How to Save Money on a Wedding Night Hotel Room

Your wedding day will be arguably the busiest day of your life. What better way to cap off such an eventful day than eloping with your new spouse to plush hotel room. You can save money on the wedding night hotel room by using some basic skills to acquire a cheaper rate.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Budget
• Internet access

1. Prioritize your wedding expenses. You and your spouse-to-be should have a wedding budget in the works. Decide if you want to stay in a hotel, what kind of hotel you want to stay in, and what kind of hotel you can afford.

2. Log on to the Internet. Any search engine will allow you to browse for hotels located near the site of your wedding.

3. Check travel Web sites. Even if you’re not traveling for your wedding, a number of travel Web sites will search for the lowest hotel prices in an area by entering a zip code. Other travel Web sites will require you to enter the names of hotels you’d like to stay at and locate the cheapest rooms offered at these hotels.

4. Book your hotel room where you’ve reserved blocks of rooms for your wedding guests. If you block rooms at a hotel, the management will typically offer the bride and groom a room for a discount, or even for free, depending on how many rooms you’ve reserved.

5. Have your reception at a hotel. Here again, the bride and groom are often offered a discounted or free hotel room by the management if the reception is being held at a hotel.

6. Ask the hotel receptionist about standing discounts. If you were a member of the military, a teacher, a business or a club member, they may have several discounts available.

7. Skip the hotel room altogether. Sometimes the best place to escape from everyone is to simply go home.

Tips & Warnings

• Be flexible. You may not be able to afford your first choice of hotel room after spending all that money on your wedding.
• Having your wedding in an off-season can open up the possibilities for discounts and special rates.
• Schedule the wedding on a weekday, because hotels and reception halls typically have reduced rates during the week.
• Staying in the same hotel also housing your entire family may not be the best idea if your goal is to escape.
• Haggling with the manager or desk attendant is not recommended because most chains have set rates.

[Polara]

on 3/23/2008 The warning to avoid haggling with the manager or desk attendant is completely valid; however DO mention that you will be enjoying your wedding night, as hotel staff is usually able to give you a perk or two (a bottle of champagne or an upgrade to concierge level, for example) especially to guests who might return for anniversary celebrations. How do I know? I work at a hotel ;).