Out of town
guests, and the bridal party are always a necessary consideration for planning a
wedding. Having a "selected" hotel or bed and breakfast, will help
them make their arrangements to come to the wedding. Many places offer special
rates for rooms for wedding parties and guests. They may even have special items
included for you for booking your rooms with their property.
Several hotels and B & B's offer suites. These are great for the Bride and
Groom's wedding night stay. Many have a separate room/area in the suites that are
perfect for entertaining out of town guest for the parents of the couple, and can be used
as a place to open the gifts the next morning.
Choose a place that is conveniently located to
your ceremony and/or your reception hall. This will make it easier on your guests,
and harder for them to get lost. You may want to ask if the hotel can provide a
shuttle for your guests between the reception and the hotel. This will eliminate the
need for your guests to drive home after the reception. Hiring a limousine or
shuttle is a sound investment for this.
Having one or two hotels available for your guests will
make their visit easier. Be sure to consider that different people are on different
budgets. Try to find a hotel that can offer your guests the amenities and facilities
to help them turn your wedding day, into a "mini-vacation" for themselves.
Things like pools, area attractions (like shopping and entertainment), fitness
centers and the like all help to increase your guests experience.
The hotel will ask you for the number of rooms that you
will need. Always hold more than you think you'll need. You can always cancel
the extra rooms at the hotel, but if you have too few, you may have guests scrambling for
a place to stay.