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7 modern wedding guest etiquette questions (+ bonus advice for couples!)
A couple months ago, I was interviewed for an article on Refinery29 about modern wedding guest etiquette. While the article used several of my quotes,... Read more
Having out-of-towners staying with you around the wedding? That can be either a joy or a huge undertaking depending on how many and who they are. They might be built-in wedding helpers or big distractions from you wedding weekend to-do list. Either way, we're here to help you make the best impression on your guests while they're staying in your humble abode. If you've got the time and are jonesing to impress (NOT REQUIRED!), here are our tips for how to host out-of-town wedding guests at your wedding.
TIP: don't forget that if you've got the money/resources, some of this can be outsourced to professionals or helpful family or friends. If you can delegate, do it.
Do a deep clean
Make sure the guest room(s), bathrooms, and common areas are passably clean and definitely have clean sheets and towels available. Or if you're already tidy, give it a deep clean. You'll feel better that it's all clean after the wedding anyway.
Have essentials available
7 unique wedding welcome bag ideas
Decided that you want to gift your guests with some kick-ass loot to welcome them to your wedding? Maybe it's an out-of-town wedding and you... Read more
Just like a welcome bag at a destination wedding, having essentials available to your guests will make them feel at home and welcomed (and will prevent you having to run out and grab missing items during the wedding weekend itself).
- Make room in a closet or dresser to hang clothes
- A luggage rack for suitcases
- Toothpaste
- Spare toothbrush
- Mini bottles of body wash, shampoo, conditioner, and lotion
- Cotton swabs
- Something to read: books or magazines
- Bottled water or a pitcher
- Snacks
- Extra blankets and towels (and maybe an extra pillow)
- Spare rolls of toilet paper
- Feminine hygiene products
Extra credit (only if you're over-achieving here):
- Slippers
- Robe
- Candy (chocolates on the pillow — oo la la!)
- TV in their room
- A lint roller
- Portable steamer
Give the comfiest spots to older guests
Easy options to dress up welcome/gift bags for your out-of-town guests
Tribe member AmandaMan asked for ideas on to make her recently purchased welcome bags look awesome and still be something that people will reuse. I... Read more
If your guests are young and spry, you can house them on the couch, but older guests or guests with special needs may need to take your room or the comfier of the rooms available. Consider housing them on the main floor, if there's a room available.
Provide instructions as needed
Provide your wi-fi password, instructions for complicated televisions and remotes, alarm systems, weird showers, etc. Also include any important phone numbers they may need.
Provide a key and points of interest
If your guests will be around for a while, consider providing them with a key and a list of cool haunts in the area so you know you'll end up with private time and they'll have the freedom to come and go easily. Trust me, it'll benefit all of you in the long run.
Need more tips for a wedding weekend?
Are you hosting guests for the wedding? What tips would you add?
About the Author: Catherine Clark
Catherine Clark loiters at her local library, makes art, watches movies en masse, plays video and tabletop games, poorly cooks healthy things, cuddles with her feline fur babies, and blogs at BijouxandBits.com.
Great ideas! Especially applicable if you have first-time guests to your home. My mom makes herself totally at home and has no problem going through my pantry or closets to find what she’s looking for. We’ve had other guests who won’t come out of the guest room until they hear my husband or I up and about, so supplying some essentials like bottled water or a wi-fi password are nice.
For a wedding, it might also be nice to put a printed copy of any wedding day itineraries they may need and/or a copy of the directions from your home to the venue.