Being a guest at a wedding is expensive. There are so many things to consider, including travel to and from the venue and the hotel costs of the place you’re staying. It can lead to many guests deciding that they can’t make it. However, you can help your guests keep the costs to a minimum and here are some tricks to do just that.
Have a Discount Available for Rooms
The hotel costs are often extremely expensive. However, if you’re getting married in a hotel most will offer a discounted rate for your guests. They will usually need to call a certain number and quote a certain number or name to get the discount. Make sure all your guests are aware of this discounted rate and the details to get it.
Talk About Pre-Paying for Rooms
You could even have a set number of rooms put on hold for your guests. This is usually 10-15 rooms at a discounted rate that you pay.
Your guests can then pay you or it will be taken off your bill as your guests fill them up. It’s great if there are specific people within your wedding party who you want to be there.
Put on a Coach
If you have far to travel between different venues, your guests may be worried about transportation. If they’re from out of state, they don’t want to get lost. If they’re local, they may not want to drive and have to worry about the costs of taxis.
You could really reduce their costs by putting on coaches for them. You’ll need to decide whether you’re getting them back from the hotel at the end, or you’re asking them to arrange this for them.
Say You Don’t Want Presents
It’s traditional for guests to bring gifts with them. If people are worried about money, you could always make it clear that you’re not expecting a gift. This doesn’t always work and people will bring something with them; but by saying that you don’t expect something will mean they feel less pressure.
Keep the Travel Needs Down
Limit the amount of travel involved. Have your wedding at a venue that is close to home and limit the amount of different venues during the day.
This is getting harder if you have lots of family that live out of town. Look for the middle ground if you have people from coming all over the country.
Pay for the New Outfits
When it comes to your bridesmaids, parents and groomsmen, offer to pay for the outfits. You’ll want something specific when it comes to the groomsmen and bridesmaids anyway. If you don’t have the budget to pay for them, talk to them about clothes that they already own.
All your bridesmaids may already have dresses that they could use and your groomsmen likely have suits from different events. It may just mean a few accessories, shoes and button holes to make them all look the part.