When is the right time to send your Save-the-Date for your destination wedding?

Let’s start with clarifying what exactly is a Save-the-Date. The Brides Magazine describes it as “an official announcement of your wedding date and location. They also let guests know that they will, in fact, be invited to the celebration.”
 
I would say it is a very important announcement that allows all your family and friends to be informed about your wedding plans so they can make necessary arrangements to attend. That means create their own travel budget, get vacation time or days off from work, arrange sitters for kids, etc.
 
At the time of this post, in June 2022, the hotels in the Caribbean Islands and Mexico are extremely busy with postponed weddings from 2020 and 2021 and are already booking weddings for 2023.
 
The message here is very clear, plan early, I would suggest a minimum of 18 months ahead of the date that you have chosen to get married to secure your wedding date and your hotel as soon as possible.
 
We expect that the wedding industry will normalize more in 2023 but an early start helps you and your travel advisor to quote and research hotels that will best fit you and your group.
 
With all that said and clarified, when is the best time to send your Save-the-Date announcement?
 
The answer is as soon as you have chosen your wedding day and secured your hotel for you and your guests. 

​Some hotels like Sandals and Beaches Resorts allow you to book your wedding 24 months ahead, other properties allow 18 months, but the majority will take wedding bookings between 12 to 14 months prior your wedding date. If you did secure your hotel several months before your wedding, that gives everyone plenty of time to arrange a flexible payment plan to make sure that they will attend your wedding.
 
Of course, this Save-the -Date should be sent only to those that you would like to invite to your wedding.
 
Your Save-the -Date should include the date and location of your wedding and the link to your wedding website that will be set up by your travel advisor. That site will have all the information about the hotel, rooms options, and much more!
 
Since this is not a formal invitation just yet, it doesn’t need to have all the details of the wedding itself like the venue, reception, activities.
 
Your Save -the -Date serves to test the waters and see who of your guests are going to attend the wedding. This will help tremendously your travel advisor who will have a good idea of how many rooms must be secured at the hotel for all your family and friends attending your ceremony. 
 
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