Making your out of town guest feel welcome

While all guests go to great lengths to attend your special celebration, those that are traveling from out of town, or even from another country, generally have to make the most effort. They will have arranged time off work, transport and accommodation, so here are a few out of town guest extras to make them feel welcomed and appreciated.

Provide an information pack

Assemble an information pack dedicated to local activities and eateries your guests will love to help them make the most of their stay.  There could be specific events, festivals, or markets, happening during their visit so include details of these and keep your eyes peeled for special offers or discount vouchers. A few leaflets for local attractions and a map of the area are also useful to include in such a portfolio.

Place treats in their hotel rooms

Enquire as to where your out-of-town guests are staying and instruct the hotel staff to place some treats in their room before they arrive. Maybe your guests would enjoy some soothing toiletries, local delicacies, or a guidebook of the area, all done up in a gift basket. You might be able to think of alternatives that are relevant to your wedding theme.

Provide little luxuries

It may be possible for you to order some luxuries for your out-of-town guests at the hotel where they are staying. Why not see if you can pay for a bottle of wine or champagne for them to drink with their meal on their first night, or maybe book them in for a spa treatment or massage.

Involve them in wedding planning

Perhaps your out-of-town guests are arriving a couple of days prior to your celebration and would like to be involved in the pre-wedding preparations and arrangements? They might like to have a manicure with the bride or lend a hand decorating the venue. Never be afraid to invite them along!

Arrange an additional event

On the day of the wedding, you may be too busy hurrying from one place to the next to be able to spend too much time with individual guests. Find out if one of your parents could arrange an informal catch-up, it could be a barbeque or buffet, a day or so before the wedding , so you can hang out with your out of town guests. Alternatively, organise a brunch at the hotel the morning after the wedding for a proper catch up.

Mention them in the speech

You will surely want to thank guest that have travelled a long way for making the effort and turning up to your wedding, so unless you are on speech-making duties yourself, ask the groom, best man, or your father to express your gratitude for you. Avoid embarrassment by making sure no-one is singled out, perhaps by asking the speaker to just read out a list of places your guests have come from, and toasting them for making the journey to be with you.