You may not be having a destination wedding but for your out of town guests, your wedding is their destination so try to make it a special experience for them.

Here are three ways to help your out of town guests with their trip.

Provide a list of hotels for them to stay

Taking the guess work out of the process is always best. They don’t have time to research the area and figure out the best places to stay so provide them with a few options. Having about three places on your wedding website with blocked rooms for your event is always best. I always suggest making room blocks at hotels based on the proximity to your venue and also based on what your guests may be interested in. A younger crowd might want to be close to nightlife, activities and restaurants while your guests with families (including small children) may want to stay at a hotel with a pool or near kid friendly activities and family friendly restaurants. So be mindful of who your guests are and what their needs are when choosing hotels that would best accommodate these needs.

Welcome your guests with a gift

In room “Welcome Bags” are a fun and personalized way to let your guests know that you appreciate them for traveling to be a part of their big day. You can include fun branded items such as late night snacks and drinks or you can include more practical items like toothpaste, lotion, hairspray etc. which are items that are commonly forgotten during packing. You can even write each guest a personal thank you note along with an agenda for the duration of their stay or a list of fun places to visit or sightsee while they are there. You can work with the hotel concierge or the special events manager to ensure that they place your “welcome gifts” in each room upon arrival of your guests.

Plan events before and after your big day

Your guests will probably arrive a day or two early depending on how far they are traveling from and may stay a day or so longer after your wedding. Be mindful of this and have smaller events and activities planned for them. This is a great way to get both of your families together and interacting before your big day and by the time your reception comes along, everyone will be even more acquainted and thus the overall vibe on your wedding day will be that more memorable since your Aunt Patty is now besties with his Aunt Linda and so on. Try planning upbeat activities before your wedding that highlights the state or city that your wedding is taking place like visiting popular/tourist attractions or even iconic hidden gems that the area has to offer. Then after your wedding, go for more tone down and relaxing events that are enjoyable but restful like a brunch, spa or beach day.

I hope I was able to provide you with some great ideas for making your out of town guest experience easy and accommodating. If you liked what you just read and want to read more tips like this, please subscribe. Share it with a friend or “pin it” for later. Thank you for reading!