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Expert April 2021

Save The Dates for Destination Wedding

Lisa, on April 21, 2019 at 12:58 PM Posted in Planning 0 23

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My wedding is October 4, 2020 in Riviera Maya, Mexico and I currently have our shoot booked for June 19th but contemplating on pushing it back now that I’m hearing July may be too early to send out save the dates. My venue is already booked and immediate family are as well. I didn’t want to send the save the dates digitally through the planner because it looks too basic to me so that’s why I wanted to get save the dates sent out early with our wedding website on it with all the info to book. My planner keeps encouraging me to inform everyone now so they can start booking but without engagement pics done I don’t have my wedding website ready nor can I mail out STD’s. Should I go ahead and send them out in July or reschedule the shoot for September and mail them out in October for the 1 year mark? Please help!! Any advice is appreciated.

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23 Comments

Latest activity by Wendy, on April 22, 2019 at 11:49 AM

VIP October 2018
Victoria · on April 21, 2019 at 1:20 PM
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You can schedule the shoot for whenever you want. I would keep your June date and use them for your save the dates. (On the flip side, you don't HAVE to have a picture on your save the date.) I wouldn't send out your save the dates until 12 months out though. That's plenty of time for your guests to get time off of work and book travel.
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Expert April 2021
Lisa · on April 21, 2019 at 2:10 PM
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Thanks for your help! I figure if we’re doing a shoot we might as well use an many pics as we can for save the dates, wedding website, invitations, etc. I thought 12 months would be more than enough time but my planner is freaking me out cause she keeps saying why wait if I have the venue booked already and she’s worried that the resort will be sold out. Idk why she’s worried though when my guests have 3 resorts to choose from 😩
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Super August 2021
Wendy · on April 21, 2019 at 2:29 PM
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We are doing our DW in Cancún 08/08/20. We have our engagement pics in a week and I plan on sending save the dates around June or July.. I am also waiting on those pics to be able to share my web.. DW guests needs plenty of notice to make arrangements or start saving $$ if they really want to attend... I want to give them plenty of notice (most of them know already the date, resort and location anyways) but still.. many people say more than a year notice is too much time, but you know your crowd, decided based on that... some people might need the extra time to save...
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Super May 2019
Kiki · on April 21, 2019 at 3:17 PM
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We sent out our Save the dates for our Cancun wedding May 15th 2019 one year in advanced, I don't believe sending them out any earlier than the 1 year mark will do anything for you. Only our immediate family booked right away everyone else didn't book until February 2019 at the earliest.
If people are going to come they're going to come a matter of months isn't going to make a difference.
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Expert April 2021
Lisa · on April 21, 2019 at 3:30 PM
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Thanks Wendy! Where’s your wedding at in Cancun? I’m thinking along the same timeline. I was going to do the shoot in June to have pics for my digital invites for the engagement party and then send out the save the dates by August/September but I may push the shoot back just a few months.
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Expert May 2019
Iris · on April 21, 2019 at 3:30 PM
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I’d say to send the Save the Dates one year out, one year is plenty of time for people to ask for or bid vacation time if they have to. Also, if you send them with too much time you risk people thinking “oh, I have tons of time” and then just having the opposite effect of a STD.

I sent ours 9 months out. We’re getting married in Puerto Rico in a bit less than 2 weeks and we sent the STDs in August. It’s a DW for more than half our guests. Our families are from Puerto Rico but most of our friends are from or love in the US, so we have people from 13 different states coming over.
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Expert April 2021
Lisa · on April 21, 2019 at 3:31 PM
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Hi Kiki! Thanks for your advice. Wow your wedding is less than a month away! Are you getting nervous? Anything else left to do?
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Super May 2019
Kiki · on April 21, 2019 at 3:35 PM
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It really hasn't hit me yet we leave on May 11th to fly there I think maybe once I get to the airport I might get the butterflies.
Everything is pretty much done, only thing is going to be ironing out the small details with the venue once we arrive.
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Expert April 2021
Lisa · on April 21, 2019 at 3:41 PM
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Thanks Iris! Good luck on your wedding. Which resort are you having it at? I think I’ll just send out the digital save the dates through my planners site for now and mail official ones a year in advance.
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Expert May 2019
Iris · on April 21, 2019 at 3:44 PM
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My wedding is not in a resort. I didn’t want a beach or ocean view wedding as my FH’s first wedding was at the beach. My ceremony is in the Catholic Church I used to go when I was growing up, and my reception is in a venue that’s nearby in a countryside kind of environment. Lots of greenery and fresh air.
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Expert April 2021
Lisa · on April 21, 2019 at 3:46 PM
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Was your venue responsive? Mine seems to be pretty slow for now. I know I’m so far away but they respond in like a week.
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Super May 2019
Kiki · on April 21, 2019 at 3:49 PM
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They were super slow with everything but I hired a planner here to talk to them because I just couldn't be bothered with it! LOL
But every time I ask my planner a question she gets on it right away but takes about 3 days to a week to hear back from the actually venue. Only thing they are on time with is when the money is due.
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Expert April 2021
Lisa · on April 21, 2019 at 4:10 PM
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Gotcha! Enjoy I’m sure it’ll be beautiful. Blessings you and your FH!
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VIP December 2019
Michelle · on April 21, 2019 at 4:27 PM
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You are having a destination wedding. People need to take time off work, research and book flight, find a sitter and some may need to save to make the wedding. I would send them now since it's a destination wedding.
My wedding is in the states but since it's on NYE we sent them out in February. I think destination and holiday wedding STD'S and invites should go out wayyyyyyyyyy early. We will send the actual invite in August. So people can have to time make arrangements.
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Super August 2021
Wendy · on April 21, 2019 at 7:42 PM
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It’s at Finest Playa Mujeres!!!! That sounds like a great idea actually!!!!
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Expert April 2021
Lisa · on April 22, 2019 at 9:06 AM
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I’m thinking of doing the same. If you don’t mind telling me who you decided on for a planner. I’m just starting to look. Were they expensive? Did they get you better pricing on outside vendors?
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Expert April 2021
Lisa · on April 22, 2019 at 9:07 AM
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Hey Michelle, I agree! I think I’ll keep my shoot in June just to start building my website and send out save the dates by August as a heads up. I want to do the magnets so it’ll be a constant reminder to everyone and they won’t trash it.
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Expert April 2021
Lisa · on April 22, 2019 at 9:08 AM
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Oh nice! My girlfriend is getting married this weekend on the 27th and her honeymoon is in a Playa Mujeres. Do you have a planner?
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Super August 2021
Wendy · on April 22, 2019 at 10:06 AM
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OMG!!! Yes I can’t wait!! I’m staying at their adults section only lol so it’s perfect!!! We’ll probably just stay in that area one day before we leave.. yes!! The resort wedding package comes with a wedding planner... very easy, just patiences lol.. replies can take a week or 2.. sometimes less.. we have barely started the planning process.. choosing the menu, flowers and so on!! Super excited!!! Congratulations to your friend and I hope she has lots of fun!!
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Expert April 2021
Lisa · on April 22, 2019 at 10:22 AM
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Nice! My venue has 3 resorts. 2 adults only and 2 family friendly. We’re staying at 1 of the adults only for the first 4 nights and then the day after our wedding loving to the other adults only for our honeymoon. I wanted a WOW experience and to not be at the same room for 2 weeks. Did you use outside vendors for anything at all? Some of the things they quoted me for like floral I think is a bit pricey. I’m thinking I can get it cheaper from another vendor.
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