We recently had the pleasure of working with Julie, who was having an intimate wedding in Italy with close friends and family.
It was clear that she and fiancé Dennis were putting a lot of thought and care into the experiences her guests would have in Tuscany.
They had found the keys to creating a personal, memorable destination wedding. Read on to learn how you can do the same for your own destination wedding.
Put your guests at ease
All of Julie’s guests, a small group of 10, had already been invited.
So Julie didn’t really need invitations exactly.
But she wanted to provide a wedding packet — with details of the events leading up to and including the wedding. That way, her guests would know what to expect, how to prepare and what to pack.
You can do this with additional information or cards you send with your invitations, a wedding website, or a separate email or mailed package sent after your invitations.
The important thing is answer key questions for your guests, so they don’t feel unprepared once they arrive at the destination and are miles from home.
Provide a little home comfort
That being said, no matter how well you plan, you’ll always forget something. Right?
Your destination wedding guests may feel the same way.
Julie prepared a personalized welcome package for her guests, including caps and scarfs.
But this doesn’t have to be elaborate. Many of our couples will simply provide a welcome kit or bag of emergency pain relievers, snacks, water and other little things that your guests may have missed.
With guest welcome packages the thought really does count.
Display your own signature style
Your guests are traveling so far to spend time with you and to share your special day.
So don’t forget to share your own style.
Julie and Dennis’ style was more modern and traditional. So their stationery was a no-script font zone.
She was also worried that her preferred colors “weren’t very Italy”. But really, there’s no such thing.
Her family and friends can look at this wedding stationery and see Julie and Dennis in them. And that’s what’s important.
Feel free to put your own stamp on your destination wedding design, even if you don’t think it matches what most people think of as “beach”, “Mexico” or your destination.
Experience local culture to create once-in-a-lifetime memories
Julie included a few trips and events at the winery and in the town they were staying.
These will become cherished memories that her family and friends will keep long after the “I do”s.
Local or abroad, almost every town has something special that you can share with your wedding guests.
And it doesn’t have to be expensive either. It can be as simple as choosing to spend a morning or afternoon walking around — visiting shops and meeting the people who live there.
Thank them for coming
There are many ways to thank your wedding guests.
Julie chose to add a thank you message on her itinerary cards. So they were thanked as soon as they arrived.
But you could also do a dedicated thank you card, a note on your wedding programs, or a simple thank you message on your favor tags.
Customize this design…
Julie’s invitation design was customized from our Italy map booklet invitation, shown below, and available here. Julie added a wrap with tag to the base design. And for her additional stationery, she added a her own compass logo.
For additional customizations not shown on the product page, please contact us.