Destination Wedding Invitation Ideas for your Irish Wedding

When it comes to destination weddings, it’s all about the location! But you don’t have to wait until guests touch down in your chosen location to get them excited about it. In fact, your invitations are one of the best ways to create a sense of anticipation and excitement right from the start, as well as provide a little taste of what’s to come. Your invitations can also act as a lovely memento once the trip is over. So, if you’re planning a destination wedding in Ireland, why not turn to the country and culture, the city, town, or region where the wedding will be held, or even the venue itself for inspiration? After all, you only have one chance to make a first impression, so make it a memorable one! Here are some of my favourite destination wedding invitation ideas for an Irish destination wedding.

Venue illustration. One of the loveliest ways to create a sense of place with your wedding invites is to commission a custom illustration and showcase it on your paper goods. It could be a depiction of a defining element of the destination (like the Cliffs of Moher) or an illustration of your wedding venue or even the church where you’ll exchange vows. For a Dublin wedding, it could also be an illustration of the city’s skyline. Choose a style that complements your wedding aesthetic and works well with the colours of your invitation suite.

Maps. Incorporating maps is also always a good idea for a destination wedding invitation. And it’ll be useful for guests too! Customise your paper goods with a bespoke map of the city or area, including some of the things that guests might like to do or places they can explore. You can make it as detailed or as simple as you like. Again, be sure that the style and colour palette matches that of the rest of the suite.

Floral wedding invitation on toile background

Flora and fauna. Another sweet way to bring a location to life in your destination wedding invitations is to include some of its signature flora and fauna. Think about flowers and plants that are indigenous to the locale. For an Irish wedding, that might be ferns and mosses, hummingbird fuchsia, flax (for Northern Ireland), or wildflowers. Fauna that you might include could be deer, hare, sheep or a number of birds. You could even consider an Irish wolfhound, the national dog!

Symbols. Every country has symbols associated with its history and cultural heritage that could be included in a destination wedding invitation. The shamrock immediately comes to mind, of course, but there are many other options too. For example, a Celtic knot (especially appropriate for a wedding!), harp, and Claddagh.

Patterns and textures. Another place to look for inspiration is the patterns and textures you’ll see in your wedding destination. Tartan and Irish lace are two good Irish examples, and can be subtly woven into an invitation suite. The best place to look for inspiration is the  venue itself, so when you visit your venue for the first time, be sure to look out for colours and textures that might translate to your paper goods and take lots of photographs. Anything from artworks and ceramics to stone or carpet could light that creative spark for you (or your designer).

French-blue-and-copper-calligraphy-wedding-invitation-suite

Literature and language. Another beautiful way to incorporate your wedding destination is through words. Find a piece of literature or song lyrics that you love or that are important to the place and have a calligrapher create a piece of word-art that you can use as a band or backing to your invitation. A Gaelic blessing would be a lovely touch for an Irish destination wedding invitation suite.

Envelope liners. If you prefer to keep your invitation simple, you can still incorporate illustrations or designs that speak to the locale. The best place to do this is on the envelope liner. After all, it’s the first thing that guests will notice as they open their envelope!

Slán go Fóill,

Tara

Images by Lisa O’Dwyer, Story of Eve

Autumn Adare Manor Wedding | Aimee & Shane

When we first started working with Aimee and Shane to plan their Adare Manor wedding, we were anticipating a spring celebration with all their family and friends. Of course, 2020 had other plans! Like so many other couples, they unfortunately had to postpone their big day and reinvent their event to ensure compliance with COVID restrictions. With a date shift to October, we adjusted the colour palette to include more vibrant autumnal tones alongside the original green and white. The guest list was also slimmed down to a more intimate 50 people, prompting us to adjust how we planned to use some of the space. The lead-up to the wedding was a bit of a nail-biter and in fact we narrowly avoided a second postponement thanks to further restrictions imposed just a week later. However, despite the challenges along the way, the end result was pure joy, and every bit as beautiful and charming as an Adare Manor wedding should be!

Adare Manor illustration wedding invitation

Lockdown Liquor custom wedding favours

Adare Manor wedding venue Limerick Ireland

When it came to choosing a location, the couple were already familiar with one of my favourite Ireland wedding venues, Adare Manor in Co. Limerick. (In fact, it was where they stayed the night before Shane’s proposal!) They loved the picturesque Adare Village, as well as the fact that it was half-way between West Cork (where Shane is from) and Dublin (where Aimee calls home), making it convenient for both their families. They also loved the beauty and opulence of the estate and, as a golf fanatic, the groom loved the championship golf course which is set to host the Ryder Cup in 2027. Really, there was no other choice! Adare Manor was their perfect venue, and to celebrate they commissioned a watercolour illustration of the manor house which was incorporated into their stationery suite.

bride bridesmaid flower girls portrait

flower girls walking down aisle

Holy Trinity Church wedding Adare Village

Adare Manor wedding floral arch

autumn floral arch bride and groom

autumn floral arch bridal portrait

Although Adare Manor has several lovely ceremony venue options, the couple chose instead to have exchange vows at Holy Trinity Church in Adare Village, one of several beautiful churches nearby. It was at the church that guests were first introduced to the abundant florals that were a hallmark of the day, with a spectacular floral arch created at the entrance to the church. We used similar floral arches as a reception detail, surrounding the seating chart and as a backdrop to the band. Similar floral touches were added to the grand staircase and the bar and, of course, reflected in the table arrangements. As the bride said: “my flowers were the talk of the wedding!”

Adare Manor wedding staircase florals

Adare Manor wedding seating chart floral arch

Adare Manor wedding ballroom reception

Adare Manor wedding table décor

Adare Manor wedding tall centrepiece

Adare Manor wedding taper candles

Adare Manor wedding band décor floral arch

Adare Manor wedding whiskey bar

Adare Manor wedding bride and groom staircase

Aimee and Shane’s reception was held in the Grand Ballroom at Adare Manor, a spectacular venue that is part of the new wing and has its own private entrance. Although the Grand Ballroom boasts 4,800 square feet of space and has a capacity of 350, one of the reasons I love it is that it can be tailored to accommodate an intimate reception of as few as 20 guests. It allowed us plenty of room for social distancing while also creating an opulent, intimate atmosphere, especially with the chandeliers twinkling above! Walking into the ballroom, dancing to Stevie Wonder while their friends and family cheered them on, was the couple’s highlight of the day. Aimee said: “There was such an atmosphere of joy, that after a stressful few months prior, we could feel the happiness and positive energy fill the room.” Details like the custom whiskey bar and live band also helped to get the party started – essential for this fun-loving pair!

Adare Manor wedding couple portrait

 

Another highlight for the bride and groom was getting to share their big day with more than the 50 guests who were able to attend, thanks to a live stream that allowed them to attend the church ceremony virtually. Prior to the wedding, they had sent these virtual guests their mass booklets along with bespoke cocktails from Lockdown & Co., so that they were able to toast together.

Adare Manor wedding grand ballroom entrance

Adare Manor wedding entrance

Adare Manor wedding cake cutting

I loved planning this Adare Manor Wedding. Congratulations again to an incredible couple!

Slán go Fóill,

Tara

Planner: Tara Fay Events | Venue: Adare Manor | Photography: Story of Eve | Flowers: Shop The Garden | Dress: Monique Lhuillier from Browns Bridal, London | Bride’s Second Dress: Vivienne Westwood | Bride’s Shoes: Manolo Blahnik, AQUAZZURA | Bride’s Jewellery: Annoushka, Rosie Fortescue | Rings: The House of Garrard | Groom’s Suits: Tom Ford, Canali | Groom’s Accessories: Tom Ford, Cartier, Barker | Video: Story of Eve | Stationery & Invites: Appleberry Press | Cake: MM Cookies | Favours: Laduree, Lockdown Liquor & CO | Officiant: Fr. Peter Sexton | Reception Music: Carly Coonagh | Ceremony Music: The Vard Sisters, RTE Contempo | Hair: Lukasz Rod, Batik Hair Salon | Makeup: Ashley O’Rourke

 

You might also like:

Adare Manor Wedding Venue: A Complete Guide
Black Tie Adare Manor Wedding
Ideas for an Autumn Wedding in Ireland

Destination Wedding Invitation Etiquette

There’s nothing more exciting as a wedding guest than receiving an invitation to a celebration in a far-flung locale like beautiful Ireland. Destination weddings are so much fun and they allow you to experience a place in a completely unique way, together with people you love. But they do come with their own logistical and etiquette issues, especially when it comes to the invitations. What information do you have to include? How early do you need to send them out? Who gets an invitation? The most important thing to remember about destination wedding invitation etiquette – as with all etiquette – is that it’s about common sense and treating other people with consideration, rather than following a set of old fashioned rules. So with that in mind, here are the destination wedding invitation etiquette dos and don’ts to keep in mind.

DO give guests all the information they need

Unlike a wedding at home, there’s a lot more information to communicate to guests at a destination wedding. Not only will you need to let them know the date and time, the location and venue, and RSVP details, there are also other elements to include. For example, accommodation arrangements, instructions for booking their trip, and invitations to pre- and post-wedding events. However, it’s important not to confuse or overwhelm guests by trying to fit all of this info on one page. Keep things simple on the actual invite, but make use of a multi-card invitation suite or a booklet-style invitation. That way, you can break up all the details you need to communicate.

Blue and gold wedding invitation

DON’T try to get it all on paper

Although enclosure cards are important, it’s also a good idea to have a wedding website. This will not only provide a reference in case guests lose any of the information you send them, but it will also allow you to expand information. For example, you can give flight details, suggestions for accommodation options or travel discounts, a list of things to do around town, currency exchange rates, and an up-to-date itinerary as plans evolve. You can also share information about dress codes, packing suggestions, etc. In terms of destination wedding invitation etiquette, it’s perfectly fine to include the address of your wedding website on your save the dates and/or invitation (or as an insert).

DO send out save the dates and invitations early

For a destination wedding, it’s more important than ever to give guests ample time to make arrangements for travel, childcare, leave from work, etc. So the more notice you can give them, the better. Send out save the dates at least six months before the big day and up to a year ahead. Remember, you don’t need to have all the information in place for the save the date! The actual invitations should go out no later than 3 months before the ceremony.

DO allow enough time for RSVPs

For a destination wedding, the RSVP date is a lot more than a formality. Your guest count can have a major impact on aspects like a group travel rate or accommodation bookings. Give yourself a little more time than you need or than the caterer requires. 2-4 weeks should be enough. If you haven’t heard from a guest by the RSVP date, be sure to follow up with them via a quick call.

bright watercolor calligraphy wedding invitation suite

DO send an invitation to everyone on your list

Good destination wedding invitation etiquette is for you to send a save the date and invitation to everyone on your guest list. That includes ‘crew members’ like your parents or bridal party. Not only does it make a lovely keepsake, it’s a good way of making them feel valued. If you’re planning to have a reception when you get home, you can include that information on your invitations. That way, if they aren’t able to attend, they’ll know that they can celebrate with you later.

DON’T mention gifts on the invitation

For a destination wedding, couples often feel that their guests are spending money on attending the wedding and want to let them know that they’re not expecting a gift on top of that. So can you print ‘no gifts’ on the invitation? In short, no. It’s generally not considered good manners to mention gifts at all on your wedding invitation. Instead, direct guest to your wedding website where you can include a sentence like: “Your presence is the only gift we require” or spread the word via family or friends. Either way, leave it off the invitation.

I hope that covers all your destination wedding invitation etiquette questions!

Slán go Fóill,

Tara

Images by Brett Harkness, Christina Brosnan, Story of Eve