By Raquel Ryan, Always & Forever Weddings and Receptions
If you are planning a destination wedding, you have a unique responsibility to all of your guests to help them find and secure comfortable, convenient and accessible accommodations. While some of your friends and family may be natural travelers, willing and eager to compare hotel reviews and features for hours on end, most will lack the time or experience, and will greatly appreciate your efforts to help them choose a place to stay.
Consider who you have invited to share in your wedding day. How many of your guests have limited budgets? How many are seasoned travelers looking for top-quality rooms and amenities? If your guests are diverse, you may want to choose 2 hotels, one that offers a budget-friendly rate and one that is suitable for your most sophisticated guests.
Book your room block early to secure the best rates. Also, know that during holidays and peak seasons, a room block may not necessarily mean a discounted rate. Blocking rooms may be necessary simply to make sure that they are available to your guests during especially busy nights.
Notify your guests early that you have secured a room block, as well. It is a good idea to send the block information out with your save-the-dates, or include it on your wedding website so smart guests can make their reservations right away.
It is critical to understand the terminology and the way that accommodations reservations work. Some hotels will offer you a block of rooms, reserved for your party and open for reservations with a cutoff date. After that date, the unreserved rooms are released to the general public, although most hotels will continue to honor your block rate if rooms are available and guests book after the cutoff. Guests make their own reservations and you are not responsible for unreserved rooms.
Other hotels require that you accept financial responsibility for the rooms you block. You guarantee your block with your own credit card information, and your contract is written such that you agree to pay for any rooms that guests do not book themselves. Sometimes you are only responsible for a percentage of the unbooked rooms. Still other hotels and resorts will require you to block and pay for all rooms, creating a master account, and your guests will need to reimburse you directly. Carefully read your contract to understand what you have agreed to pay for to avoid an unpleasant surprise just before your wedding.
Be a courteous host and block rooms for your destination wedding guests. They will most certainly thank you for your extra efforts.
Always & Forever Weddings and Receptions is the premier Las Vegas wedding resource for brides interesting in Las Vegas Wedding Packages. Always & Forever Weddings and Receptions is located at 2902 Lake E Dr Las Vegas, NV 89117 and can be reached at 702- 318-5683 and 800- 259-2978.