Do or Don't?

Trixa86

I don't have any out of town guests other than my Aunt (who will be staying with my grandmother the weekend I get married) from PA. Everyone else lives within an hour or so from where I'm having my ceremony & reception. Do I still have to provide hotel accomodations for guests? I've only seen this done once before at my cousin's wedding & am just wondering the "proper" thing to do.

redheadfsu

It is nice to help the WP with accommodations for an out of town wedding (That doesn't necessary mean pay for a hotel room for them, but helping them find a cheap place for them to crash is nice as they have already spent $ on your wedding).

For the guests, just get a hotel block (Call the hotel & the hotel will reserve X rooms several months before the wedding at (usually) a discounted rate for the guests). You don't pay anything.  You don't pay for their rooms- it isn't the 'proper' thing to do. I mean you can pay & it would be very nice of you, but it is far from required.

ETA- Driving one hour, to me, is an out of town wedding (I'm picturing highway driving). I don't want to drive an hour at 11p.m, so I would get a hotel. However, if what you are talking about is normal city driving or the like than I wouldn't even book a hotel block.

lbarr088

I would.  FI and I blocked rooms at 3 different places, but all of our guests are OOT.  The first place was the most affordable in our area and I'm hoping the guests will be happy with the price.  The second is in medium range, and the third is most expensive on the beach.  You don't necessarily have to do this much but having a place where people can get rooms for a discounted rate would be great.  No one wants to spend the night drinking and go drive an hour.

jessicabessica

It's nice to block hotel rooms (usually entails getting a discount and holding a certain number of rooms, but you don't actually pay, the guests do) when you have a lot of out of town guests.  

If you think some of your guests might want to stay over and you can block some rooms without too much trouble, I think that would be considerate, but not necessary.  I would think that some people might want to get a hotel room rather than drive an hour home if your wedding goes late and there's drinking, but you know your guests.  

graysquirrel

I think it is totally up to you. There isn't a right or wrong here and it is not necessary to do room blocks. We didn't. Our family was perfectly happy to pick their own accommodations. We put a list of hotels on our webpage under a variety of price points, and H's side ended up renting a bunch of cabins rather than staying in a hotel. If you do not think it is necessary, the don't do it. I don't think that anyone will be too upset. Adults should be capable of finding their own hotels, I think.

Grits8812

My reception will be about an hour from where most live, so I am making a small list of affordable hotels to give everyone.  It isn't required that you pay for all of them though.

ootmother2

We blocked rooms at 4 places, including one on the venue grounds  (mostly for family & BP memembers ) and ran a shuttle bus between those hotels, the church and the reception venue.  Two trips to each spot, one early and one later.
If we kept just one person from drinking and driving those back Cape roads, the money was well spent.

sweetcanadian1979

I wouldn't block them unless it is a holiday weekend or a busy function that they would be taken up, i would put a card in the envelope with lodging information & people can do it themselves, i would not want to come home after an evening reception.