Guides

How to Set Up a Wedding Hotel Room Block (Without Getting Stuck With the Bill)

Updated November 2026

A room block is a set of hotel rooms held for your wedding guests at an agreed rate. Done well, it saves guests money, keeps everyone close together and makes shuttles easy. Done badly, it leaves you paying for empty rooms. Here is how to get it right, especially for a destination wedding.

Courtesy block or guaranteed block?

• Courtesy block (non-guaranteed). The hotel holds rooms until a cut-off date, then releases unbooked rooms. You owe nothing for rooms guests do not book. This is the safest choice for most couples.
• Guaranteed block (contracted). You agree to fill a share of the rooms, usually 70 to 90%. If guests book fewer, you pay the difference, called attrition. Hotels offer better rates and perks in return.

If the hotel will only offer a guaranteed block, start small. You can almost always ask to add rooms later, but you can rarely give them back.

How many rooms to hold

Count out-of-town guests, then count rooms, not people: most couples and families share one room. A common starting point is to hold rooms for about half to two-thirds of the out-of-town households you expect. For a destination wedding, where nearly everyone travels, look at your RSVPs and book in two steps: an initial block when you send save-the-dates, and a top-up once early replies come in.

What to negotiate

• The rate and whether it includes breakfast, taxes and resort fees.
• The cut-off date. Ask for 30 days before the wedding rather than 60 or 90, so late bookers still get the rate.
• Attrition. Aim for none. If you must accept it, keep it at 80% or lower and make sure rooms booked by guests outside the block count toward it.
• Shoulder nights. The same rate two or three nights before and after the wedding, for guests turning it into a holiday.
• Perks. A free room for every 10 to 20 booked, an upgrade for the couple, late checkout the day after, free welcome bag delivery and a room for getting ready.
• Minimum stays. Resorts often require 3 to 5 nights in high season. Know this before you tell guests.

Destination weddings: villas, resorts and small hotels

In places like Tuscany, Provence or Bali, guests often stay in villas or small family hotels with no formal group contracts. In that case, share a short list of two or three places at different prices and let guests book directly. Mixing one bookable hotel with a couple of alternatives works well. At all-inclusive resorts, the resort may require a minimum number of room nights before it will host your wedding at all, so read that part of the contract closely.

Our destination pages list hotels at different prices, with the areas that work best for guests. See for example where to stay in Tuscany, Lake Como, Cabo or Santorini.

Timeline

1. 10 to 12 months before: pick the hotel and sign the block. Ask for the booking link or code.
2. 8 to 10 months before: put the link on your save-the-dates and wedding website.
3. 3 to 4 months before: check the pickup with the hotel and send a reminder to guests who have not booked.
4. Just before the cut-off date: send a final reminder and release or add rooms.
5. 1 to 2 weeks before: send the hotel your welcome bag list and shuttle times.

How to share it with guests

Put the booking link, the code, the rate, the cut-off date and the cancellation policy in one place. Your free GuestDaysOut guest page has a room block section next to the hotels, day plans and map, and you can print a QR code card for save-the-dates or welcome bags. Want to show guests what the whole trip will cost? Point them to the guest budget calculator.