How to Write a Wedding Welcome Letter

The wedding welcome letter is one of the first things a guest sees when arriving at a wedding celebration. It is placed inside welcome bags (which many couples leave for their loved ones inside hotel rooms) or handed out at the first scheduled event. 

While it focuses on logistics, the wedding welcome letter can set the tone for the entire weekend. It makes guests feel appreciated by their hosts and excited for the festivities to come. If done correctly it can also make the programming run more smoothly since it gives participants the information they need to show up at the right place at the right time.

For suggestions of how to craft the perfect wedding welcome letter, we turned to expert Jamie Kutchman Wynne. “The sky is the limit in terms of what to include in a welcome letter,” she said. “It really is a great opportunity to get creative.” 

Wedding Welcome Letter Template 

Since a wedding welcome letter is not a traditional part of the wedding festivities, it is governed by few rules. It can take on any tone and form the couple wants, from funny and playful to sentimental and formal. It can contain all sorts of information from quirky facts about the wedding venue to details of the couple's love story.

The one thing it should be, however, is helpful and easy-to-read. We’ve put together an outline to get you started on your wedding welcome letter. 

1. Welcome your guests. “We always recommend starting out with a heartfelt welcome message from the couple,” said Wynne. Some guests have traveled far for your wedding. Thank them for making the journey, and let them know how much it means to you that they are there to celebrate your big day. 
2. Include a copy of the wedding itinerary. Chances are you have a wedding website, where your guests can access the wedding itinerary and logistics. But it’s a nice gesture to print the details out and include them in the wedding welcome letter. That way they have easy access to the itinerary and can view it easily in one place. This is also a good time to share social media hashtags and emergency contact information with guests. 
3. Spell out transportation details. “You never want anyone to miss the shuttle from the hotel to the church simply because they weren’t clear on what time it was picking up,” said Wynne. Clearly state all the transportation details. If guests are driving themselves include directions. Give a number for a local taxi company for those guests who want to get merry. Also, specify if Uber or Lyft is available and popular in your area. 
4. Give ideas for things to do. “A lot of guests will turn a wedding weekend into a mini getaway,” said Wynne. Give them suggestions for what to do during their free time. Are there any cultural attractions, museums, or parks that shouldn’t be missed? Perhaps there are fun breweries or restaurants to check out?

Wedding Welcome Letter Tips

Here are Wynne’s best tips for writing and delivering your wedding welcome letter. 

1. Put the welcome letter inside a gift. “We recommend including the welcome letter inside the welcome gifts so guests will discover it as they open their gifts upon arrival,” said Wynne. After all, it’s much more fun to be surprised with a gift and a letter, than just a single sheet of paper on its own. 
2. Print the welcome letter. Even if you don’t put the welcome letter inside a gift, consider printing it instead of delivering it digitally. “Since so much wedding communication is happening online these days via wedding websites, we always recommend printing them,” she said. “Hard copies are always more personal and also useful for guests to reference during the wedding welcome.”  
3. Leave a copy at the front desk. Wynne also encourages clients to keep extra copies at the hotel front desk, in case people misplace theirs or want an extra (maybe a husband and wife don’t want to share!) “This also helps remind the hotel staff of the pertinent details so if guests ask, they have the answers to the questions readily available,” she said. 
4. Add fun details or facts. If your wedding weekend includes local or quirky activities, consider adding fun facts to your wedding welcome letter. “For example, for a wedding where almost all guests were visiting from out of the country, our couple was treating them to a welcome dinner with country line dancing the night before the wedding along with a DC Nationals baseball game on the day following the wedding,” said Wynne. “So in addition to including all the standard information, we included illustrations arming guests with instructions on how to do country line dancing along with a section explaining the rules of American baseball.”
5. Mirror the aesthetic of the wedding. Wynne suggests making sure the wedding welcome letter reflects the look and tone of the wedding. For example, if the festivities are black tie and extravagant, the letter can be more formal. If it’s on a farm, it can be more laid back and casual. “If a couple has a monogram or crest that has appeared on their save-the-dates, invitation suite, or wedding website, it’s best practice to carry these through to the welcome letter so everything is cohesive and consistent,” said Wynne. 
6. Include your parents. If your parents are hosting the wedding, let them help contribute to the welcome letter. “The content is usually written by the couple in coordination with the parents and even the wedding planner,” said Wynne. This is especially important if a lot of the parents’ friends and family will be there; they will be able to strike the right tone with the guests they know best.
7. Start writing early. Start writing your welcome letter about a month or two before the wedding so there is time to edit it, print it, and include it with the welcome gifts. Again, this is the first item guests see, and it sets the tone for the wedding. It’s worth it to put thought and care into it. 

Wedding Welcome Letter Examples

Wynne shared a few examples of wedding welcome letters to inspire your work. 

“Welcome to West Jefferson, NC. It means the world to us having you here. Thank you for being our support system, our encouragement, and our partners in crime. For loving us through the ups and downs. For the love and laughter that you bring into our lives. We look forward to spending time with you this weekend and making memories we will share forever. Let the celebration begin!” 

“Welcome to Middleburg. Now the fun begins! You’ve officially made it to Virginia, and we couldn’t be more excited to get the weekend started! We have fallen in love with the town of Middleburg and feel right at home at our favorite resort, The Salamander, and we know you’ll feel the same. Thank you for traveling from near and far to be part of this special celebration. It means the world to us.” 

“We are thrilled that you are here to share the joy of our wedding celebration! Please enjoy this welcome bag as a token of our appreciation. We have selected items that represent the locations playing important roles in our love story. We look forward to celebrating with you!”