The Best Tips for Out-of-Town Guests to Feel Extra Loved on Your Big Day

October 16, 2025 Lori Losee

Planning a wedding is full of decisions, high and low emotions, and anticipation. Through the chaos, one important detail that can sometimes be overlooked, is how to care for your guests who have traveled wide and far to celebrate with you. It’s often easy to forget how much of an effort your loved ones make to make it to your wedding. Whether it is just a few hours of travel, or jet setting around the country or globe, your guests work hard to be at your celebration. Showing them a little extra love and appreciation can go a long way in making your wedding weekend unforgettable for everyone.

If you are wondering how to make your out-of-town guests feel truly welcomed and cherished, we’ve compiled some tips to ensure their experience is just as memorable as yours!

#01: Send Save the Dates Early

If your guests need to arrange travel, early notice is absolutely essential. Be sure to send out your save the dates 6 to 8 months in advance, especially if your wedding is during a busy travel season, or located at a popular destination. This gives guests ample time to look for affordable travel options, book flights, request time off of work, and secure accommodations. It is also helpful to include any additional information for your guests, whether on your save the date, or on a separate accommodations and itinerary card.

#02: Accommodation Support

It’s helpful to take the guesswork out of accommodations for your guests. If they are not from the area, it is helpful to recommend areas or places to stay, or reserve a block of rooms at a one or two hotels close to your venue. Try to offer different price points for your guests, traveling does get expensive. Then, guests can select the accommodation that works best for them. This helps your guests save time and money, typically you can get a discount for booking a block of rooms. You’ll want to include hotel or accommodation names, addresses, and booking codes. Ensure you provide a deadline to book the reservation. All of this information can be included on accommodation information cards or on your wedding website.

#03: Welcome Bags

One of the sweetest ways to greet guests who have traveled far, is to give them a welcome bag or basket at check in. This doesn’t have to break the bank, but can include a few items.

Some items to include are:

Bottled water
Snacks (local, sweet and salty)
Mini toiletries
A weekend itinerary
A local map or guide
A hand written note
Anything else fun or local!

This helps guests feel immediately informed and appreciated. If you’re interested in welcome bags for your guests, be sure to visit our blog on how to create budget friendly welcome bags that your guests will actually want!

#04: Build a Wedding Website

You don’t have to be a programmer to build a wedding website. There are so many user-friendly platforms out there. We highly suggest you create a wedding website for guests to check in and receive updates on information. Your wedding website should serve as the central location of information. It should include everything your guests need to know for your wedding day. You will want to include:

Hotel and accommodation recommendations
Hotel block information
Venue addresses, with maps or links
Transportation options
Dress code
Weather updates/reminders
Weekend itinerary
Local attractions and emergency contacts

Guests can reference your wedding website anytime they want. And the best part, is you don’t have to answer the same question over and over via text or call.

#05: Offer Transportation (If Possible)

If your ceremony and reception are in different locations, or if the venue is off the path, consider booking a shuttle to transport your guest. Many hotels offer shuttles and may be able to accommodate for an extra fee. It helps reduce the stress of navigation and driving, especially if it’s an unfamiliar area. It also decreases the need for your out of town guests to spend additional money on rental cars.

#06: Host a Welcome Night

You don’t have to roll out the red carpet, but you can host a casual welcome party. Order appetizers for the party as a whole and have fun. This allows you to mingle with your guests outside of the wedding and spend quality time, especially those who came from out of town. It’s the perfect time to break the ice and kick back before your wedding day.

#07: Be Gracious

Take a moment during your speech or toast to acknowledge those who traveled long distances to be there. It doesn’t have to be a long segment, but a heartfelt thank you goes a long way.

Your guests will feel seen and appreciated, and your acknowledgment may be one of their favorite moments from the evening. After the wedding, take time to write personal thank-you cards to your guests, especially those who traveled far. Mention their presence specifically and how much it meant to you that they made the journey.

Your out-of-town guests have invested time, money, and energy to be by your side, so finding ways to return that love, even in small gestures, will be greatly appreciated. These thoughtful tips not only enhance their experience, but they also deepen the meaning of your celebration by creating a warm atmosphere where everyone feels welcomed and loved.

At the end of the day, your wedding isn’t just about you and your partner, it’s about the community that supports you, near or far. So go ahead and shower your traveling guests with a little extra love. You’ll be creating unforgettable memories for everyone involved.

Lori Losee is the owner of Elegant Affairs, a Tacoma Wedding Planner with over 20 years of experience. We create awe-inspiring experiences—Events filled with meaning and refined elegance. Behind the scenes, our experienced team collaborates on each stage of the process, executing your vision and a wedding, celebration, or corporate event that is unique to you.

From Vision Board to Reality: How to Turn Your Pinterest Pins into a Wedding Plan

October 9, 2025 Lori Losee

A collage of four photos from our weddings include a couple, wedding arbor with lights, a cake made out of watermelon and ceiling florals.

It always starts with one innocent click. Then another and another. You pin a dreamy bouquet, a twinkling tablescape, or the perfect lace dress, and before you know it, you’re knee-deep into a pinterest board titled “Dream Wedding”. While in actuality, there are 335 pins and new real clue to even begin. Does this sound a little bit familiar? Whether you are newly engaged or finally ready to turn your wedding dreams into action, your Pinterest board can be either your biggest asset or biggest overwhelm. The good news? With the right strategy, you can absolutely turn that digital dreamscape into a tangible organized wedding that is totally you and your partner.

Here’s how to go from pinning to planning, without losing your mind, or your budget.

Step 1: Clean Up Your Vision Boards

First thing first, it’s time to downsize those pins. Let’s face it, your board probably needs a little decluttering. Chances are, you’ve pinned everything from a rustic barn wedding, to a luxe ballroom affair. And while dreaming big is part of the fun, having a hundred different styles on one board won’t help you make the real decisions.

To clean up your vision boards, ask yourself these simple questions.

What pins do I keep coming back to?
Are there any repeating colors, styles, or vibes?
What feels like us.. And just not what looks pretty.

Create mini boards that are based on categories to help you clean up your choices. Start with the categories that online your florals, dresses, reception decor, lighting, and overall wedding themes or vibes. This will help you organize the chaos of one big board and you’ll start to notice trends of items you’ve pinned.

Step 2: Define Your Wedding Style

Once you’ve narrowed down and cleaned up your boards, it’s time to get clear and define your overall wedding aesthetic. This does not have to be super specific at first, but you’ll need to think in terms of moods and feelings. Are you going for…

Romantic and elegant?
Boho and laid back?
Modern and sustainable?
Classic with a Twist

Think of this as your wedding brand. It will help guide your decisions from venue to dress and signage. Choose 3-5 words that describe your ideal wedding. For example, intimate, colorful, joyful or timeless. These will become your wedding compass.

Step 3: Match Your PIns to Reality and Budget

Pinterest is inspiring. But, it can be unrealistic when it comes to many budgets. It is full of $10,000 flower walls, couture gowns, and tablescapes that took 12 hours to set. And honestly, with the increase of AI, many of these pictures are not real.

You’ll need to be honest about what you love and what you can realistically do. You’ll need to think about the elements that matter most to you (think about your priorities!) and whether you’re wanting to DIY or if it’s best to just hire a pro.

You can pin a hanging floral installation, and perhaps you can figure out the logistics to recreate it with greenery and local blooms. Or you may opt for a simpler version over your sweetheart table rather than your whole ceiling.

Step 4: Build Your Real-Life Mood Board

Now that you’ve curated and clarified your Pinterest vision, it is time to translate it into something actionable. It’s time to enter the wedding mood board.

You will want to include:

Color Palette (try to use 5 core tones, 2 base colors, 2 accents, and 1 pop)
Textures (linen, wood, metallics etc.)
Key inspirations – key word is KEY (max 10 photos)
Font or type style you like if you’re designing signs or stationary
A few vibe words for context

You can create your mood board digitally, we love using Canva for this. Or you can go with old-school printed images and snag some fabric swatches. This mood board is important. It is your guide for vendors, your planner, and everyone else. It keeps your team on the same page.

Step 5: Use Your Pins to Guide Vendor Conversations

This is where all of your work with Pinterest starts to pay off. You’ll meet with vendors, whether it is a florist, planner, or baker. You can bring your curated board and mood boards along.

Show, don’t tell – photos honestly help communicate ideas more clearly than words alone. Be open to their feedback, a good vendor will tell you what’s feasible, what's not and what's a smart alternative. You can ask how they’d interpret your vision – their creativity might surprise you.

Vendors love a prepared couple. But, vendors also thrive on flexibility. Be open to their suggestions while staying true to your aesthetic.

Step 6: Turn Pins into a Practical Checklist

You’ve dreamed it, Now it’s time to do it. Use your favorite pins to start shaping your wedding checklist. Each pin you love likely represents a task or decision, such as:

Ceremony backdrop: hire a rental company or DIY it?
Reception lighting: venue-provided or do you need to hire a vendor?
Signature cocktail: do you create a custom menu card, or hand written sign?

Break down your pins into actionable items and deadlines, so your inspiration leads to actual planning. Use a wedding planning app, or create a spreadsheet to track which pins turn into plans and which ones can be archived.

Step 7: Stay Grounded and Have Fun

Here is the thing about PInterest or even instagram. It is never ending. You can pin forever. But, there has to be some point, where you pause the inspiration and start embracing the real magic, which is the part where your wedding day becomes a living breathing celebration of love. You’ll want to avoid the trap of comparing your wedding to styled shoots, AI, or influencer events. Avoid feeling like your wedding isn’t “enough” and don’t get stuck in perfection mode. At the end of the day, the most unforgettable weddings aren’t “Pinterest perfect” they are filled with joy, love, connection, and personality.

Your Pinterest board is more than just pretty pictures. It’s a roadmap to the wedding you’ve imagined and the kind that feels like you and your partner. With a little intentionality, some thoughtful edits, and a whole lot of heart, you can absolutely bring your pins to life in a way that’s personal, practical, and completely beautiful. So have some fun, pin that bouquet, send your favorite screen shot to your best, and dream big. But don’t forget, the best part of any wedding is the love story behind it.

What Your Wedding Style Says About You as a Couple (with some FUN!)

October 2, 2025 Lori Losee

Four couples on their wedding day dressed up in their own styled wedding clothing.

We know that every couple is unique. From your inside jokes to late night snack preferences, to the way you show that you love each other. So, it makes sense that your wedding style should say a lot about you and your love. Whether you walk down the aisle barefoot on a beach or say your vows under a chandelier in a grand ballroom, your wedding day is a reflection of your relationship, your personalities, and your shared vision for the future.

So, what does your wedding style say about, not just you as individuals but as a couple? Let’s talk about some popular wedding styles and decode the message behind the mood – with some fun examples to match.