Possible Stupid Question

LittleMissCutiePie

So, where we're getting married, EVERYONE on my side has to travel to. It's not a destination wedding, we're getting married in FI's hometown. It's about three hours away from my hometown, and about six from the majority of my family. So, do I need to pay for anyone's hotel room? I only ask because the last time I went to a wedding that required travel, my cousin's, they paid for the hotel rooms. My mom says this is because the wedding didn't have a reception, and everyone travelled from about ten hours away, so my aunt and uncle decided that covering the cost of the rooms would be the thank-you to the guests instead of a reception. Is this normal? I'm worried, because it is def not in the budget for us to pay for everyone's hotel rooms.

adamar15

It's nice if you can, but it is definitely not necessary.

crash2729

You don't have to pay for their rooms but it would probably be worthwhile to get a block of rooms for your guests.

MyUserName1

You are not required to cover the cost of people's hotel rooms.

mari0225

No you are not obligated to pay for anyone's lodging, it's a nice tough if you can afford it but no it's not required.

lyndausvi

No, you are not obligated.

And your cousin's wedding was abnormal.  No reception?  Who does that?

Loopyseven

Nope,  you do not have to pay for anyone's hotel room.  As PP's said, reserving a block of rooms so they can book one themselves easily is nice to do.  You should be able to do this at no cost to you.

AdeleDazeem

No, don't pay for hotel rooms.  But please - have a reception!

graysquirrel

No, you definitely don't have to pay for anyone's hotel. That sounds like something out of a hollywood wedding, not something for the average person.

cebrady89

Nope, but reserving a block of rooms at a local hotel might be nice for your guests.

Grits8812

Why didn't she have a reception?

But yeah, just block rooms at a couple different places with different prices.

LittleMissCutiePie

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_possible-stupid-question?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:c4d8d319-b46f-49c6-ba38-2c3c8b38ee5ePost:2b975d25-0254-43e5-890c-db5d7de230ed">Re: Possible Stupid Question</a>:
[QUOTE]Why didn't she have a reception? But yeah, just block rooms at a couple different places with different prices.
Posted by Grits8812[/QUOTE]

He didn't have a reception because of budget. They basically put no money or effort into their wedding. They had it at the bride's family's bible camp that they own. It was freezing, and even inside the chapel there was little to no heat. I wore a halter dress, expecting a traditional wedding at a community hall or something. Nope. They had their ceremony, and then started opening presents out on the lawn, expecting everyone to stick around to watch. Thankfully, when we got back to the hotel, my aunt and uncle threw together a party for all the out of town relatives and friends. Nothing fancy, just pizza and booze and chatting. Beats the hell out of sitting on the lawn watching the bride and groom open all their presents, though.

They rushed into marriage for no real reason. They're both still in school to this day (they got married two years ago), and while I shouldn't exactly judge because FI and I are students as well, FI and I only have a semester after our wedding. I would have suggested, if I had any idea what kind of a wedding it would turn out to be, that they wait a few years and save up to pay for the wedding themselves. It was very clear that the bride's parents had, traditionally, paid the tab, even though my aunt told me that they don't make a lot of money in the first place. They insisted on paying though, out of pride. Not to sound judgmental, but if they're so proud, why didn't they try and scrape something together with a little more, I dunno, class? The bride's entire family came dressed in jeans and ball caps and dirty rubber boots. Klassy.