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By Forever Farrah Published 2026-09-17.
When to book the venue, send save-the-dates and invitations, set up room blocks and sort passports for a destination wedding, with a month-by-month timeline.
Start planning a destination wedding about 12 to 18 months ahead, and book the venue first. Send save-the-dates as soon as the date and place are fixed, ideally 8 to 12 months before, then invitations about three months out, earlier than the six to eight weeks usual for a local wedding. Guests need the time: flights, leave from work, passports and sometimes visas all take longer than a gift and an outfit.
The Emily Post Institute's planning checklist suggests choosing ceremony and reception locations a year or more ahead and sending save-the-dates three to six months out "(or earlier)". For a wedding that involves flights, "earlier" is the operative word. Guests in a 2018 LendingTree survey got an average of 5.4 months' notice of destination weddings, and 51% had turned one down, mostly because of cost. More notice means cheaper flights and a better chance people can come.
Official paperwork also takes time. The US State Department lists routine passport processing at four to six weeks, plus up to two weeks for the application to arrive and up to two weeks for delivery. Other countries' timelines vary.
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| 12–18 months before | Choose the country and town; check marriage rules there; set a budget and a draft guest list |
| 12 months before | Book the venue and a local planner or coordinator; fix the date |
| 8–12 months before | Send save-the-dates with the location; set up room blocks; launch your wedding website |
| 6–9 months before | Book photographer, officiant and other vendors; plan welcome and farewell events |
| 6 months before | Remind guests to check passports and any visa or travel authorisation |
| 3 months before | Send invitations with RSVP deadline and meal choices |
| 6–8 weeks before | RSVP deadline; confirm numbers with the venue |
| 2–4 weeks before | Seating chart, transport schedule, guest information pack |
| The week of | Arrive early for final meetings and any legal appointments |
Emily Post's checklist puts arranging accommodation and activities for out-of-town guests six to nine months before the wedding; for a destination wedding, doing it with the save-the-dates lets guests book straight away.
When to send save-the-dates, invitations and RSVP reminders
Send them as soon as you've signed with the venue. Anyone who receives a save-the-date will expect an invitation, so finalise the guest list first. Include:
Our guide to when to send save-the-dates and invitations covers local weddings and wording.
Mail or send invitations about three months out, which gives guests time to decide once flights are booked and still leaves you time to confirm numbers. Set the RSVP deadline a couple of weeks before your venue needs final numbers, and allow extra for guests replying from other time zones. If you're hosting several events across the weekend, ask for an RSVP to each one separately. When should wedding RSVPs be due has more on picking the date.
Yes, if the guest list is small and flexible. A handful of immediate family can book on a few months' notice; 80 guests from three countries can't. If you're short on time, choose a place with regular direct flights and simple marriage rules, or marry legally at home first. Our 6-month wedding planning timeline shows what a compressed schedule looks like, and Forever Farrah keeps the guest list, per-event RSVPs and meal choices in one place when replies come in fast.
Ideally 8 to 12 months before, and as soon as the date and location are confirmed. Guests need time to book flights, request leave and check passports.
About three months before the wedding, earlier than the six to eight weeks usual for a local wedding, so guests can make travel plans before they reply.
About a year ahead, and earlier for popular places in high season. Book the venue before sending save-the-dates.
It can be for a small guest list, especially at a place that handles weddings in-house. With a large list, expect more declines because guests have less time to plan and save.
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