Out-of-town guests, looked after.

1. Book a room block 2–3 months out

For guests travelling from another city, book a room block 2–3 months before the wedding. A block holds a set of rooms at one or two hotels near the venue — it guarantees capacity on a busy weekend and often earns a better rate than guests booking individually at the last minute.

Talk to two properties, not one: a budget-friendly option and a mid-range one, close to the venue or close to the ceremony. Ask about the release date — the date the hotel releases unused block rooms to the public — and share that date clearly so guests book before they lose the rate.

• ✓Book 2–3 months out, at one or two hotels.
• ✓Pick a budget and a mid-range option near the venue.
• ✓Share the block release date so guests book in time.

2. Decide who pays, up front

Decide who pays for which stays before anyone asks. A common approach: the couple or families host a small number of key guests fully — parents, grandparents, the wedding party, out-of-town relatives — and give everyone else a room block plus clear travel details to book themselves.

Whatever the split, state it clearly and early. The worst outcome is a key guest arriving unsure whether they are being hosted. Communicate it in the save-the-date or invitation: “rooms held at The Grand, kindly reserve directly with code VOWABLY” for self-payers, and a direct booking confirmation for hosted guests.

• ✓Host key guests fully: parents, wedding party, out-of-town relatives.
• ✓Give other guests a block code to book themselves.
• ✓State the arrangement in the invitation, not in conversation.

3. Transport: pickups, drops, and the wedding-day run

Transport is the part guests remember. Arrange one or two shared pickups from the airport or station around the arrival times of out-of-town guests, and schedule wedding-day shuttles between the hotels and the venue. One clearly communicated plan beats every guest fumbling with a cab app.

Publish the schedule: where the pickup point is, what time shuttles run, and how guests find the driver. Put the plan in the same place as the travel details — a shared itinerary or the accommodation page of your wedding website — so nobody is hunting for it on the morning of the wedding.

• ✓Arrange shared pickups around arrival times.
• ✓Schedule wedding-day shuttles between hotels and venue.
• ✓Publish the pickup points and times in one place.

4. The welcome kit

A small welcome kit at the hotel desk turns a tired traveller into a relaxed guest. It does not need to be elaborate: a printed card with the weekend schedule, venue addresses and maps, emergency contacts, meal times, and where to find you. If the budget allows, add a local treat and a bottle of water.

The kit matters most when guests arrive at different times. A guest who checks in late still finds the schedule, the addresses, and the dress code note waiting for them — which means fewer phone calls to you on a day you will be busy.

• ✓Print the full schedule and addresses for the room.
• ✓Include meal times, dress code, and emergency contacts.
• ✓Arrange the kit at the hotel desk, not in person.

5. Hosting family in your home

Hosting family at home is warm and can save a large accommodation budget — but it costs your space, your time, and your pre-wedding calm. Set clear boundaries before anyone arrives: how long guests stay, what they expect, and who covers meals. The morning of the wedding is not the time to negotiate a guest room.

If you host close family, keep the number small and the timeline short — a few nights for the people who matter most. For everyone else, the room block is the cleaner arrangement: it protects your space while still looking after them.

• ✓Set stay length and expectations before arrival.
• ✓Host a small circle, close to the wedding.
• ✓Use the block for everyone else to protect your space.

6. Keep the guest list and the stays in sync

Accommodation ties back to your guest list the same way seating does. The guests who need rooms are the out-of-town guests who confirmed — so the stays, the transport list, and the RSVP count should all draw from the same list. When they do, the numbers agree, and vendors and family trust the plan.

Track who is hosted, who booked in the block, and who sorted their own stay. On the day you will want to know who still needs a pickup and who has arrived — without calling around the city to find out.

• ✓Keep stays attached to confirmed out-of-town guests.
• ✓Tag who is hosted, who booked the block, who self-booked.
• ✓Know who has arrived before the wedding day.