What to do About Out-of-Town Guests For Our Housewarming Party?

Woman Traveling in Car. Housewarming party.

Dear Polite One,

I was so pleased to find your site during my search for proper etiquette! I've learned quite a bit about what to do and what NOT to do at Housewarming Parties.

My husband was recently transferred over 200 miles from where we have lived our entire lives. We left behind all our friends and family (both sides) which as you might expect can be good and bad... We moved into our new home about a month ago and have finally unpacked the last few boxes and positioned that last bit of furniture.

I feel I'm ready to have our friends and family over for a housewarming gathering. The problem is the distance... What is the appropriate way to handle this? The drive is about 3.5 hours and a round trip could be done in one day (but not desirable). There are several nearby hotels, but can you put that information in an invitation? We do have a guest room with one queen-size bed and a sofa bed in the living room but would not be able to accommodate all guests. And since it is such a long distance, do I limit the number of invitations? Help!

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

Susan, Bentonville, AR

Dear Susan,

Thank you for doing your research. As you can imagine, I receive many emails from those who do not like the idea of ‘proper etiquette’. You can imagine, though, I hear plenty from their guests.

My sister is in much the same position as you. I think she handles this very well. Her children get the one guest room if they are attending. If not, then it is mine. Perks of being her favorite sister. But all of us plan on staying in a nearby hotel. We just figure that we should at least consider it.

So, send as many invitations as you want to send. State briefly that there are many nice local hotels. This informs your guests that there is no room for them to stay with you. Most of us look for hotels online anyway, so you wouldn’t need to do it for them.

Enjoy your party!

Sincerely,

The Polite One

More by The Polite One

Why Can't My Friends Host My Housewarming Party?

May I Host a Housewarming Party Without Alcohol?

Is There a Time Limit For Hosting a Housewarming Party?

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