Out Of Town Wedding Guests

Many guests will travel far and wide for your wedding, and between airfare prices, tight schedules, and family obligations, we understand that this can be quite the challenge for guests.  Though all weddings guests are important, we love the idea of giving a bit of special attention to the out of towners.  Try a few of these ideas, and your traveling guests will be sure to not only notice, but to feel more welcome and at home than they expected!

Create a wedding website. We know that lots of couples do this, and it’s actually an enjoyable treat for all guests.  But for out of towners, wedding websites carry special meaning, as they become a go to guide for how to plan their trip.  Of course, wedding day dates and times are important to let guests know when to arrive.  Don’t forget to include to include details for other events including the rehearsal dinner, day after brunch, or welcome party if you’re having any of these.  Pay special attention to the addresses of each location guests will need to be at.  This allows guests to see how far they’ll need to travel and whether they’ll need to rent a car, take a taxi, or reserve the hotel shuttle.  While tech savvy guests could likely hunt down this info on the internet, make it easy on them, and provide it up front in one easy to find spot. Online Planning Tools

Send out a city guide. Travel expenses are steep these days, and many guests take advantage of the wedding trip to stay a few days and enjoy a vacation.  So send out some info about why you love your city so much, as well as some of fun things to enjoy there.  Think zoos, parks, sports teams, shopping spots, and nightlife favorites.  Include websites so guests can easily follow up on anything they’re interested in, and if you or your partner have any special recommendations for any of the spots, share them.  Your guests will want to know if a particular exhibit is a don’t miss or if there is a downloadable coupon for an attraction.  PS: Email this info to out of town guests as a PDF and it won’t cost you a dime!  Cost effective, thoughtful, and eco-friendly.  We love it!

Welcome your guests with a taste of home. You can tell a lot about a city by its food, so take advantage of this fact, and share your city’s famous food with out of town guests.  This idea is easiest to execute with food that isn’t temperature sensitive, so that your city treats can be left in hotel rooms or with hotel front desk staff.  We’ve seen salsa in Dallas, peaches in Georgia, locally made fudge in Denver, and Magnolia Bakery sweets in NYC.  A fan favorite with Chicago locals?  Garrett’s Popcorn!

Say it in a note. No matter what you do, make sure your acknowledge your guests’ out of town travel with a thank you note.  If you’re already sending a thank you note for a wedding gift, make sure to include a special line about how much you appreciate them traveling all the way from (insert city) for your big day.  Your guests will feel special when they realize you took the time on your big day to think about that.

Wedding Favor Ideas Here