When having a wedding in Las Vegas, you’re bound to have quite a few out-of-town guests. Many of the questions my friends have while planning their weddings, as well as I did, is what is the proper etiquette for these guests? Although there are no set rules, here are a few tips to help make your out-of-town guests’ experience as great and memorable as possible.
Communication
Once you’ve confirmed most of the wedding details, it’s a great idea to set up a free wedding website to communicate with your guests. This is the perfect platform to include all the pertinent information and updates including:
- Wedding date
- Location
- Hotel information (if you have a room block, directions from the nearest airport, etc.)
- Wedding colors, theme and attire
- Any pre and post wedding events
- Registry
- And even a place to RSVP for your wedding
There are various free websites available to set up your personal wedding site, including The Knot, Wedding Wire, Project Wedding, or you can even create a Facebook event page. If you plan on sending a save-the-date, simply include your wedding site’s URL so your guests are aware.
Hotel Blocks
To help make your out-of-town guests’ stay as smooth as possible, research hotels near your wedding location (if your wedding isn’t held at a hotel) and select 1-2 hotels to set up a room block. Check with a few different hotels to see which ones will give you the best deal. Once you have decided on the ideal place, ask the hotel to set aside a block of rooms for your guests.
Then, be sure to inform guests in your wedding invitation and/or wedding website and ask them to register for their rooms as soon as possible. The hotels will generally give you a deadline that your guests need to book by in order to get the group rate, so be sure to inform them of that deadline as well.
Welcome Gifts
While welcome gifts for your out-of-town guests are not absolutely necessary, they are a wonderful way to let them know how grateful you are that they came. You can provide the gifts to the hotel front desk and ask them to handout to your guests upon check-in or they may even place the gifts in the rooms beforehand. Here are a few examples of what you could include in your welcome gift:
- Wedding Information: Welcome note thanking your guests for coming, itinerary of the wedding events and any other pertinent details.
- Practical Gifts: Items you think your guests might need, such as sunscreen, sunglasses, gum, bottled water, aspirin, etc.
- Snacks: Most welcome gifts include an assortment of treats. You can include chips, candy bars, cookies, energy drinks, etc. If there is a snack you and your fiancé really enjoy or something that coincides with the theme of your wedding, you can include those items as well.
- Local Information: Your guests will probably have a little free time while in Las Vegas, so let them know what your favorite spots are! You can include a list of your favorite tourist spots, restaurants, shows, how to get around, and even tourist traps they should avoid.
Transportation
If your wedding is not held at a hotel, it’s a nice gesture to provide transportation for your guests. One option is to schedule a shuttle service that will take your guests to and from the wedding venue. Be sure to include this information on your wedding website and/or invitation and specify the location of the pick-up/drop-off and the shuttle schedule.
If a shuttle is not within your wedding budget, then research a couple different taxi companies and let them know that you are having a wedding and your guests will be calling for transportation. Then, you can let your guests know of the taxi company name, phone number and the estimated rate so your guests don’t have to do the research themselves.
Events
Like everything mentioned above, hosting extra events is definitely not required, but it’s a nice touch for your guests and a great way to spend more time with them. The night before the wedding, consider hosting an open rehearsal dinner or a welcome BBQ/picnic. Then if you are still in town the day after the wedding, you can host a farewell breakfast or lunch to say your final thank yous before leaving on your honeymoon.
For more wedding planning tips and information, please visit http://www.bridalspectacular.com. Also, be sure to save-the-date to attend our Autumn Bridal Show August 16 and 17 at Cashman Center!