WWTBAM Bored

One of my tasks is to reserve a block of hotel rooms for the various distant attendees. This turns out to be more difficult than I thought. Not so much making the reservation and getting the block rate quotes, as where the hotel should be located. The wedding venue is about an hour and a half driving distance from our house. So the first decision is, hotel near the house or near the venue? Or in between somewhere.? Prices near the house are likely to be the cheapest at the time of the Big Day. The venue borders on the Cape Cod region, and the Big Day is "in season" for those hotels. In the middle is Boston. Anything within Route 128 will be more expensive.

Complicating matters is who will need rooms. GW's best friend and god-daughter want to stay near the house. They'll probably be in the house for a couple of days, but if the rest of the family comes up, too, then they'll go to the nearby hotel. Bridesmaids are all local, and will be spending the night before at the house. FSIL's family and some of ours, though, are all from out of town. Tentative plans are to have the rehearsal dinner/meal at our house, an informal barbecue-type event (more on that another time). People will have to get from the rehearsal at the venue up to our house, then back to wherever they're staying for the night, then to the venue again (whether taking an active part in the wedding or not).

This whole thing makes me wish I'd worked harder during the logistics course in B-school. I plan to get a couple of block rate quotes in each area (home, venue, in-between), and then GW will call FMIL (Future Mother-In-Law) to offer her the choice for that side of the family. I may end up with some in each area - venue for regular attendees, home for active wedding participants.

This task sounds like a nightmare. Is there any way you simply could send everyone a map of the various locations, along with a list of possible hotels (and where they're located in relation to the locations,) and let everyone make their own reservations based upon individual preferences and budgets?

Sounds like a HUGE task.

I can tell you this - every wedding I have attended from out of town, I arranged for my own hotel room, using hotels I have frequent stayer plans with.

I am wondering if you are better off doing what Uday said.

I planned one family reunion and am planning the second one now. I suggest the option of getting the block room rates at each choices, one near house, one near event and let them all choose.

You do get a better rate, but everyone is free to do what they want.

I had set up one hotel nearby, but they didn't allow pets. My uncle chose on his own which one nearby did allow pets and went there. No problem to me.

At least one good thing is that this doesn't actually cost you money. No deposit was required.

So today I went to a new BJ's near us to price things like chicken breasts, etc. Looks like I will have about 65 people for the weekend of June 20-22. And yes, I will be doing most of the cooking.

Cooking for the EOSB&G has been good practice!

We went to a wedding in Mechanisburg, PA, in October that had pretty much everyone coming from out of town, including the bride and groom.

Bride -- my cousin's daughter -- & groom are both working in England, My cousin & his wife made most of the arrangements.

There were three diferent hotels at three various distances from the reception. They ran trolleys from them to tand from the reception. But none of the three were more than a half-hour away from the reception site.

BTW -- Boonie is upstairs cooking. He thanks everyone for the nice welcome.