Guest Post: Five Tips For Blocking Hotel Rooms for Your Wedding

The Ace Hotel -Los Angeles Photo: Liz Coopersmith

A couple of months ago, I wrote about hotel room blocks, and shared some thoughts from Amy Green from  Where Will They Stay. If you’re getting married this summer or fall, you’re probably knee-deep in that task…or trying to avoid it, so I asked Amy to go more into the details . It’s not as hard as it looks, but it helps if you know what to do and what to look for. You know me, I’m a process girl – when you figure out how things work, it easier to make them work for you. Here’s Amy:

Congrats on your upcoming wedding! At Where Will They Stay?, we know this means that in addition to being one of the best times of your life, you likely now have 1,000 new things on your to-do list. While you are dealing with 999 of them, at our company we specialize in one thing- setting up discounted group room blocks for your family and friends during your wedding.  It’s because of our expertise in this area that Liz asked me to share our top five booking tips:

5. Book Early
Hotels are expecting to fill their rooms faster than ever in 2016-2017. Despite new construction, there are still not quite enough hotel rooms in LA, especially in high demand areas like Santa Monica and Hollywood. Most of our clients contact us about nine months before their wedding date, but we can help you sooner, or as early as 12-18 months out. Don’t be shy in getting started right away.

4. When You Do Start the Process, Be Ready to Move Ahead
Based on inventory, hotels often offer group pricing that is valid for only 5-10 days after they give you the rates, so be ready to move fast if you find the property you want at a price in your (and your guests’) budget. If you are still looking for a wedding venue, we recommend you that you book that beforehand, since that is often the most likely starting point for choosing hotels in a prime location for your guests.

3. Encourage Your Guests to Stay at the Hotel(s) You Have Chosen
There is no doubt that your wedding day will be the highlight of your wedding guests’ trip, but we are all about creating a full weekend experience for your out of towners! Some amazing memories are enjoyed when guests are staying in one location together—whether that’s by meeting up at the hotel bar for drinks or lounging poolside. Don’t book more than two hotels for guests to choose from, and ideally just one. This is good for you, too.  Instead of driving all over town to make gift bag deliveries, or securing many shuttle services to and from your wedding venue, you only need to deal with one or two hotels.  Encourage your guests to use your room block by including the information on your Save the Date card, invitations and wedding websites. Many of our clients use Paperless Post to send out regular reminders to guests to book a room at their chosen hotels.

2. Read Your Contract
After you have made your decision and are ready to move forward, you will no doubt have to sign an agreement with your chosen hotels. We can’t stress enough the importance of reading all the clauses- and making sure that you agree to all the terms (and that they are correct!).  Some important things to look for include: parking and/or resort charges; gift bag delivery fees; whether you are financially responsible for any unbooked rooms; the booking deadline; and if the rate will be honored for guests coming in early, or staying longer.

1. Ask for Help When Needed
Whether you consult a friend who has gone through this process before, ask your wedding planner, or even contact us here at Where Will They Stay?- it’s OK to ask for help!  At any time during the room block process we are available to help give you guidance, and better understand what type room block options are available.  We are here to help you  you check room blocks off your to-do list!

Amy Green is one of the founders of Where Will They Stay?, a free service which offers custom room block procurement for weddings and special events. Email her at amy@wherewilltheystay.com.

See you at the end of the aisle,
Liz Coopersmith
Silver Charm Events

What else do you need wedding-wise right now? Contact me today to schedule your complimentary consultation.