Guest accommodations etiquette?

Knottie41409780

STARMOON44

None of it is okay. They aren't your guests if you are charging them money. At this point, that ship has sailed, so yes you should pay for their 4th nights. 

climbingsingle

No, it's absolutely not OK for you to charge them. That's so rude! Wow. 

princessleia22

Definitely don't charge them for nights that they aren't staying there.

justsie

Knottie41409780 said:

Hi,
I'm having a four day destination wedding in the DR in April. My fiance and I have invited our best friends to stay in a villa with us, which is admittedly costly, but we are paying for all of their food, alcohol, and transportation for the entire four days to help make the rest of their stay as cheap and easy as possible.
 
We made it clear to our villa guests that we were asking them to stay and pay for all four nights, and gave them the option of a nearby cheaper hotel if they wanted to save money or come for fewer nights.

It's now four weeks until our wedding and two of our guests have told us they are only coming for three nights. Should my fiance and I pay for their fourth night? Or is it okay to charge them for the full four nights that they initially agreed to? 

I agree with PPs.

kimmiinthemitten

I'm confused, the villa is your wedding site so I'm assuming you prepaid for the space.  And you're charging some people but not all to stay there?  

Isn't that basically having your friends and family pay for your venue?  Also, how will you answer questions if the friends who were charged found out other people weren't?

ETA - just realized this is crosspost; OP said in the Etiquette post that the villa was also the venue.  OP, in the future, if you post the same topic on more than one board please us XP in the title so the responders know.

levioosa

No, you cannot charge them.  I also find it really rude that you chose a venue, invited family and friends to stay, and then invoiced them.  Just...wow.  

CMGragain

Knottie41409780 said:

Hi,
I'm having a four day destination wedding in the DR in April. My fiance and I have invited our best friends to stay in a villa with us, which is admittedly costly, but we are paying for all of their food, alcohol, and transportation for the entire four days to help make the rest of their stay as cheap and easy as possible.
 
We made it clear to our villa guests that we were asking them to stay and pay for all four nights, and gave them the option of a nearby cheaper hotel if they wanted to save money or come for fewer nights.

It's now four weeks until our wedding and two of our guests have told us they are only coming for three nights. Should my fiance and I pay for their fourth night? Or is it okay to charge them for the full four nights that they initially agreed to? 

Do you have a contract with their legal signatures?  No?

Your plans are out of line.  People get to make their own plans.  You can offer a room block to your guests, but that goes through the resort or hotel, not through you.  This is really tacky.

When you invite someone, you do not ask them to pay.  I am astonished that anyone is coming to your wedding at all.  So rude.

drmariner

Sheesh, people here can be so harsh. I don't think it's nearly as straight forward as folks say.

It sucks that people are changing their plans at the last minute but I think you're in a position where it is best to suck it up and cover the costs.

I'm not sure what the details or your situation are...but if you must reserve the villa for four nights simply to hold your wedding there - that's the price of the venue you selected. But if the lodging costs are separate from the event costs it gets more complex.

My point is - if you rented an entire facility and costs aren't easily separated it's really tough to handle. I seems best to cover their last night. In hindsight perhaps things could have been more explicitly (and optional) earlier on. But you still might find yourself in the same situation. It stinks. And I'm sorry people here are so tough on you in addition to the situation you find yourself in.  Good luck.