Destination Wedding Invitation Wording

Lyndsey1229

Hello,

My FI and I are planning a destination wedding in the Bahamas in September 2014.  We are inviting about 50 guests to joins us but plan to do a large casual reception back home (Massachusetts) where we will invite all 200 guests. I am stumped as to how do to the invitations.  I want to put some wording on the invitation to indicate that there will be a reception when we return to the states to give our guests the option of traveling to the Bahamas or attending the reception at home or both.

Also, I plan to do save-the-dates to give people the heads up on our upcoming destination wedding.  When do I send out save-the dates and invitations for a destination wedding.  I want to give people enough time to save if they do want to travel with us.

Please help!

Thank you.

TheBaysideBride

Hi! Congrats!

I had a destination wedding earlier this month, and send the STDs in April. The hotel was fully booked up before our RSVP dates, and my guests appreciated having months to plan their travel.

I was originally thinking of doing a big reception when we got back, but scrapped it. Honestly, I would just have your wedding, rock it, and be done w/ it. Those you love and want there will travel to see you.

TerriHugg

I'm a fellow Bahamas bride from earlier this year! I  didn't have a party at home so I'm no help with the wording... but you should post this on the destination wedding board since I know a few of the girls on there have done this. They may be able to give a bit more insight. 

I will say that I think you should invite everyone you plan on inviting to the party home to the wedding in the Bahamas. Though it's not your intention, some guests my feel miffed about being invited to one event and not the other. Good luck with your plans. 

Lyndsey1229

This is going to sound awful but part of the reason we are having a limited guest list to our destination wedding is because there are certain family members on both our sides that we do not want to spend a week with on island.  Hence the smaller guest list to the island.

 

Thanks for the help ladies.  I'll move this post to a destination wedding board.

ashleyep

I *think* you could include an insert with your invitations letting those guests that are invited to the Bahamas know that there will be a reception back home.

misssunshine17

These are two separate events. Send STDs for the DW, then send invites, then send everyone the invite to the at home reception. Just make sure you're not throwing a re-do wedding- no dress, no cake cutting, no first dances since you'll already be married and do those things at your DW. 

WiscDoll322

misssunshine17 said:

These are two separate events. Send STDs for the DW, then send invites, then send everyone the invite to the at home reception. Just make sure you're not throwing a re-do wedding- no dress, no cake cutting, no first dances since you'll already be married and do those things at your DW. 

This! We're having a DW in Florida in November and this is exactly what we did. It's worked well so far.

AprilH81

@misssunshine17 nailed it.  

Two different events means two different invitations.  The at home reception can be a kick ass party  but should not be a wedding re-do.

Nimirra137

We are planning to do an at home party after as well. DW is immediate family only and then my BFF who will be standing up. We let our families know right away the location/date and are not doing save the dates.

When people started asking about the wedding plans, updates, etc. we put out a wedding website that was specific about it being DW and immediate family only but that we plan to have a party when we return.

We plan to do invitations for DW and then once we know what kind of at home party (at a restaurant, or a park/picnic) we will send out invites for that. We do not plan to do cake cutting, dances, toasts, centerpieces, etc at the at home party.

thecatcharmer76

TerriHugg said:

I'm a fellow Bahamas bride from earlier this year! I  didn't have a party at home so I'm no help with the wording... but you should post this on the destination wedding board since I know a few of the girls on there have done this. They may be able to give a bit more insight. 

I will say that I think you should invite everyone you plan on inviting to the party home to the wedding in the Bahamas. Though it's not your intention, some guests my feel miffed about being invited to one event and not the other. Good luck with your plans.