We often speak of the world as "global." One of the places in which this becomes pleasantly obvious is in the planning of a wedding. Years ago when families lived in the same neighborhood, within walking distance of one another, logistics for the "care of guests" was fairly simple. Today, the conscientious bride and groom have an additional element to contend with. The guests they invite will come not only from "near," but also from "afar," and so, special arrangements need to be made to accommodate the out-of-towners.

A fairly simple and pleasant project is the creation of a "Guide for Out-of-Town Guests." The more complete the guide, the more comfortable your guests will be and less the numbers of questions you and your family will need to field at the last-minute. You can of course use your own imagination and add new elements to those we suggest. Put in as much or as little information as you feel important, and if you are in the creative mood, you may certainly add aesthetic elements to the information you provide.

The decision as to how to format this vast array of information depends entirely on you and on the assistance your friends and/or families may offer. A "high-tech" way of presenting the material is to create your own wedding web site and post the information on the Internet. Of course this requires someone with web design ability and will only be useful to those of your guests who have Internet access. It's probably a good idea, should you go the web site route, to also put the material in booklet form and mail it to your guests.

For those who are cost-conscious, wait to mail the information until your guests have returned their response cards. You may opt to mail the information with your invitations, but it will, take away from the "elegance." The choice, as always, is yours.

The concept of the Guide is to make your guests feel comfortable in what may be new surroundings. It will show them that you are particularly pleased that they have made the effort to come from afar to share in your celebration. The more questions that the guide answers, the better resource it will be. Here is some of the information that should be included:

1. An itinerary and schedule of events, listing dates, days and times
2. Travel suggestions including what modes of transportation are available and which are most convenient to the locations of your events (e.g., airports/airlines, rail/trains, buses, etc.)
3. Directions from modes of available travel to a variety of suggested hotels. Include maps, with all directions, if you can. Check MapQuest.com, on-line as an excellent resource. List car rental locations and public/private transportation.
4. A list of suggested hotels/motels, with from-to price ranges
5. Special deals and package rates at different hotels and/or motels which you have arranged (e.g., group rates), including closure for booking dates
6. Information about hotel and/or motel reservations (e.g., contact person, name under which Rooms are being held)
7. The location of and directions to the rehearsal dinner (include dress "code," if you wish)
8. The location of and directions to the bridal luncheon (with optional suggestions of attire)
9. The location of and directions to the place where the ceremony will be held (with optional suggestions of attire)
10. The location of and directions to the place where the reception will be held (with optional suggestions of attire)
11. Directions to the home of the bride and groom or other location where the "day after" brunch or breakfast will be held
12. Contact information to family or friends (including who, for what and phone numbers), in the event of problems
13. Sites to see and things to do in your "hometown," with associated times and directions . . . if you're creating a web site, links to places of interest will be most helpful
14. Information about weather conditions at the time of year your event is planned

Designing this booklet will take some effort on your part, but there's not much doubt that your "Guide for Out-of-Town Guests" will be most appreciated and prove invaluably useful.

©The right to download and store or output (e.g., print) materials found in Hudson Valley Weddings Web Site is granted for personal use only. Materials may not be reproduced in any edited form. Any other reproduction or editing by any means mechanical or electronic without the express written permission of Hudson Valley Weddings is strictly prohibited. Certain names, logos, and/or phrases on these pages may constitute trademarks or tradenames of Hudson Valley Weddings or its clients.