Guest post by Marissa Hermanson
If you have friends or family flying in for your wedding, inviting them to bunk at your house is a thoughtful way to show your thanks and save them the expense of a hotel. Whether you’re hosting your parents or best friends, you want to ensure that your guests are helpful and not a hinderance during your busy wedding weekend. Here are a few ways to prepare your home so your houseguests have a space to retreat to when you’re focused on wedding planning — and a few fun and easy tasks you can delegate to them without feeling too guilty.
Give Them Privacy
During your wedding weekend, the last thing you want to worry about is entertaining your house guests. Set yourself up for success by preparing a comfortable suite where they can get away and relax while you are in the nuptial zone. If you don’t have a guest room, set up an office or finished basement with an air mattress, plenty of cozy blankets and a place to prop up their suitcase and hang up their wedding garments.
Provide Amenities
During the final countdown, you want your guests to feel right at home, not like they’re pestering you with special requests. Furnish the guest room with all the accoutrements that your guests will need during their stay, starting with these ideas:
- Have fresh linens and towels folded nearby.
- Stock up on plenty of food and beverages.
- Give them access to a steamer for their formalwear.
- Print out an itinerary of how the weekend will unfold.
- Set out movies, books, magazines or games to occupy them during any downtime.
Get Them Out of Your Hair
While your guests will have their own designated area of your home to retreat to, you also many want to get them out of the house during crunch time. Give your guests an extra set of house keys so they can come and go as needed without getting in your way. Schedule a few activities for them, like visits to a nearby museum or brewery so they can get out and about and explore the area, while simultaneously giving you and your beau some breathing room. Emotions will be running high right before the wedding, and you don’t want to stress yourself by feeling like you have a zoo in your house.
Put Them to Work
During their stay, your guests may want to lend a hand, so be sure to put them to good use. Here are a few ways to enlist the help of your house guests with your wedding during the final countdown:
- Give them your car keys and request that they pick up other guests at the airport as they arrive in town.
- Have them help out with grocery shopping and party setup if you’re planning a bridal shower or farewell brunch at your house.
- Put their talents to use! Ask them to pen your escort cards, arrange the flowers or hammer together the wedding arbor.
- Delegate day-of tasks. The morning of the wedding, ask them to drop off decor at the venue and be on call for any last-minute requests that may arise, like paying vendors or picking up dry-cleaning. Or, put them in charge of important reminders, like bringing the wedding rings to the ceremony.
When you’re about to get married, micromanaging your houseguests should be the last thing on your mind. With these tips, you’ll be able to focus on preparing for the wedding and enjoy the company of your family and friends without stress.
Marissa Hermanson has written for several lifestyle publications, including The Knot, Southern Living, Cosmopolitan and others. She also provides engagement and wedding planning advice on behalf of Larson Jewelers, an online retailer that carries a wide variety of unique and affordable rings, including titanium wedding bands.
