Welcome Letter for your Guests
A New York wedding is always exciting, especially for Out-Of-Town friends and family. It gives them an excuse to take a vacation and explore our huge and eclectic city, and all with the help of the locals- you and your fiance! You can write up a list of tourist attractions, restaurants, and any other favorite things to do in a Welcome Letter that will be waiting for them in their hotel rooms. We put together a list of ideas for Welcome Letters to help you get started:
Your Favorite Places
Do you have a favorite date spot? Or maybe a restaurant you always take your family to. Guests love when these letters show off your personalities, so add in all of your most-loved places. These can include food, activities (think Chelsea Piers), or parks that you love around the city. Feel free to get creative! Whether it’s a bar with a favorite bartender or cocktail, or a bench that you always go to in Washington Square, your family and friends will love ideas that stray away from main tourist centers.
Tourist sites For Real Out-Of-Towners
If you do happen to have people who have never visited NYC before (or have only been once or twice), definitely add in tourist sites around the city and what you like about them. For people who don’t live nearby it’s worth it to see the Empire State Building or catch a glimpse of the Statue of Liberty from Battery Park. You can also give them the best tourist places to eat, so they know if the lines are worth it or not (Shake Shack vs. Katz’s Deli, for example).
Places Near the Ceremony and Reception
If you’re not doing a first look and are having pictures in between ceremony and cocktail hour, make sure you have some activities near those locations! Even if you don’t know the area as well, you can always look up some bars, cafes, or museums so people don’t have to go too far while they wait. Stay away from picking anything too food-heavy though, you don’t want them to be full before cocktail hour!
Add in a Map!
This is such a cute way to show your guests that you’re grateful to them for being there, and that you put a bit of effort into insuring they’ll have a great wedding weekend. Even if you put the places on Google Maps and take a screenshot, that will give them an idea of how far things are so they can plan out their activities.
Make sure you add in a short itinerary of where everyone needs to be and when, and also thank everyone for traveling to be there with you! We know you’re happy they’re there, but it’s always nice to remind them. The Polka Dot team made an example of what this letter would look like, hopefully it gives you some inspiration!
