If you have attended a wedding where there was a designated room for all of the wedding guests, or sometimes just the bridal party, to mingle and enjoy refreshments, you have experienced what is known as a hospitality suite first hand. While this might seem like a modern-day addition to the wedding-day experience, hospitality suites are actually anything but new.
What Is a Wedding Hospitality Suite?
Definition - A wedding hospitality suite is a place for guests to come throughout the day/weekend for refreshments, snacks and information.
What Does a Wedding Hospitality Suite Include?
When it comes to planning your wedding, hospitality suites serve multiple purposes, but mainly as a place where wedding guests are able to come and go throughout the day or weekend for refreshments, snacks, and information about the wedding. Oftentimes, the hospitality suites are outfitted with charging stations, card and board games. Some suites, such as a deluxe suite, which includes a living room, dining room, fireplace, designer kitchen, full bath, half guest bath, and patios, and can be customized with extra lounge seating, comfortable chairs, coffee tables and extra outdoor seating in which to drink in the views of your venue.
Pros of Having a Hospitality Suite When Planning Your Wedding
Here is a look at some of the benefits of having a hospitality suite for your wedding whether its just for a day wedding or a weekend wedding.
It gives guests a communal hang out spot
Whether guests have arrived at the hotel prior to their room being ready or are simply looking for a place to spend free time in between wedding events, a hospitality suite can provide guests a wonderfully relaxing experience in either circumstance.
It Takes Pressure Off the Couple
A hospitality suite can also be quite beneficial for the bride and groom, who tend to be the “go-to people” for any questions or concerns guests may have. Securing a hospitality suite with someone designated to answer those questions on the couple’s behalf immediately takes the stress away and allows them to focus on their upcoming nuptials.
It Offers Guests a Chance to Reconnect
For guests traveling from out of town who might be arriving at the wedding destination a few days early, a hospitality suite offers them the chance to reconnect with old acquaintances and even make new ones prior to the actual wedding celebration. Having a hospitality suite allows the couple and their parents to pop in whenever they are free to greet guests and maybe make plans, not in the schedule or an invitation. It is also the one wedding venue where it is not expected that the couple or their parents will be present so there is no pressure to stand and greet as is found at a welcome party.
It is a Steam lined Location for Gift Bags
If you are choosing to include a gifting aspect to a hospitality suite, this alleviates the complexity of welcome bag deliveries, including assembling and then tracking down where every single guest is lodging and having the bags delivered. All of the personal items selected to share with guests, whether because they are special to the couple or the destination, can be displayed.
What to Consider When Creating a Hospitality Suite
If you are planning on creating a hospitality suite for your wedding guests, follow these expert tips to make sure it is useful, enjoyable, and memorable.
Negotiate Costs Ahead of Time
The cost of a hospitality suite may cost more than a standard room, so to score the best deal, try to negotiate the use of one in your rooming block with the sales team at your hotel. Suites come as a premium, and they offer varying sizes, so ask for pricing options for a few of the available rooms. These suites are also usually in high demand, so if you are considering one, you would really book this at the same time as you book your room block.
Advertise It Well
There is always the possibility that a hospitality suite will go unused, For example, if it is not properly advertised well ahead of time, guests may not realize that it is an option. For this reason, I recommend including a mention of the hospitality suite in the information card that guests receive when they check into the hotel and also adding a few signs throughout the suite floor.
Do not Connect the Suite to Your Own
While it can be tempting to create one large “party” space, I do not recommend that the hospitality suite connects to the suite the couple is staying in. That is the one that should have a ‘do not disturb sign’ respectfully.
Fill the Suite With Refreshments
When guests enter a hospitality suite, they will most definitely expect there to be some form of nourishment, be it snacks, appetizers, or take-away meals. At the very least, I recommend making sure that water is served along with some extra items. If it is summer, consider arranging some fans and sunscreen for guests to take with them to the ceremony.
Make It Fun
All in all, your hospitality suite should be as fun and as personalized to you as possible. This is a good location for those engagement photos and fun personalized items with your wedding branding on them such as beer koozies, insulated wine tumblers for the beach, towels, sunglasses, and more. Think of what will be most useful and reflective of the destination that you are in, too.
So, from reading this blog I hope you have learnt what a hospitality suite is and the pros to having one has helped you to decide on whether you feel like your wedding could benefit to having one or whether it would not be beneficial for your guests.
Hope you enjoyed the read
Emma Louise x
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