Welcome your guests with personalized packets or bags
When having a wedding, which includes out-of-town guests, it is a great idea to talk with your local hotel of choice and book a block of rooms. This will often save money and time for your guests. They will not have to research hotels and a block price will already be set for them. It makes life simple for them and for you. You can make sure your guests are being taken care of by a hotel that you have handpicked.
A great idea is to have welcome packets or welcome bags made up for your guests. You can make these packets or bags as lavish as you would like, although giving them a simple bottle of water or a hand-written note expressing your gratitude for their travel to your wedding will do just fine. Remember, you only need to put together one welcome packet/bag per room, not per guest. It is a great idea to check in every two weeks starting six weeks before the wedding in order to make your life easier. If you can make a few at a time it will cut down on that last minute crunch. Make sure you get your final headcount three days prior to the wedding.
Most hotels will allow you to have the packets/bags either handed out to each guest during check-in or already placed in their room upon their arrival. Make sure you check with the hotel ahead of time regarding their preference.
These packets will usually include the essentials to make your guest’s stay more comfortable, such as, bottled water, snack items, mints, tissues, etc. Also include a walking map of the surrounding area, surrounding dining and shops, phone numbers for the families, wedding itinerary and shuttle information (if you are having one). You may also want to include rehearsal information for those that may be invited to that event. If you are having a destination wedding with several days of activities make sure to include all the details. Use this opportunity to make your wedding a memorable event from arrival to departure!
Jennie, T-Leaf Events
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