When guests have to fly, take time off and book a hotel, your wedding website stops being a nice extra and becomes their travel guide. They will open it more often than for a local wedding, months earlier, and on the day itself in a place they do not know. This checklist covers what a destination wedding website needs beyond the basics, in the order guests need it.
Publish early, then build it out
For a destination wedding, guests decide whether they can come based on cost and time off, often months ahead. Put the website online as soon as the date and place are fixed, and share it with the save the date. The Emily Post Institute also suggests having the website live before save the dates go out.
What the first version needs:
- Your names, the date and the town or region
- The nearest airport and a rough idea of travel time
- Whether you have a room block, and when it closes
- A note that the schedule and details will follow
Our guide on when to send your wedding website and invitations has the full timeline, including how destination weddings shift it earlier.
The destination wedding website checklist
Getting there
- The nearest airport, and any alternative airports
- Travel time and options from the airport to the venue: taxi, shuttle, train, car hire
- Whether you are organizing a shuttle, and its times
- Parking at the hotel and the venue, if guests will drive
Documents
- A reminder to check passport validity and entry rules early
- A link to official travel advice rather than your own summary of visa rules
- Any documents needed for the venue itself, such as ID for a guest list at the door
Where to stay
- Two or three hotels at different prices, with distance from the venue
- Booking codes or room block names, and the date the block closes
- Whether guests should book directly or through you
The schedule
- Every event, with day, time and place: welcome drinks, ceremony, reception, farewell brunch
- Which events are for all guests and which are by invitation
- The local time zone, written out, so guests abroad do not convert wrongly
Local tips
- The weather to expect, and what to pack for it
- Dress code adapted to the place: sand, cobbles, heat, evening chill
- Currency, tipping and whether cards are widely accepted
- A few things to do nearby for guests who stay longer
Practical
- The RSVP deadline, usually earlier than for a local wedding
- A contact person on the ground for the wedding weekend
- What happens if the weather turns, for outdoor events
If your guests come from different countries, a bilingual wedding website lets each of them read these details in their own language.
Passports, visas and travel advice
Entry rules differ by country and change over time, so link to official sources instead of writing your own summary. Many countries require a passport that stays valid for some months after arrival; the U.S. Department of State, for example, notes that many countries require at least six months of validity and some need blank pages. Guests from other countries should check their own government's travel advice.
A short line is enough on your website:
"Guests travelling from abroad: please check your passport's expiry date and the entry rules for Portugal well before you book. Some countries require six months of validity."
Hotels and room blocks
Hotels near destination venues fill quickly, especially in high season. Present the options clearly:
| Hotel | Distance to venue | Price level | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|
| The main hotel (room block) | 5-minute walk | $$$ | Code SMITHWEDDING until March 1, 2027 |
| A mid-range option | 10 minutes by taxi | $$ | Book directly |
| A budget option or rentals | 20 minutes by taxi | $ | Several holiday rentals nearby |
Write the block deadline in full and repeat it in a reminder a few weeks before it closes. Guests who book late lose the rate.
A multi-day schedule
Destination weddings often stretch over two or three days. Lay them out so guests can plan flights:
- Friday, June 11, 2027: welcome drinks at the hotel terrace, 7:00 pm (all guests)
- Saturday, June 12, 2027: ceremony at 4:00 pm, reception to follow (all guests)
- Sunday, June 13, 2027: farewell brunch, 11:00 am (all guests)
Write the time zone once at the top of the schedule: "All times are local time in Lisbon (WEST, UTC+1)." Guests adding events to their calendars from another country will see the right times. Our wedding weekend itinerary guide covers what to tell guests about each event, and when.
Answer the cost question honestly
Guests at a destination wedding spend more than at a local one, and many will wonder what you expect. A short, kind line helps:
"We know travelling to Portugal is a big ask. Your presence really is the gift, and we completely understand if you can't make it."
If you are paying for something, such as the shuttle or the welcome dinner, say so. If you are not, there is no need to mention it.
Guests who cannot travel
Some guests will not be able to come, however much they want to. Consider:
- A warm line on the website that makes declining easy
- Sharing photos afterwards on the website or by message
- A smaller celebration at home later, if you plan one
How our wedding websites help with destination weddings
Our designs have room for what a destination wedding needs. The Details page has a travel and stay section with up to 6 hotels or rentals, each with an address, a distance, a note and a booking code or room block name. The map shows the ceremony and the reception separately, with directions in Google Maps, Apple Maps or Waze. You set the date, time and time zone of the wedding, and guests' add-to-calendar buttons use it. Built-in texts can appear in English, Spanish, French, German or Turkish, which helps when guests come from several countries. See the features, open the Olive & Ivory demo, or read our what to put on your wedding website checklist and the wedding website FAQ examples for questions travelling guests ask. To set it up, start with how to make a wedding website on your phone.
FAQ
When should a destination wedding website go live?
As soon as the date and place are fixed, and no later than the save the date. Guests need time to book flights, hotels and time off. Launch with the essentials (date, place, airport and hotels) and add the schedule and local tips as you confirm them.
What should a destination wedding website include that a local one does not?
Travel details from the airport to the venue, hotels with booking codes and deadlines, passport and entry advice with links to official sources, the local time zone, a multi-day schedule, the weather and local tips such as currency and dress for the climate.
Should we put visa requirements on our wedding website?
Link to official travel advice instead of writing your own summary, because entry rules depend on the guest's nationality and change over time. A short reminder to check passport validity early, with that link, is enough.
How early should the RSVP deadline be for a destination wedding?
Usually earlier than for a local wedding, often six to eight weeks before, because hotels, transport and the venue need numbers well ahead. Work backwards from the earliest supplier date, as our guide to choosing the RSVP deadline explains.