5 Ways to Take Good Care of Out-Of-Towners at Your Wedding

These days, it's safe to say that a large contingent of people who'll attend your wedding will not live in the same city in which you'll be tying the knot. Make sure that these guests—who will take a long drive or a short flight to attend your nuptials—are well taken care of by adding a couple easy things to your wedding to-do list.

The following five tasks ensure that your traveling friends and family members can spend less time figuring out the logistics (or asking you endless questions!) and more time hanging out with you once the wedding weekend arrives. 

Getting your save the date cards out well in advance of your wedding has almost become standard, no matter how many out-of-town guests you're inviting.

As soon as you've set a date, you might let those people who you know will have to travel when it is so they can at least mark it down in their calendars or set up a price alert for flights. Usually, eight months or more is ample lead time.

To be sensitive to varying budgets, suggest a high-, medium-, and budget-priced hotel for out-of-town guests. If you're able to secure a room block, that's great, too! However, typically, reserving rooms is more of a task for full-on destination weddings, especially if you anticipate needing fewer then 15-20 rooms per hotel. 

While you don't have to make elaborate welcome baskets (unless you want to!), it's always nice to have snacks waiting for your traveling guests at their accommodations, if you can. Or, if you're hosting a welcome reception the night before the wedding, make sure to serve food, even if it's just appetizers. Those guests who've been on the road will be grateful to get something into their bellies once they arrive at their destination. 

If a good chunk of your guests will not have cars to get around, consider renting a small bus or van to get them to and from the wedding. Or, you might get a group code from a company like Uber, which will allow your guests to enjoy a discounted rate on their transportation. 

Out-of-towners can easily be confused by local lingo or vague-sounding plans. To make sure everyone shows up when and where they're supposed to, provide times, addresses, and directions to all wedding events on your website and consider printing out the information for older guests, as well.