When my cousin got married, the thing people talked about afterwards wasn’t the flowers. It was the uncle who landed at midnight, couldn’t find the hotel, and walked into the reception in yesterday’s shirt, completely lost but smiling.

If a big chunk of your guest list is travelling from far away, the wedding changes shape a bit. You’re not just planning a day anymore. You’re planning how people get to it.

Start by thinking about their trip, not yours. They’ve paid for flights, taken time off work, and they’ll show up tired. Is there a metro stop nearby? Can a taxi pull up to the door? Is parking a nightmare? These are boring questions, but you’ll be glad you asked them.

Tell people early. A local friend can wait for the invitation, but someone booking a flight can’t. Send the date and the city as soon as you know them, even if the details are still fuzzy. You can fill in the rest later.

A short list of places to stay goes a long way too. Nothing fancy, just three or four options at different prices, with a line about which neighbourhoods feel pleasant to walk around in the evening. Your guests will quietly love you for it.

Then there’s the weather. Montreal can be gorgeous one week and miserable the next, and visitors always pack for the wrong season. Mention what the weather’s usually like, especially if part of the evening is outside.

If you can manage it, give people something small to do around the wedding. A casual drink the night before, or a relaxed brunch the morning after. It doesn’t need to be organised to death. A text with a few places to eat is enough.

If your families come from different backgrounds, think about how the day feels to someone who doesn’t know the customs. A small printed card explaining the order of things can make a guest feel included instead of confused. And on the RSVP, ask about food needs, because a mixed crowd almost always has a few.

When you start looking for a room for the wedding itself, ask the practical stuff on top of how it looks. Is the entrance easy to find? Is there somewhere for coats and suitcases? Could you put a little welcome table by the door?

In the end, nobody remembers whether the napkins matched. They remember whether they felt looked after.