Accommodations for wedding attendants and guests: Attendants and guests arriving from out-of-town often stay with relatives or friends, but this may not always be possible. Hotel accommodations may be more comfortable for everyone. Don't try to have attendants or relatives stay with you before the wedding...things will be hectic enough without worries about house guests.

Who pays for accommodations? The bride and groom usually pay for the wedding attendants' accommodations. Out-of-town guests, both relatives and friends, pay for their own accommodations. As a courtesy to these guests, facilities and costs should be researched by the bride and her mother to ensure comfort, convenient location, and reasonable price.

Special group rates: Most hotels offer a special group rate for your guests. Many have information and special cards that you can send to your guests in the invitations, or separately.

Transportation: Inquire about transpor-tation from the airport to the hotel. Some hotels provide complimentary service for your guests' convenience.

Bed-and-breakfast hospitality: Most bed-and-breakfasts are private homes offering overnight accommodations. Traditionally, guests receive a homemade breakfast each morning. Unlike hotels, bed-and-breakfast rooms are individually unique, with furnishings that give a guest an "at-home" feeling. Generally the bed-and-breakfast owner will take your reservation, check you in and out, prepare and serve your breakfast, clean your room, and act as concierge and host. A minimum stay may be required, depending on the size of your group and days of the week involved. A deposit is generally required to guarantee your room at the time of reservation. Most bed-and-breakfasts are nonsmoking.

Honeymoon getaways: Wonderful honeymoon getaways or special accommodations for your wedding night are listed in the following pages. Many newlyweds are too exhausted and tired from the day's festivities to leave for the honeymoon on the night of the wedding. Look into some of the great local places available for your wedding night. These hotels, resorts, and bed-and-breakfast establishments offer special honeymoon packages, and some offer free transportation to the airport the next day. If your budget doesn't allow for an exotic honeymoon this year, try a luxury resort at the beach, a relaxing ranch, or a remote cottage in the mountains. Whatever you plan, the two of you will be together, enjoying each other's company.

If you do open your home to guests, make sure there is someone present who has the directions to the church and reception, or place the directions near the phone. You don't want any guest lost!

Labels: hotels