Do the work for out of town guests and make it easy for guests to say yes to your wedding by finding hotel accommodations near your reception. Local family and friends may also wish to say close so they don’t have to drive home late at night. Of course, guests at a destination wedding will need to know where to stay. We have tips to help you find the perfect guest lodging for your wedding weekend!
Don't forget to download these Free Printable Wedding Planner Worksheets to help you plan all the way up until your wedding day!
First and foremost, if you are having your wedding reception at a hotel ballroom, work with the hotel sales manager on rooms for your guests. He and she can often work with reservations for discounted rates. Hotel properties can only negotiate so far when it comes to items like catering and the setup and tear down of your event because they have hard costs involved; food, labor, materials, etc. Rooms are a bit different. Unless you are getting hitched on the most popular weekend of the year in the busiest venue in the city, if they have open rooms, you may have be able to save money for you and your guests by asking the hotel sales manager upfront if he or she has some open weekends they would like to fill before setting your wedding date. Unsure about your wedding reception's location? Check out these Tips for Choosing Your Wedding Venue.
Regardless of where you are having your wedding reception, always offer guests two lodging options. Even if you bargained your beautiful brains out for your hotel block, still offer a lesser expensive option for guests who may not be able to afford the host hotel. You never want to pressure guests to stay above their budget, so offering two to three options (if possible) is the right thing to do.
Things to Consider when Researching Hotels:
- How close is it to all wedding events?
- Is hotel transportation available?
- Could you hold your rehearsal dinner or morning-after brunch on-site?
- Are there better deals than at your hotel venue?
- Will they help distribute welcome bags?
- Can you reserve a room block?
Tip: You might need two or more hotels if you have large guest list, are hosting a destination wedding, need options with lower price points. When booking hotel room blocks:
- Ask for "courtesy" (open) room block rather guaranteed (closed) room block. Closed blocks allow you to reserve more rooms, but you will be responsible for paying part/whole if not filled. A courtesy block is generally 10-20 rooms with a cut-off date to reserve.
- Ask about a bridal/honeymoon suite upgrade based on size of room block.
- Ask about discounts for early reservations on the block, and be sure to tell guests!
Welcome Bags: Two months before the wedding, you will want to start ordering items to leave in small bags/boxes at hotel for wedding guests like these welcome to our wedding guest bags or Just for You Favor Containers. (Front desk will usually distribute them as guests check in or arrange room drops. Gratuities are proper for this service - $1-$3 per room.) Wedding welcome bags often include:
- Practical items like area map, schedule of events, snacks, personalized water bottles, sunscreen
- Fun game items such as this Quirkle Rummy Game and personalized playing cards
- Snacks or candy like these Just Married M&Ms, Personalized "Mint To Be" Mint Tins and Personalized Monogram Swirl Lollipops
- Personal note or heartfelt letter from couple
Six months until your big day! Let’s order your invitations and plan your wedding day makeup. Oh, and how does a honeymoon sound? Yep, it’s time to start diving in. We also have some great travel tips for you, too!
For more inspiration and tips, check out our Month-by-Month Wedding Planning Guide. We have advice for every phase of your planning process.
Article written by Melissa Collier
