Planning a Destination Wedding in Mexico? Do This One Thing Before Anything Else!
Planning a destination wedding can be exciting, but it’s also a significant commitment. Before you officially lock in your resort and date, one of the smartest steps you can take is to find out whether your closest family and friends are actually able (and truly willing) to attend.
Why? Because, unlike a local wedding where guests just show up on the day of, a destination wedding requires them to:
- Take time off work or school
- Book flights and hotel stays
- Secure childcare, if applicable
- Budget for a multi-day trip (not just one night out)
And for you? It may require a minimum guest count and room block commitments for which you are financially responsible.
By checking in with your intended guests before you sign those wedding and room block contracts, you’ll get peace of mind that the people you can’t imagine celebrating without are truly on board. It’s also a considerate way to set expectations, giving your friends and family an early idea of the cost, dates, and location, so there are fewer surprises later.
The good news? This doesn’t have to be awkward or complicated. You can send a simple email (or a quick Google Form) that makes it easy for your guests to respond. Here is some sample wording for what to send (obviously, feel free to adjust any of this to the way you would speak/communicate):
Subject Line Ideas:
- Thinking About a Destination Wedding – Would You Join Us?
- We’d Love Your Input About Our Wedding Plans
- Quick Question About Our Possible Destination Wedding
- “Pack Your Bags? We’re considering a Destination Wedding!”
Letter Verbiage Suggestion
Email Body
Hi [Guest’s Name],
We’re so excited to share some news with you – we’re considering having a destination wedding in [Mexico / Location TBD]!
Before we finalize our plans, we’d love to know if you’d be interested in joining us. Your presence would mean the world to us, and hearing from you will help us move forward with the best plans for everyone.
Here’s what we’re currently thinking:
- Location: [Resort name or “Mexico (exact resort to be determined)”]
- Estimated Dates: [Month/Year]
- Required Length of Stay: 3 nights (you can extend if you’d like!)
- Approximate Cost: Around $[X] per person for 3 nights at the resort (flights not included).
What we’d love to know from you: Would you be interested and able to attend if we move forward with a destination wedding?
Please take a quick moment to reply to this email (or click this short form link if you’d prefer: [insert link]) to let us know one of the following:
- Yes, we’d love to celebrate with you!
- We’re interested but would need more details.
- Unfortunately, we wouldn’t be able to attend.
Your feedback will help us decide on the best path forward. Thank you so much for taking the time to let us know—your input means the world to us.
With love, [Couple’s Names]
Prefer a Google Form?
Here’s some ready-to-use Google Form-style wording you can copy right into a form (or any RSVP tool like Typeform, Jotform, or SurveyMonkey). This will keep things short and simple for your guests while giving you exactly what you need to know:
Form Title:
[Couple’s Names] Destination Wedding – Guest Interest Survey
Form Description:
Hi! We’re considering having a destination wedding in [Mexico / Location TBD] and would love to know if you’d be able to join us. Your feedback will help us decide on the best path forward.
Here’s what we’re currently thinking:
- Location: [Resort name or “Mexico (exact resort to be determined)”] Estimated Dates: [Month/Year]
- Required Length of Stay: 3 nights (you can extend if you’d like!)
- Approximate Cost: Around $[X] per person for 3 nights at the resort (flights not included).
Please take a quick moment to respond—thank you so much!
Form Questions:
- What’s your name? (Short answer)
- If we move forward with a destination wedding, would you plan to attend? (Multiple choice)
- Yes, I/we would love to celebrate with you!
- We’re interested but would need more details before deciding.
- Unfortunately, we wouldn’t be able to attend.
- Please list the names of all those who would be attending with you and indicate any children under 18 years old. (Short answer)
- Do you have any questions or concerns about attending our destination wedding? (Paragraph response)
Confirmation Message (what they see after submitting):
Thank you for your response! Your input is invaluable as we plan this exciting celebration. We’ll be in touch with more details soon – can’t wait to celebrate together!
And here’s a short, friendly text message version that you could send as a reminder to guests who don’t reply to your email:
Option 1 (linking to the form): Hey [Guest’s Name]! We’re considering having a destination wedding in [Mexico/location] and would love to know if you’d be able to join us. Could you take a quick minute to RSVP with your interest here? [Insert Link]
Option 2 (reply via text): Hi [Guest’s Name]! We’re planning a possible destination wedding in [Mexico/location] and want to know if you’d join us. Can you text back one of these? Yes, I’d be there! Interested, need more details. Wouldn’t be able to attend.
Option 3 (gentle reminder): Just a quick reminder – we’re deciding on our destination wedding plans and really value your input. Could you please let us know if you will be able to attend? Reply here: [Insert Link]
Make sure to include anything that you already know with 100% certainty and any details that are important for your guests to be aware of. For example, if you are planning an adult-only wedding and absolutely will not allow even one child, this is the place to make that clear. It sets the proper expectations upfront, so there’s no confusion from your guests about what they are agreeing to
Important Notes
This does not replace your save-the-date cards, if you choose to send them, or your wedding invitation. You’ll want to send this email or form request to all of your intended guests before finalizing your wedding and room block contracts. This will help you determine whether it’s feasible for you to have the destination wedding in Mexico you’ve always dreamed of. Once you have all the answers you need to help you decide on whether to move forward with your destination wedding or change plans, you can feel comfortable signing your wedding and room block contracts. Once you finalize those contracts, additional information is typically sent to your guests. You can choose to send save the dates at this time, or if you’re working with us here at Yellow Umbrella Events, we prepare a guest web link that has details about your resort, your room block, any requirements that your guests need to be aware of, booking and payment details, and more, and you can send that to your guests.
The Yellow Umbrella Events Take
At Yellow Umbrella Events, we’ve seen how much smoother the planning process goes when couples check in with their VIPs BEFORE locking in a resort. It saves stress, avoids surprises and misunderstandings, and gives you confidence to know that the people who matter most will be there on your wedding day. The last thing you want is to be surprised down the road by who can (or can’t) make it based on what are only assumptions.
If you’d like help not only choosing the right resort but also setting up the perfect guest communication strategy (emails, booking links, and more), that’s exactly what we do. We’ll guide you every step of the way so you can focus on what really matters – celebrating your love story with the people you love most. Contact us today to learn more.
