Hotel room blocks?

Hey everyone, I just went to the venue to look at their hotel rooms and I had some questions--

- We were thinking of getting two suites for the night before (a guys room and a girls room) to get ready in, but I'm wondering - even in a suite, might be cramped to stay all together the night before?  They're two room suites, but I have 5 BM's.  Same with the GM's - there's 5.  What did everyone else do/planning to do?

- Do they usually make you sign a contract for the hotel room block? If so, what's good things to make sure they include/look out for?  Do they make you pay a deposit?  I'm kinda wondering how payment goes as well..

- We're having a morning Sat wedding so I think people will come to stay the night before (rehearsal dinner Fri night), is it weird if people have to check out before attending the wedding?  (I think checkout is 12, but our ceremony will be probably 10 or 10:30ish) What do you think?  In hindsight I'm kind of regretting the morning wedding thing but we liked the idea of having a daytime wedding and it was also a lot cheaper :) logistics are starting to seem a bit more complex now...

Thanks!  I didn't think hotel rooms would be so complicated! :)

I plan on staying in the hotel where im having the wedding as well and I have 5 bm's so a girls and guys room I say go for it, may be a little cramped but its only one night my girls can deal with it I want us all to be together the whole time getting ready and all that good stuff. As for your other questions I have no idea I havent looked into it yet for myself.

If you book 10 or more rooms they will give you a discount. If someone with an iyata number books the rooms for you, you will get the same discount and they will also get 10% for booking it. Even if its just set up by the person with the Iata number. I have been sending referrals to hotels and loosing my wedding coordination position, most hotels have the whole package and a DOC. I just learned about getting my Iata number so I can book the event and not just give away my connections...

Just ask your hotel what they will give you. I think you should stay for two nights...

Ask your wedding planner to get her Iata number so she can make the commission

i plan on spending the nite by myself - alone - nobody around and spending the first few hours the morning of by myself = i just wanna chill out alone befioe entering the frenzy =)

we're paying for the bp's hotel rooms, but i guess we're getting readuy in mine?? who knows

i'd actually like the first time everyone sees me to be at the church - and actualy just want to be alone all morning...

as far as room blocks - get in writing what you are liable for in case not all the rooms are reserved; and get the deadline for your guests to reserve a room at the discounted rate.  most hotels have a deadline for rezzies then release the rooms to the open public...  and the discounted rate isnt all that great anyway - if you have alot of oot peeps - block rooms at 3 different price-points

also - most hotels allow guests to chek out and then they'll keep the luggage locked in a room

Look out for an "attrition clause." This basically states that if you don't book all the rooms in your block you are still responsible for paying for the unused rooms. Not all hotels do this, but some do and it can be a costly mistake! Most blocks start at 10 rooms and usually give a 10-15% discount. HTH!

I signed a contract to block the rooms but I'm not obligated to pay for them because they release them to the public a week before the big day.

we are getting 4 suites.  in each room there is 2 full bed and a pull out couch and in connects to another room just like that so 6 girls in 1 connecting room (which is 2 suites) and boys in another :)  everyone gets their own bed!  But FI is now unhappy he wants his own room with me!  hahaha he's naughty!