Room Blocks For Your Wedding: What You Need To Know
Most wedding couples will have some guests on their guest list who need to travel in order to attend their wedding day. When considering your guests who need to travel to your wedding, reserving room blocks is the right way to go!
Reserving room blocks for your wedding not only simplifies the booking process for your guests, it ensures that everyone is staying in proximity which will make wedding-related activities easier to coordinate.
Here are some tips for getting the perfect room block for your wedding.
First things first!
Before starting the search for guest accommodations, you will need to know the following information:
How many rooms do you think you will need? Take a look at your guest list to determine how many people you think will be coming from out-of-town.
The number of nights most guests will stay. Is it a short, weekend celebration or a multi-day affair?
A realistic budget. How much can you expect your guests to spend per room/per night?
Location matters
In addition to pricing, location is everything to your guests. One option is to look for accommodations near to the venue, which will make the wedding convenient for everyone. However, sometimes it makes more sense to book a property within a nearby urban area that has access to restaurants, shops and nightlife to keep guests entertained outside of the wedding festivities.
Photo Credit: Stephanie Yonce Photography
Don’t wait
Reserving a room block is often an item on your wedding to-do list that falls to the wayside. However, the last thing you want is to rush your room block and have your guests booked all over the city.
It is recommended that you book your room blocks anywhere between nine and 12 months to ensure that your needs can be met in the best way possible.
Offer a few options
Chances are your guests may be coming from different budgets, so it’s entirely fine to offer a couple of options at different price points. However, limit your selection to two properties maximum.
We always find that guests (and couples!) have the best experience when they all get to stay near each other and celebrate – that’s what makes for a truly special and memorable trip. Consider offering a budget-friendly option, as well as a luxury option that are near one another – that way, your guests will have their choice of properties, while still staying central to the action.
Amy Green and Melanie Marconi are the founders of Where Will They Stay?, a company of self-professed room block fanatics, who created a highly customized, no-cost service that oversees the hotel room block process for weddings and other special events.
