Supplying Accommodation Information to Your Guests
July 3rd, 2007 - Wedding Invitations.The Out-of-Towners If your wedding guests hail from all corners of the country, you have an excellent opportunity to offer a preview of your hospitality. By providing useful travel and lodging information, youll make it easier for them to attend your special day. For accommodations, you can list recommended places to stay (keep in mind your guests budgets and include a range of prices), or you can reserve the hotel rooms yourself. The wording can read as follows: For your convenience, Ive reserved rooms at the Seaside Hotel for out-of-town guests. Call before May 1 and mention youre with our wedding party, and youll receive a reduced rate. Include phone numbers, addresses, contact information, dates, and rates. Whether this info should be enclosed with the formal invitation is a matter of debate. You can pay for the expense of accommodation cards designed to match the rest of the invite literature. Some stationers offer custom wedding maps that feature detailed maps along with a list of recommended hotels. Or you could print up the accommodations information cheaply, in which case itll keep your wedding packet from presenting a unified look and may also be the tipping point that puts it into the next postal rate. If your budget is limited, the best compromise is to send the information separately to your far-flung guests; that way, you can simply type up the info, print out copies, and damn the formality. Along with lodging options, you may also wish to provide airport and train schedules; car rental, traffic, and weather information; suggested restaurants; even activities and sightseeing info for those guests who are taking advantage of your wedding to spend some time in your city. One final note: These out-of-towners are likely people you dont get to see very often, so if you can, involve them in a pre-wedding party or post-wedding brunch, the rehearsal dinner, or even last-minute tasks. Itll give you a chance to get reacquainted and theyll come away from your nuptials feeling like honorary guests of the wedding party. – Lisa Costantino, Amazon.com Wedding Expert 
