Couples choose destination weddings for many different reasons. Whether you want an excuse for a micro guest list or you’ve always dreamed of getting married on the beaches of Hawaii, a destination wedding all starts with the perfect destination wedding invitation. At Paperlust, you can choose from the best wedding invitation suites on offer, selected from an amazing pool of Australian talent. We pride ourselves on supporting independent designers and know you will love the destination wedding invitations we have to offer.
There’s no one style of destination wedding invitation that will suit everyone - Simple destination weddings call for simple, minimalist wedding invitations. Your save the dates for a beach wedding will be different than for a mountain wedding. If you’re on a tight budget to make the wedding happen, cheap destination wedding invitations might be the priority. You’ll be looking at different styles such as hawaii destination wedding invitations, Nepal or Vegas. So whether you’ve already scoured the destination wedding blogs and are clear on exactly what you want, or are still hunting for inspiration, we can help!Â
Destination wedding invitations ideas
At Paperlust we have a huge range of destination wedding invitations templates to choose from with a wide variety of themes and ideas to suit any destination or budget. Boarding passes, passport invitations, postcards from paradise and traveller’s maps are just some of the unique destination wedding invitations you will find on the Paperlust marketplace.Â
Want to see what our product looks like in person? You can order sample destination wedding invitations via our sample kit page, just add a request for wedding invitations for destination wedding to the special requests or the design name if you have selected one.Â
Boarding pass adventure
If you can’t resist those itchy feet and are planning a destination wedding and spectacular overseas honeymoon, boarding pass wedding invitations might be right up your alley. A boarding pass invite will get your guests excited every time they look at the fridge. We recommend sending wedding invitations for a destination wedding out earlier than standard wedding invites. As early as possible is best, but definitely no later than three months so that your loved ones have time to book accommodation, request leave and save money.Â
If you are searching for a ticket wedding invitations template or boarding pass save the date template, you’re sure to find what you need, and all of our designs are fully customisable using our online design tool. Make edits obligation free and see your results in real time. If you like what you see, select it and a professional designer will look it over to make sure it’s perfect before it goes to print.
If you are planning on boarding pass invitations, it might be worth selecting a save the date boarding pass to create a cohesive travel theme for your whole wedding season. Another option is to pair it with passport destination wedding invitations. Why not select all your wedding stationery at once? Choose destination engagement invitations, RSVP cards, destination wedding bridal shower invites, place cards, wedding menus, destination wedding announcements, and destination thank you cards to complete your matching set and save yourself some effort.
Even if you’re not flying anywhere (or only flying domestic), there’s no rule saying you can’t still use plane ticket wedding invites. If you haven’t gotten all the necessary details for your wedding invites sorted yet, don’t worry. You can still reserve your special day on people’s calendar with a boarding pass save the date magnet. Your destination wedding invitations boarding pass style can come in the mail later, because everyone already knows which date to prepare for. You might also consider circulating whatever details you do have by word of mouth, a website or just over Facebook until you’ve got everything sorted and can send your official invitations.Â
Postcard from Paradise
Postcard style wedding invitations or save the dates are the perfect choice for a destination wedding! A postcard brings back memories of holidays and travel, or of well wishes sent home from loved ones afar. Wedding invite postcards will attach these feelings to your wedding before anyone’s even gone anywhere or made any memories! Destination wedding postcard invitations can be styled as postcards from your destination (“Greetings from Bali!”) or even from the wedding itself (“From our celebrations at Jess and Dan’s extravaganza”). All our designs are completely customisable, so you can make your wedding invitation postcard as simple or busy as you like, or for a special touch, consider hiring us to create completely unique wedding invites postcards from scratch, perfectly suited to your special day.Â
Â
The traveller’s map
Travel themed wedding invitations are an opportunity for creative innovation. Do you want to roll your travel wedding invitations up like a scroll, hire a designer for custom wedding invitations maps or have map themed wedding invitations with your destination country featured?Â
Travel themed invitations really could mean anything, so why not make yours unique? Whether it’s camping wedding invitations, fun island florals, mountain wedding, or a stunning beach wedding invitations, decide what a travel themed invitation means to you and start customising one of our templates. A travel theme wedding invitation could mean a road trip out into the country for a rustic barnyard and boho wedding or a boat trip to a nearby island. If you were born with wanderlust in your blood, then the travel invite is for you.
The luggage tag invitation is another spin on the wedding travel invite. Whether you keep it simple with black and white or add some colourful flourishes, luggage tag wedding invitations are too cute and will have your guests oohing and ahhing about your wedding.
Destination wedding invitations wording and Etiquette
Destination wedding invites can be tricky to word, but it’s important to be very clear so that everyone is on the same page. There’s far more destination wedding information to convey than there would be for a normal wedding, which is why some people get stuck. Need help with wording for destination wedding invitations? Head to our wedding invitation wording page where you'll find all types of wedding invite messages. If in doubt, consider finding another way to share the nitty gritty information, and keep your invites simple.Â
For destination wedding invitations wording, tone can be warmer and more personal for destination weddings - the ask you're making of guests is significant, and acknowledging that creates goodwill. "We're eloping to Tuscany and we want you there with us" communicates something different from the formal third-person hosting convention, and for a destination wedding with an intimate guest list, it's often more appropriate.
For larger, more formal destination weddings, traditional wording applies - adjusted to include the destination context clearly. Make sure the location name and country are completely unambiguous in the invitation wording; guests shouldn't have to guess which "Santorini" or "Hawaii" venue you mean.
Â
Etiquette for destination wedding invitations
There is a cloud of etiquette surrounding weddings, but the main thing to remember with destination wedding invitation etiquette is simply that the invites should be sent out earlier than usual to give your guests time to prepare. You should also be cautious to make it clear to your guests, either on the invitation or in discussion with them, that it’s fine if they don’t attend. Not everyone can afford to jet around the world for an event, so handle it graciously to ensure nobody feels pressure. Keep those etiquette points in mind, and the rest is up to you.
The wedding invitations for your destination wedding are giving your guests the first taste of a memorable occasion. Whether it’s Mexican themed wedding invitations or Hawaii wedding invitations, your destination wedding can’t be properly announced without amazing destination invitations. Not only can you personalise any of our invite templates, you’ll love our free shipping, complimentary envelopes and customer satisfaction guarantee!
If you are after reception invitations after destination wedding we have a huge range of standard wedding invitations that can be found here.
Â
A destination wedding invitation is doing more work than any other type.
It's not just announcing a wedding - it's asking people to book flights, take time off work, arrange accommodation in an unfamiliar place, and potentially travel internationally. The invitation is the first touchpoint in all of that logistics, and how it handles that ask shapes whether guests feel excited or overwhelmed.
Here's what destination wedding invitations need to include, how to format them, and how to time the whole thing.
The timeline: send earlier than you think
Standard invitations go out 6-8 weeks before the wedding. Destination invitations need to go out 4-6 months ahead of the wedding date - minimum. International guests may need that long just to sort out passport renewals, visas, and booking travel at non-premium prices.
Save the dates for destination weddings should go out even earlier: 8-12 months out is reasonable for international destinations. Guests who need to make significant travel arrangements deserve maximum notice. The save the date buys them time; the formal invitation provides everything they need to commit fully.
What information a destination invitation needs beyond the basics
Standard invitations carry: date, time, venue, dress code, RSVP details. Destination invitations need several additional layers:
Accommodation block: if you've negotiated a room block at a hotel near the venue, include the hotel name, your group booking name or code, and the booking deadline. This is the single most practical thing your invitation suite can provide.
Travel logistics overview: airport, ground transport options, whether you're organizing group transportation from a hub hotel to the venue. Not an exhaustive itinerary - a clear, concise orientation.
RSVP with meal choice: destination weddings often require final catering numbers earlier because venue logistics are less flexible. Build meal choices into your RSVP card so you're collecting them in the initial response.
Contact information: who guests should email or call with questions about travel logistics. Not just the venue - someone in your orbit who knows the answers.
Wedding website reference: for destination weddings especially, a wedding website absorbs the information overload. Your invitation suite points to it; the website handles the detail.
Invitation formats for destination weddings
Passport booklet invitations are a dedicated design format - a folded card with the look of a passport, complete with "visa stamps" and destination imagery. They're a memorable format when the design is executed well. Available in the collection above.
Boarding pass die-cuts reference the travel theme more directly - a card cut to the proportions of a boarding pass with all the flight-metaphor fields filled with wedding information. Strong as a standalone piece or part of a passport suite.
Traditional invitation with travel motif: a conventionally-formatted invitation with destination-appropriate design elements (a map of the location, local botanicals, a landmark illustration). More flexible for couples who want the destination acknowledged but not as the primary design concept.
Accommodating international guests
If a significant portion of your guest list is international, the information needs of your invitation suite increase accordingly. Different guests may need different practical information - US guests traveling to a European destination have different logistics than European guests already there. A wedding website can segment information by guest location; a physical info card can't easily do this.
For mixed international and local guest lists, consider a general info card with the essentials and a wedding website for the detail. Make the URL prominent on the invitation - it's doing the heavy lifting.
Digital backup
Physical invitations can be lost, damaged, or stuck in customs. For destination weddings, having a digital version of your invitation and information accessible (via your wedding website) is practical insurance. It's not a replacement for a beautiful printed invitation - it's a backup.
Â
FAQ
No. B&W can carry complex illustration, detailed typography, dense pattern, or elaborate layout. What black and white removes is color - not complexity. Some of the most intricate wedding invitations in the collection are black and white designs with fine-line botanical illustration or detailed ornamental typography.
White ink is printed onto dark card stock - black, charcoal, navy, deep green, or slate. The result is high-contrast typography and illustration in white against the dark background. It's a specialty print process that requires specific equipment and stock; Paperlust offers it across a range of designs.
If you want a single metallic accent, foil is the natural choice - gold or silver foil reads as accent rather than color in the context of a B&W design, and it adds reflectivity that ink doesn't provide. For a literal second color, you'd be moving into two-color design territory, which is a different design decision.
Paper texture, envelope color, and suite accessories are the tools. Warm-white uncoated card or cotton paper has inherent warmth. A colored envelope (blush, sage, warm kraft) adds warmth at the point of arrival. A wax seal in a warm accent color adds a human touch. None of these add color to the invitation itself - they create warmth in the surrounding experience.
For white-on-dark designs: thick dark card stock specifically selected for white ink printing. For black-on-white designs: cotton or heavy uncoated card. For blind deboss: cotton is the superior choice - the fiber texture makes the impression more visible and the card more beautiful to hold.
Yes. B&W works for casual and formal weddings, outdoor and indoor venues, large and intimate gatherings. The design direction within B&W - minimalist vs elaborate, informal vs strict typography - is where you communicate the specific character of your wedding. The palette itself doesn't constrain the atmosphere.
Read More >>