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When planning your wedding, it can feel like there are a million and one things to think about, organize and plan. Where your wedding guests stay might be something worth considering. It is common for the bride and groom to provide hotel recommendations or suggestions that are in close proximity to their venue for guests to choose from, so you may be wondering who pays for wedding guests’ hotel rooms.
So, who pays for hotel rooms for wedding guests? Typically, the guests pay for their own rooms if they are staying in a hotel for your wedding. The bride and groom are not obligated to pay. If your wedding is being held at a hotel, there may be an option to block book rooms for your guests at a discounted rate, but this cost should then be passed on to your guests and not covered by the bride and groom.
Weddings are expensive; let’s not beat around the bush.
It is likely that the bride and groom (and/or their families) will be paying for the venue, catering, and all of the other elements of the wedding day, and these costs add up, trust me.
Whilst it is a thoughtful and very generous gesture to want to offer to pay for your guest’s wedding accommodation, it is a cost that you do not need to cover.
It is incredibly common for wedding guests to pay for their own hotel room at your wedding, and therefore they will likely be expecting to cover this cost themselves.
In fact, for every single wedding I have attended, I have paid for my own accommodation.
Providing a list of recommended hotels to suit all different budgets is a great way of ensuring that every guest’s needs are catered to.
Circumstances from person to person can differ, and by providing a variety of different options at a range of different price points, this will ensure that all guests feel able to join you for your celebration without the stress of having to shell out for a hotel room that they consider to be too expensive.
Providing your guests with a choice of accommodation is the perfect solution if you are worrying about imposing costs on your guests.
Inviting guests to celebrate your wedding with you can feel daunting and like you owe them something in return for coming to your wedding, hence why you may feel the need to pay for their accommodation.
But rest assured, you have no obligation to do so.
It is likely that guests will be treated to a drink’s reception, canapes, a wedding meal, drinks, and an evening meal – let alone the privilege of celebrating your marriage with you!
Your wedding day is a joyful celebration, and I would imagine your guests will be delighted to share in your magical moment with you.
This is certainly how I have felt in the past – staying in a hotel only adds to this experience – a small price to pay for being honored with a wedding invitation if you ask me!
When planning my own wedding and switching my viewpoint from guest to bride, I can really understand and empathize with those couples who feel that they should be paying for their guests’ accommodation.
Should You Pay For Wedding guests’ Accommodation?
The bride and groom do not have to pay for wedding guests’ accommodation at their wedding. Typically, guests will be expecting to cover the cost of their own hotel room if they are staying. However, if you can afford to and want to pay for your guests’ accommodation at your wedding, then feel free to do so as a gesture of appreciation for your wedding guests.
It is perfectly normal to wonder these things when planning a wedding, the best piece of advice someone gave me was to put yourself into the position of your guests.
I feel certain that if you were attending your own wedding, you would not expect the bride and groom to have to shell out for your accommodation, so don’t feel you have to!
If your wedding is abroad, it is likely that you will have asked guests if they would like to attend, and what is understood is that there is a financial commitment involved with attending.
It could be that your wedding is local to where you and or your partner grew up or where you now live.
In that case, you may have guests attending who live closer to the venue and those who will have to travel from further afield.
The logistics of a wedding are challenging enough without having to think about the travel and accommodation arrangements of your guests.
Your bridal party and groomsmen, however, are a different kettle of fish when it comes to accommodation arrangements.
Do You Pay For Bridesmaid Accommodation?
Typically, bridesmaids are expected to pay for their own accommodation for the night of the wedding; the bride and groom do not have to pay for this. However, it is a gesture that is always appreciated if the bride and groom book rooms for the bridal party that are either onsite or at a discounted rate.
It is likely that you will have paid for your bridesmaid’s dresses and/or their hair and makeup for your wedding, as well as having bought them gifts as a gesture of thanks for being part of your big day.
Paying for the bridesmaids’ accommodation is a cost that can be minimized if not avoided altogether.
If your venue has a limited number of rooms for those who can stay there, it might be a good idea to offer the rooms to your bridal party first.
After all, your bridesmaids are likely to be your nearest and dearest!
This way, your bridesmaids will feel well taken care of and won’t have the hassle of booking their own accommodation, just paying for it.
It is common, however, for the bride and groom to foot the bill if bridesmaids need to stay onsite the night before; in fact, every time I have been a bridesmaid, that has been the case.
Couples who are planning a wedding may want to pay for their bridesmaids’ accommodation, and hey, if you have the budget, go for it!
But if you simply cannot afford to pay this cost, you may be wondering if there is anything you can do for your guests to contribute to the costs of your wedding accommodation.
Things You Can Do To Contribute To Wedding Guest Accommodation
There are lots of things couples can do to contribute to the costs of their guests’ wedding accommodation. Paying for a bus to the hotel, blocking booking discounted hotel rooms, or providing complimentary breakfast the morning after are just a few ideas that can help couples to contribute towards the cost of accommodation for their guests.
Couples, whilst not obliged to pay anything for their wedding guests’ accommodation, may choose to contribute in whichever way they can.
If the hotels you have recommended are a journey from your venue, why not arrange and pay for transport to and from your wedding venue for guests staying there?
This gesture will likely be highly appreciated by your guests and build a sense of unity between them.
Not only does this gesture win favor with your guests, but it can also ensure that everyone is in the right place at the right time – one less thing for you to think about on your wedding day!
Block booking hotel rooms is also a popular way of contributing to your guests’ accommodation. Some hotels will offer discounts on number of rooms booked. IF you book a block of rooms, you can pass the discounted price on to your guests.
This makes their hotel stay cheaper and ensures that everyone is able to stay together.
Another unique way of contributing to your guest’s wedding accommodation is perhaps setting up a breakfast for your guests the morning of your wedding.
Some hotels will offer bed and breakfast as standard, but for those hotels that don’t, organizing a spread for your guests the morning after your wedding is a great way of contributing to their stay.
However you choose to plan your wedding, ensure that you are doing so with budget in mind; your guests will enjoy your celebration regardless!
Other guides you may want to read:
- At What Age Do Parents Not Pay For Wedding?
- Who Pays For Wedding Bands? [What Does Tradition State?]
- Cost Of An Open Bar At A Wedding [Should You Even Have One?]
- Wedding Flower Cost Calculator
- How Much Do Wedding Sparklers Cost? [What Is a Fair Price?]
Hey, I’m Allison – a recent bride, an expectant mother and the chief editor here at Everlasting Occasion. Here I document all the knowledge and experience I accumulated while researching and planning my dream wedding and ahead of our new baby. Here, I try to answer those many questions couples have when planning their dream wedding, while equally, helping expectant parents ahead of their new arrival!