Out-of-town Wedding Guests? 7 Hospitality Essentials To Play The Perfect Host for Them
Playing the perfect host for some out-of-town guests who're here for your special day. Take care of these 7 essentials so that they don't feel out of place at all!
They came all the way to attend your blessed day. It's time that you extend a special thank you to them too. While your local wedding guests are here just for the hour and the day, your out-of-town relatives and friends make elaborate plans to be there for your special ceremony, sometimes even days in advance. Here is how you can say a practical thank you to them. And involve them in the upcoming effort:
Essential hospitality for out-of-town guests:
Track these factors both ahead and during your wedding ceremonies:
1. Provide a useful travel itinerary
When: Pre-wedding
Remember that your wedding guests have come especially to attend your wedding and you want to make things convenient for them. Help them with a detailed itinerary for your town and nearby getaways (places of interest), along with your invites.
You should consider putting all this information on the wedding website too because it’ll be very accessible and useful for your guests. Since they’re not from the city, such special wedding invitations will act as a vacation guide. Further, add useful recommendations, advice on things to do, and more to make their stay easier and a lot more fun.
2. Organise outings, get-togethers, games and events
When: Pre-wedding
Based on the time left to your special day, make sure your out-of-town guests have a special time ahead of your wedding day. Do organise a few outings to make them comfortable such as a nice Sunday brunch, family dinners to iconic places and more depending on the time you have available.
You may also help them meet all the other relatives in town as well.
3. Help with stay logistics
When: Pre-wedding
Do a bit of research and send your guests a couple of options and the best places to stay near the wedding venue to cut back on travel time. You must inform them about your wedding plans well in advance to give them enough notice to prepare for the trip, apply for leaves and more.
4. Help with the wedding budget
When: Pre-wedding
You don’t have to take care of all the bills if you can’t. Flights, hotels and more can get complicated and may not work for your budget. You can still make the entire experience stress-free for your guests by enquiring about group reservations and the best deals in town and also make reservations early for them to avoid problems later.
5. To and fro - travel logistics
When: Pre-wedding and during the wedding
Many guests may prefer car rental services or ride-sharing apps to get around the city. Do offer to pick up guests who are nervous and unsure about the place and get close friends and family to drive to the airport to help them out. You can even hire vehicles for the occasion and make things simpler for all your guests especially on the days when you’ve planned major wedding ceremonies and parties and require your guests to get to different parts of the city.
6. Alternate leisure plans
When: Pre-wedding and during the wedding
Plan a few leisurely activities for your guests and try to not leave too much of a gap between the wedding and reception to make things convenient for everyone. It’s important to be available at some point for your guests and interact with them whenever you can so that they know how much you appreciate the fact that they’ve come for the wedding.
7. Thank you note
When: During and after the wedding
Do try to include welcome packages and hampers full of treats as a little surprise for your out-of-town wedding guests. This would cheer them up and distract them from all that travelling and exhaustion. Follow it up at the end of the affair with a special set of wedding return gifts for being there with you.
Which of the steps resonate the most with you? Let us know in the comments below.
