Hosting a destination wedding can be a wonderful way of celebrating your union and sharing moments with your loved ones, especially if travel plays a big part of your lives. According to a study by The Knot, the popularity of destination weddings has surged, with over 25% of couples opting for a destination wedding in 2023, marking a 5% increase from the previous year. In fact, destination weddings now account for nearly half of all weddings planned by couples under 35. While events abroad do require more planning, it’s absolutely worthwhile! As we approach 2025, these trends are only expected to grow, influencing how couples approach their wedding stationery.
When it comes to choosing destination wedding stationery, you’ll have so many creative options to choose from. The best way to make your invitations personal is to draw inspiration from the destination you have chosen. Whether or not your guests are seasoned travellers, the ideas below are sure to get your friends and family really excited for the journey!
Maps & Illustrated Touches in Destination Wedding Stationery
As we step into 2025, bespoke illustrations remain a key element in destination wedding stationery. One of the most charming ways to embrace your wedding location is through creative maps and artwork. These thoughtful illustrations, whether they feature iconic landmarks, regional motifs, or special places, offer your guests a glimpse of the experience that awaits them.
We love crafting personalised map inserts to complement invitation suites, designing illustrated envelope liners, and providing digital artwork for couples to showcase on their wedding websites. Whether minimalist or highly detailed, these maps not only guide guests but also become beautiful keepsakes.
For instance, your invitations could feature an elegant line drawing of your wedding venue, a delicately embossed city map, or a scenic illustration of rolling hills or mountains near your event. Each piece tells a story, connecting your guests to the essence of the destination and setting the tone for the unforgettable celebration to come.
Photography by Martina H
Words & Languages in Destination Wedding Invitations
Incorporating local language into your wedding stationery is a creative way to reflect the spirit of your destination. Simple phrases from the local culture can make your invitations more engaging and memorable. For a Greek island wedding, a cheerful “Yamas!” (cheers) could feature on your welcome cards written in calligraphy, while a “Bienvenidos!” (welcome) could greet guests attending a celebration in Spain.
Travel-themed phrases also bring extra flair. Think of lines like “Love without borders” for a wedding that spans continents, or “Meet us where the sun meets the sea” for a coastal celebration. These expressions give your guests a preview of the magic to come.
When it comes to playing with wording, another fun idea can be to come up with creative dress code descriptions that reflect the culture. For an Amalfi Coast wedding you could suggest “Lemon Grove Elegance” for the dress code. If you do decide to think outside the box with dress codes, make sure to also provide your guests with a description of what it means – on your wedding website if you have one – or even a Pinterest board of outfit inspiration to make it easier to pack appropriately, especially handy for a multicultural wedding.
Photography by Stuart Wood Weddings
Colours & Patterns
As 2025 approaches, we're seeing a resurgence of maximalist patterns and vibrant colours in wedding stationery, especially for destination weddings. If you want to infuse the personality and culture of the location, but keep the nod a little more subtle, choosing colours, motifs, or patterns that evoke the destination is a beautiful way to achieve this. For instance, lavender tones and soft blues echo the fields of Provence, while warm ochres and dusty pinks reflect the magic of Santorini’s sunsets. A tropical celebration might call for lush greens with bursts of mango yellow, while cool mint and gold evoke the elegance of Italian lake weddings.
Prints and patterns can also be a fantastic and sophisticated way of conveying a travel aesthetic, without overwhelming the design. Whether it's through subtle colours or more intricate motifs, these design elements bring the destination to life on paper. Patterns inspired by the destination add depth and character without overwhelming your design. Picture delicate fan patterns for a wedding in Seville, symbolic wave motifs for a coastal celebration in Portugal, or intricate lattice patterns reminiscent of the souks for a celebration in Marrakech. For a wedding in Kyoto, cherry blossom motifs or subtle ink-wash patterns can reflect the cultural richness of the setting. In an Indian wedding, consider incorporating symbolic elephants, reflecting cultural richness and traditions. Drawing from local patterns or architecture can beautifully connect the stationery to the wedding location in a timeless way.
Postcards
One way that our couples have chosen to reveal the destination of their international celebrations has been through a postcard-inspired save the date. Stationery like this can feel a little bit playful, vintage, and retro, and convey a sense of wanderlust and adventure too! You can choose to have a real photograph on the front or an illustration, and at the back you can have the typical postcard structure with a handwritten font outlining the date, location, and your wedding website address, for example. Personal notes to each guest can be a thoughtful detail here too!
Passports & Boarding Passes
Another chic idea for the travel enthusiasts out there is to create a stationery suite in the style of a passport, boarding pass, or airline ticket – which can be particularly exciting for your guests to receive if they have a long way to travel to reach your celebrations! These can be made very realistic, with barcodes, logos, or a perforated edge, and can be mailed alongside a matching envelope, a luggage tag, or a passport cover, to complete the travel-inspired look. For multicultural weddings, incorporating diverse traditions and personal touches can make a travel-inspired stationery suite even more meaningful.
We hope these suggestions spark inspiration for crafting a stationery suite that reflects the charm and individuality of your celebrations! If you’re looking for guidance in designing a suite that captures the essence of travel, adventure, and luxury, we’d be delighted to assist you.
Until next time,