Feb 22 2008
Don’t Let Your Guests Get Lost on Your Big Day

Planning to get married any time soon? It’s true what they say — your wedding day is one of the most important and defining moments in your life. How do you envision yours?
In a perfect world, everything will go like clockwork. At exactly 1 o’clock, the music will start to play, all the guests will arrive on-time and anxiously wait for the bride to appear. Then they’ll hold back tears as she marches down the aisle on her father’s arm.
In reality, however, it’s more likely that there will be some snags. The person delivering the flowers and decorations could be late, pushing the ceremony back an hour. The hired photographer could have written down the wrong date and not show up at all. Or even worse, your out-of-town guests won’t show up on time either because they got stuck in traffic or were unable to find the ceremony.
Because for most weddings, a good portion of the guest list includes people from out-of-town, it is critical to be as detail orientated as possible when helping them get from destination to destination.
Along with the invitation, include multi-view maps that will show guests where all the wedding-related events are taking place. You’ll need one showing directions to the wedding venue from the hotel, the bride’s parents’ home and the airport. Another showing directions from the ceremony location to the reception hall.
Be sure to include a link to a traffic Web site, such as Traffic.com, at the bottom of any map you provide, as well as your wedding Web site. The site will be a great resource for your guests as it shows the most direct route from place to place, and also provides real-time information on delays, traffic jams and detours.
Guests can pre-plan their route by accessing the site from the hotel computer or their Internet-enabled cell phone. All they have to do is enter the address where they’re staying, and of the place they’re going to, and the information they need will come back instantly. Guests can also get the information they need through the (866) MY-TRAFC (866-698-7232) traffic hotline.
After the wedding is over, Traffic.com can serve as a resource your out-of-town guests can use to find their way to local attractions, restaurants and long-lost friends’ houses. The possibilities are endless. And who knows, maybe when all is said and done, you’ll be the one getting the “Thank You” note.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
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