Maybe this will make more sense on here, considering the fact that you guys are more familiar with the area. And as I've already been ripped apart on the etiquette board for daring to ask this.
The Facts The FI and I are considering Harriman Ranch in Harriman State Park for our wedding. We wanted to stay close to the greater Yellowstone area since we've already told everyone on our small wedding list (50 people max) that the wedding would be there.
- We want the wedding to have a small intimate family reunion feeling since the guest list will consist of immediate family and close close friends in the wedding party.
- Our wedding is over the fourth of July weekend, since I need a holiday weekend in the summer and Memorial day weekend and Labor day weekend are both out of the mix. I don't really like it, but I don't have much of a choice if I want my dad to walk me down the asile.
- Everything is very very expensive in that area. As in a 100 plus a night. And we have families with children and everything coming (FI's brother and sister). And everything books fast.
- The Harriman Ranch has three historical homes and ten rooms available to rent, and thus is able to house all our guests at very affordable rates. 100 bucks a night for the one room cabins and the most expensive house is 190 a night to be divided between two families.
The Negative: The ranch demands that we pay for the entire facilites up front if we want to be able to reserve them a year out in advance (otherwise, we'd have to wait until Novemeber and would run the risk of non wedding guests staying on site...wich would be awkward.
Question: How would we delicately tell our guests that they would need to pay us instead of the facilities for their rooms (this is not including anyone who has to cancel/decides not to come/ decides not to stay on the ranch obviously)? I know it's unsavory. And I don't like doing it, but I'd really like to avoid taking out loans to pay for my wedding. Considering the fact that I really didn't want to do the whole wedding thing to begin with.