1. Bridal Shower Guests = Wedding Guests

Etiquette suggests that friends and family who are not invited to the wedding should not be invited to the bridal shower, even for destination weddings.

Why? Because there are gifts involved with a bridal shower and it’s considered tacky to make a guest feel like they need to purchase a shower gift if they aren’t invited to the actual wedding. So only send Bridal Shower Invitations to friends and family invited to the actual wedding. However…

2. The Hometown Reception Rule

Since destination weddings are often very limited as far as guest count, many couples choose to have an at-home reception so they can invite all their friends and family to celebrate.

If you’re having a traditional wedding reception after you smaller destination wedding, you may absolutely invite guests on that list to your bridal shower.

3. Your Bachelorette Party is a Different Story

The bachelorette party is a great opportunity to celebrate with people who are not able to attend your destination wedding, invited or not. Since bachelorette parties are more casual gatherings and gifts are typically minimal, it’s a great time to celebrate with everyone.

4. The Location is Up to You

Bachelorette parties can be planned at home or at the destination wedding location. Whoever is planning the bachelorette party should work closely with the bride early on in the wedding planning process to see what she prefers.

If the bride prefers a destination bachelorette party, she will likely need to be involved in planning it since the party will fall within the wedding weekend itinerary.

5. Keep Cost in Mind

Since guests are committing a fair amount of money to travel and lodging to attend your destination wedding, keep their wallets top of mind.

We suggest ensuring that your gift registry includes a wide range of prices so guests can spend less if they financially need to.

Same goes for your Bachelorette party. Throwing a weekend-long bash with lots of dining out and entertainment might be a lot to ask of your besties. Have a frank conversation with your closest friends to understand their budget before booking hotels and fun!

Ready to get the planning started? Check out our post about Bridal Shower Basics  to get the nitty gritty of planning a beautiful bridal shower for the bride-to-be.

xo – the team at Invitations by Dawn