Your Ultimate Guide To Making Destination Wedding Guests Feel Special

A wedding is a perfect occasion to evaluate familial relationships and friendships. When you decide which destination wedding guests make the cut, you’ll determine your nearest and dearest even faster. Those who RSVP with a yes! are making a considerable commitment to join you. So, making your wedding guests feel welcomed and special is all the more significant to ensure not only a delightful celebration but also an unforgettable experience.

Here are our six tips for making your family and friends feel truly special:

Wardrobe suggestions

1. Provide a list of wardrobe suggestions with your invitations. This will be greatly appreciated as your destination wedding guests will be able to prepare for all the different events they’ll participate in during this adventure.  Let them know the appropriate attire for the ceremony and reception and other events you’ve planned.

Transportation and transfers

2. Arrange transportation upon arrival. Your destination wedding guests will appreciate the gesture of having a smooth transfer from the airport to their accommodations, especially after a long flight. Be sure to let them know it’s been arranged! A designated person to manage the schedule will help ensure all goes according to plan.

Welcome lounge

3. Create a welcome lounge. This becomes a meet & greet area where guests can mingle with one another upon arrival. Have a selection of items/goodies set up on a table ~ in the form of deconstructed welcome bags! This is an excellent alternative to stuffing and delivering a gift to your guests. Plan to have a variety so they can choose their favorite items. Bottles of water and wine. Sweet & salty snacks.  Freshly baked items from a local bakery. Fresh fruits. Sunscreen & flip flops. Gum & breath mints. Don’t forget a pre-printed itinerary of all the planned festivities!

Provide bags for guests to carry the items to their rooms. There are so many options! A cute personalized paper bag or a wicker basket your guest may reuse is the perfect way to set the tone for the celebration. You, your family, or your wedding party can be the official designees to meet & greet guests in person when they arrive. Don’t worry if your friends and family are split between a couple of hotels; you can always set up the table at the exit of your welcome or rehearsal dinner. Just another way to make guests feel appreciated for participating in this special time in your lives!

We’re glad you’ve joined us!

4. Write a personal welcome note. A lovely “We’re so glad you’re here to celebrate with us” placed in each room will let your destination wedding guests know how much it means to you both that they’ve made the journey and are participating in your joy.

If you’ve got some time…

5. Provide suggestions for fun “downtime” activities. If you’ve got an energetic crowd, they won’t want to waste a moment of the trip. Make things simple for them by drawing up a list of fun activities they can do in their free time. Be sure to include a variety that can cater to most tastes: local artisan shops to visit, hiking/bike paths to explore, museums, golf courses, and scenic spots to snap the perfect photo.

Activities

6. Organize a special event for the ladies and gents. When sending out the invitation, let your guests know you’d like to include them in some extra activities. They can indicate their interest. An afternoon at a distillery, a round of golf, a jeep ride into the jungle, an excursion to a leather factory. Arranging these fun perks for your guests will include everyone in both cultural and ritual activities.