Quick answer: send destination wedding save the dates 9 to 12 months before the wedding. Include your names, the destination, the full weekend dates, when hotel booking opens and a link to your travel page. Digital save the dates reach overseas guests instantly, which matters when everyone needs time to book flights.
A destination wedding asks a lot of your guests: flights, hotels, time off and sometimes a passport renewal. Your save the date is how you give them enough time to say yes. It does more work than a local save the date, so it needs a little more information and a lot more notice. For the basics that apply to every wedding, see our full guide to save the dates.
When to send destination wedding save the dates
Send them 9 to 12 months before the wedding. Zola's planners recommend 8 to 12 months for destination weddings, and the further guests travel, the closer to 12 months you should aim. Holiday weekends and peak travel seasons need the full year.
| Destination | Send save the dates | Send invitations |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic, short flight | 8–10 months before | 3 months before |
| Domestic, long-haul or Hawaii | 9–12 months before | 3 months before |
| International (Mexico, Caribbean, Europe) | 10–12 months before | 3 months before |
| Over a major holiday | 12 months before | 3 months before |
Destination invitations usually go out about 3 months ahead rather than the usual 6 to 8 weeks, so guests have their RSVP and travel details in time. The full schedule for every month is in when to send save the dates.
What to include on a destination save the date
- Your names as you'd like guests to know you.
- The destination: the city and country, or the island.
- The full weekend dates, if there's a welcome dinner or brunch. Guests book flights around the whole trip, not just the ceremony.
- When hotel booking opens and whether you have a room block.
- A link to your wedding website or travel page. On paper, add a QR code.
- "Invitation to follow." Always.
Leave out the ceremony time and the venue if they might change. The save the date's job is to get guests to book; the invitation handles the details.
The travel-page checklist
Guests will click from your save the date straight to your travel information. Before you send, make sure your website covers:
- Nearest airports and typical flight times from major cities
- Hotel block names, rates, booking codes and cut-off dates
- Passport and visa reminders for international weddings (guests should check their own government's requirements)
- Transport from the airport to the hotel and venue
- A rough weekend schedule (welcome drinks, wedding, brunch)
- Weather and what to pack
- Whether kids are invited
- A contact for travel questions
If you're weighing protection for the trip, our guide to destination wedding insurance vs travel insurance explains what each one covers, for you and for your guests.
Why digital save the dates work best for destination weddings
International mail can take a long time, and it's easy for a card to go astray across borders. A digital save the date arrives the same day for every guest, wherever they live, and it can include a clickable travel link, a map of the destination and one-tap calendar sync.
- Instant everywhere. The guest in London and the guest in Los Angeles get it at the same moment.
- Clickable travel details. No typing a long URL off a card.
- Easy updates. If the hotel block changes, your website changes; nobody has an outdated card.
- Much lower cost. No international postage for every household.
Many couples still post a few printed cards to grandparents. Our comparison of digital and paper save the dates walks through the costs.
Destination save the date wording ideas
- Pack your bags · Priya & Sam · Tulum, Mexico · March 5–7, 2027 · Hotel block opens January 2027 · Invitation to follow
- Destination: Lisbon · Date: 05.22.2027 · Passengers: you · Travel details on our website
- Join us in Santorini · September 9–11, 2027 · Plan for a long weekend · Invitation to follow
- Save the date and check your passport · Mia & Lucas · Amalfi Coast, Italy · June 2027
- Sun, sand and "I do" · Grace & Owen · Maui, Hawaii · April 17, 2027
- Let's go to Ireland · Sarah & Kieran · Galway · July 2–4, 2027 · Travel guide on our website
Keep the facts plain and the tone excited: the destination does most of the selling for you.
A destination wedding timeline from your guests' side
It helps to picture the year from a guest's point of view. Here's roughly what they'll be doing after your save the date arrives:
| Months before | What guests are doing |
|---|---|
| 12–9 | Receive the save the date, check passports, request time off, start saving |
| 9–6 | Book flights while fares are reasonable, book the hotel block |
| 6–4 | Arrange childcare or pet care, plan any extra travel around the trip |
| 3 | Receive the invitation, RSVP, finalize which events they'll attend |
| 1 | Check the weather and dress code, confirm transfers |
Seeing it laid out shows why the save the date matters so much for a destination wedding: almost every big decision a guest makes happens before your invitation even arrives. The clearer and earlier your save the date, the more people can say yes.
A note on guests you'd love there but who may struggle
If there are people you especially want there, such as grandparents or friends on tight budgets, a personal call alongside the save the date goes a long way. It gives them a chance to talk through the trip, and gives you an early sense of who can make it.
Being considerate of guests' budgets
A destination wedding costs guests far more than a local one. You can't change that, but you can make it easier: send the save the date early, book a hotel block at a range of prices, be clear about which events matter most, and tell guests you understand if they can't make it. Early notice is the single biggest kindness, because it gives people time to save.
Ready to send? Browse save the date designs with built-in maps and countdowns, add your destination and weekend dates, and share the link with every guest in minutes.
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