With wedding bells around the corner before a honeymoon, somebody somewhere needs to air out the guest bedroom. There are always friends or relatives who will be traveling to attend the wedding, and they’re going to need a place to stay. Here are some suggestions to help you turn your guest bedroom into a warm, memorable, and charming bed-and-breakfast-quality space.
How to Get the Guest Bedroom Ready for Wedding Visitors
By Jim Campbell | Updated on October 26, 2023
Make the Bed Like a Hotel
If you don’t know how to make the bed in the guest bedroom into a hospitable style, you can find videos on YouTube. Simply look up, “how to make a bed like a hotel.” Yes, all those pillows are superfluous. But if your guests wanted a boring bed, they could have stayed at a motel on the side of the freeway. And don’t forget to leave an organic candy on the pillow; it’s a nice touch, even if your guests don’t eat the candy.
Water on the Nightstand
One of the most luxurious little touches I’ve seen was when I arrived, late at night, to a family member’s home. I went into the guest room and, as I prepared for bed, I noticed a small glass jar whose lid was a cup. The jar was full of ice water, and it had been placed on a beautiful coaster to prevent the condensation from pooling on the glass nightstand. I thought to myself, “I am going to start doing this when people come to visit me.”
While we’re on the subject of beverages, it might not hurt to leave a few airplane-sized bottles of liquor in the guest room, along with glasses for their consumption. Another option is a bottle of wine, a corkscrew, and a pair of wine glasses. Finally, a small fridge, like the ones college students have in their dormitories, could be filled with a few local craft beers. I have found that people who are traveling to attend weddings like to have a nip now and then.
Welcome Card
The welcome card can be as simple as, “Welcome to Our Little B & B,” or it can be more personalized. You can create one on your computer and print it out, or you can draw the card by hand. Just remember that this will probably be the part of the room that your guests photographs and posts on their social media accounts. “Look at how much effort these people went into making my stay here charming and cozy,” they’ll say. This may be a good place to leave the wi-fi password for your guests; they’ll probably want to log their devices on as they get settled in. Just put the wi-fi code on the back of the card, so that it won’t end up on their Instagram.
Towels and Toiletries
At the foot of the bed, or somewhere appropriate, leave a collection of freshly laundered and folded towels. Ideally, you’ll leave the trio of washcloth or face towel, hand towel, and bath towel–one set for each guest. If your guest has long hair, perhaps leave an additional towel for them to wear on their head.
It’s also nice to leave toiletry items for your guests like a konjac sponge and charcoal toothbrush to provide that spa essence. They may have forgotten something at home, or they may have brought an uninspired choice that they picked up in the travel section of a drug store. The honey shampoo and coconut conditioner from SeekBamboo, an eco-friendly, Zero-Waste company, would be wonderful choices.
Extra Credit: A Bathrobe
You know how, when you stay at a really luxurious hotel, you fall in love with the bathrobe in your room? And they sell them in the gift shop for hundreds of dollars? If it’s within your budget to do so, a plush bathrobe could be a delightful treat for your guests. Just remember, if they decide to take it with them, you won’t be able to charge the retail cost to their credit card.
