Organising wedding guest accommodation

Organising and signposting your guests to suitable accommodation will ensure that all your guests have a place to get ready, meet before and get a good night's sleep after your special day. Below is a step by step guide to choosing, signposting and reserving wedding guest accommodation.

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Do I need to organise wedding guest accommodation?

It is worthwhile considering organising wedding guest accommodation in each of the below scenarios:

• You have a lot of foreign or out of town guests attending.
• There is no accommodation at your wedding venue for guests.
• There are limited hotel options, and you are getting married in peak season.

Giving hotel recommendations vs reserving hotel rooms

While offering suggestions can seem like a less labour-intensive job at the outset, this can lead to more transport questions and logistical planning closer to the day. Block reserving hotel rooms will ensure that all guests can potentially have a room in the same place. Savings can often be made this way and wording on the invitations can be streamlined.

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Do I need to pay for wedding guest accommodation if reserving rooms?

No. Wedding guests will expect to pay for their accommodation. When reserving any rooms at either your venue or nearby hotels, it is crucial that you only block reserve rooms. While paying may seem easier at the time, clawing the money back later can cause a lot of issues.

Asking wedding guests to pay for accommodation

The easiest way to ask wedding guests to pay for their accommodation is to include this on the wedding invite, so it is explicit. Given this information, your guests can then choose to go with an option you recommend/ have reserved or select their own option. For template wording on this, visit the below article.

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How to find the right hotel for your wedding guests

When researching hotels for your wedding guests, it is crucial to put their needs first and consider what you have previously needed when attending other weddings. Use the below criteria when comparing hotels and also visit them to ensure the pictures match the actual quality:

• Location is easily accessible and a short distance from the venue
• Rooms are soundproof so guests can get a decent nights sleep
• Breakfast is included within the room price
• There is a late-night bar for thos wanting a nightcap
• There is extensive free parking for guest cars or cheap parking nearby
• Guest WIFI is free (for any last-minute wedding communications)
• Check-in is 24-hour (for any guests who need to check-in after the wedding)
• Early check-in (for guests to get ready) and late checkout (for those who have partied a little too much)

What price range to select for wedding guest accommodation

Weddings are expensive so guests should not be expected to pay more than £100 for a room. Where possible, the £60 - £85 bracket will cater for most budgets. If in doubt, it is worth going for a large chain hotel, where wedding guests' expectations will automatically be managed from the point of booking.

None of your guests will expect 5* luxury, and if they do, then they are free to stay elsewhere. This is also the same of those who may want to stay somewhere cheaper. Do remember it is not your job to please everyone.

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How to reserve hotel rooms for your wedding guests

To block reserve rooms at a particular hotel, it is recommended to call the specific hotel directly or ask the head office to direct your call as such. When calling, state that you are looking to reserve rooms for an upcoming wedding and you will be transferred to a dedicated member of staff.

At this point, you merely need to provide the date, number of nights, approximate guest numbers and name of the bride and groom. Following the call, expect to receive a confirmation email with booking instructions for your guests. Make sure to respond and confirm the agreement: It is crucial to add this text to the wedding invite.

Does it cost money to reserve a block of hotel rooms?

Block booking rooms at a hotel means that a defined number will be reserved for a duration and can only be booked by wedding guests. It is important to note that no money needs to be paid and that guests will pay the hotel in the usual way.

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How do you accommodate out of town wedding guests?

You should not be expected to reserve accommodation the night before for all guests. However, for those travelling far, it can be a nice touch to find a few other hotels in the local area. This guidance will be welcomed and shows some consideration of guests travelling from further afield.

Wedding guest travel from/to accommodation

If your wedding venue is located a distance from the hotel, it might be wise to organise transportation for your guests. A bus will ensure that guests don't get lost and do not have to end up paying expensive taxi bills. If your budget is lower, it is wise to provide taxi/minibus contact details to guests in advance of the day.

Next step: organising wedding guest transport