Having a destination wedding is a way to create unforgettable experiences with friends and family. Gathering with the ones you love the most, exploring a newfound paradise, and celebrating one of the happiest moments of your life—it can’t get better than that. Your guests traveled a long way to see you and your partner unite, and you never know what they went through to get there. Therefore, it is important to make your guests feel appreciated for spending their time and money to join you and your partner.
Adding small details to your ceremony, reception, and other activities will show your guests that you spent time thinking about how to incorporate things they love into your big day. Let’s discover a few ways to make your destination wedding guests feel special.
Prepare Your Guests With Essentials
We all have that one friend or family member who has never traveled beyond the state they grew up in. So asking them to join you in a different state or country can be overwhelming for them. After receiving your RSVPs, you should send out recommendations and a physical checklist or email detailing all the tasks your guests may need to complete before heading out.
For example, if your wedding is out of the country, urge your guests to get their passports before a certain date to ensure that their passports come in time. In this document, you could also list any extra accommodations or travel protection plans to include on their airline tickets. To enhance the experience, you should also add an itinerary list of all the optional events and activities you’ve planned so they have something to look forward to.
Arrange Transportation Upon Arrival
Another way to make your destination wedding guests feel special is by arranging transportation at the airport. To prevent confusion, stress, and late arrivals, talk to the resort or hotel where your guests are staying and ask if they offer airport transportation. If not, find a trustworthy transportation company to help make the journey easier for your guests. After a long flight, your loved ones will greatly appreciate this gesture.
Create a Welcome Package
Who doesn’t like being welcomed with flowers and candy? Adding a lovely “We’re so glad you’re here!” will let your guests know how much detail you put into their experience and that they’re appreciated for coming. After your guests have RSVP’d, ask them what their favorite candy, color, drink, or movie is and incorporate it into their welcome package. Your welcome package could also be a personalized note stating how excited you are that they’re here.
Have a Welcome Get-Together
After your guests have settled into their rooms, you can host a “welcome get-together” to get your guests to mingle with one another. During this get-together, have a table full of essentials for the trip. For example, if your wedding is in the Bahamas, have a table of sunscreen and flip-flops. Or, if you’re having a winter wonderland wedding, have a table of hand warmers and cozy socks.
Provide your guests with a variety of baked goods, water, snacks, and bubbly to start the party! This is also a great opportunity to share the preprinted itinerary with your guests to ensure they are aware of the planned festivities!
Embrace the Local Culture
This isn’t an ordinary wedding—this is a destination wedding and a once-in-a-lifetime vacation. Your guests traveled to celebrate you and your partner in a place they’d never been before. While some guests would rather explore the resort, the hotel is not the entire country or city.
Connect your guests with expert tour guides to embrace the culture around them. Whether you plan a group guided tour around the city or an optional boating excursion, you should offer alternative activities that accommodate everyone. Plus, this is a great way to show that there’s life outside your bubble. Exploring new environments with the ones you love is always a good memory.
Honor Your Guests for Coming
Whether you planned your destination wedding an hour away from home or out of the country, your wedding guests traveled to celebrate you and your partner. Share your love and appreciation for your guests by honoring them through small details or grand gestures. You can read a poem or incorporate symbolic decorations during the ceremony.
Another way you can honor your guests is by adding personal details to the menu or around the reception. For example, you can name your cocktails after your guests’ favorite songs or display candid photos of your loved ones on each table. This will make them feel special and included in your wedding.
Showing your guests your appreciation for their attending your destination wedding can be simple. From writing thank-you letters to adding special accommodations, your guests will feel loved and appreciated. When you incorporate our suggestions, your wedding guests will feel welcomed at this unforgettable experience.
