October 14, 2019
Out-of-Town Guest Hospitality
Caring For Your Out-of-Town Guests
(PC: Martha Stewart Weddings)
Out-of-town guests travel a long way to be a part of your wedding, and as such, they may be spending a few days in the area. While your wedding makes the trip worthwhile, here are a few extra things you can do to make their trip even more enjoyable!
Accommodations
Make accommodations easy by reserving a hotel room block at a hotel near your venue. This way your guests know they’ll be in a convenient location on your wedding day. You can also offer transportation to help these guests get to and from the wedding. Be it offering a shuttle, providing Uber or Lyft vouchers, or simply directing them to the best cab service. Anything you do to help your guests get to your wedding will be much appreciated.
Welcome Basket
Imagine the look on your guests’ faces when they walk into their hotel room and find a welcome basket waiting for them. No matter what you put in it, a welcome basket is a great way to let your out of town guests know you appreciate them for coming. Examples of what you could put in it include assorted snacks, a wedding itinerary, an activity list, and a personal thank-you note.
Activity List
Like we said, chances are your guests are going to be in town for a few days. If they’ve never been to the area before, they may not know what to do or where to go. Creating an activity list allows your guests to skip the research and go straight to enjoying themselves. You can include local restaurants, museums, movie theatres, and the nearest Target or Walmart in case they forgot to pack something. This activity list makes a perfect addition to your welcome basket, wedding website or invitation suite.
Quality Time
It might have been a long time since you last saw these out of town guests, so it’s really exciting that you all get to see each other again! However, chances are you’ll have a few things to do before your wedding and you may not have time to see everyone before the big day. Be sure to communicate with your out of town guests ahead of time so you know what the expectations are for spending time with people. Whether it means being sure to talk to your out of town guests at your rehearsal dinner, or enlisting the help of local friends and family members to spend time with them. Intentionality is key in caring for your traveling guests.