Before leaving for the wedding day...what happens the 24 hours after the wedding?

Couples focus so much on the details of the wedding day itself that they forget about what happens when the party ends. Remember to pack your overnight bag for the wedding night and, if you are leaving for the honeymoon (to resorts like Beaches or Sandals) right away, your baggage for that journey as well. Bring all necessary passports, identification, travellers checks, currency and paperwork you'll need for your journey. If possible, exchange your U.S. dollars for foreign currency before leaving America. Make sure your carry on baggage does not contain any prohibited items.

Make sure that you make a reservation at the hotel you plan to stay at in advance. You should be able to get a complimentary room if you fill up a hotel block. (YDD can help you create a hotel block at the hotel of your choice for no additional fee or wedding planning obligation.) You can also negotiate a night's stay should your wedding reception be hosted at the same hotel.

Before starting the wedding day's activities, be sure to either (1) check into the hotel the night before and reserve your honeymoon suite for two nights; or (2) Drop off your overnight bag to the concierge desk at the hotel early in the morning before you start the hectic wedding day. If you plan to have someone decorate your honeymoon suite, you (whoever the room's reservation is in) will need to call the hotel to authorize permission for this person to enter your room and, if they haven't done so already, do a pre-check in.

Also remember to hold your mail and newspaper deliveries. Shut off the water while you're gone. Make sure someone is taking care of your pets.

Hotel Blocks, how do they work? (Tips Tuesday)

Hotel blocks are a great way to offer your guests many conveniences when travelling to your wedding. First, all guests can be in the same hotel. Second, they get a discounted rate. Third, as long as you fill up your block, YOU get a free room!

Here's how it works:
1) Determine which hotel you'd like your guests to stay in.
2) Contact the hotel with the dates you'd like to stay. I recommend you get a block for Friday night and Saturday night. A lot of people prefer to come in the night before.
3) They will ask you how many rooms you'd like. I recommend for every 100 guests you get 10 rooms. However, take in to account your guests and how many are travelling from more than 90 minutes away. This will impact whether you want to increase or decrease this number. Remember some couples and families will double up.
4) Within a few days, the hotel will send you a proposal with a reduced room rate. You simply sign the paperwork. The paperwork will require that you have a credit card number on file. However, it shouldn't be charged. The hotel will give you the option to have your third parties (a fancy way of saying your guests) pay for their own room.
5) Provide the information to your guests using your wedding website or in your invitation. (Do not put your registry information in your invitation! That's what wedding websites are for.)

There is a cutoff date for hotel blocks, which is typically 3 to 4 weeks before your wedding. Make sure your guests are aware of this. After the cutoff date, any rooms that are not picked up in your block are released into the hotel's general inventory and anyone can book them. They will no longer be available to your guests at the reduced rate. Check with the hotel a few days before the cutoff date and get a list of people who have reserved a room in your block. Check for any guests and family that you know will need a hotel room. Call those guests to remind them that the block closes so that they get the negotiated rate.

For all our clients, we coordinate the hotel block for them at no additional charge, so they don't have to go through the hassle listed above. One of the perks of having a dreamgirl.