wedding abroad are often asked for an invitation letter by the consulate. Rules vary by country: some only want a simple letter from the couple, others a formal document — in Spain, for example, a guest staying at a private home needs an official invitation letter issued by the police, while a hotel booking is usually enough. A letter from the couple typically includes:

• Your details and the guest’s, including their passport number.
• How you know each other.
• The date and place of the wedding, and the travel dates.
• Where the guest will stay and who covers the costs.
• The link to your wedding website, which shows the date and venue.

Marrying abroad or marrying a foreign partner: the paperwork

If one of you isn’t a national of the country where you marry, the paperwork starts long before the invitations: birth certificates and proof of single status, often translated and apostilled, and processing times that vary by registry. Marriage doesn’t grant residency automatically either. For weddings in Spain, the blog of Blue Oak Immigration, an immigration law firm in Spain, explains the requirements, the timelines and what happens with residency; for anywhere else, your embassy will tell you how to register the marriage back home.

RSVPs for guests traveling from abroad

Set an earlier deadline than for a local wedding, and ask whether guests need the shuttle and are joining the welcome party: when people travel, the night before is when a get-together is most appreciated. Read what to put on your wedding RSVP, with wording examples.

Create your destination wedding invitation

Pick a design, open the editor, choose the invitation language and write in two languages where it helps: it’s free and you don’t need an account to design it. And for guests with different customs and diets, read how to plan the wedding menu.