Why Reminders Matter

Remember, even the most organized guests can get busy and forget to book their hotel rooms for your wedding. A simple reminder, sent at the right time, can go a long way to protect your room block and give guests time to book before the deadline.

These reminders are not meant to pressure your guests into booking rooms, but to protect the hotel room block from guests who intend to attend your wedding but mistakenly overlook booking their rooms before the cutoff date for your hotel room block.

Understanding the Cut- Off Date

The cut-off date is very important to be aware of. This is the date on which your hotel block will be released back to the general inventory of the hotel. At this point, guests will no longer be able to book rooms at the group rate and, in the worst case, all of the rooms at the hotel may already be booked. Guests need to be reminded of the cut-off date often, clearly, and directly. You should state the date on your wedding website, on your save-the-dates, on your invitations, and in any of your reminders to book a room.

As with the hotel block information, the cut-off date for the room block should be mentioned in all wedding communications. This means it should be on your wedding website, save-the-dates, your wedding invitations, and in any reminders that are sent out to your guests. Just because you have mentioned the cut-off date on your wedding website does not mean that your guests will automatically remember it. That is why it is so important to include it in all of your wedding communications.

When to Send Reminders

The reminders can be spread out over three emails that are sent at different times before the cut-off date. There should be enough time in between the emails so that the couple is not coming off as pushy, and the guests are given enough opportunity to book their rooms before the hotel block is taken out of the general hotel inventory.

• 8-10 weeks pre-cut-off date: Send an early reminder to your guests to let them know that you have set up a hotel block for them and to inform them how to book their rooms. The reminder should contain the details of your hotel block, state the cut-off date in a friendly manner, and give them ample time to book before the deadline.
• Then, around 4 weeks before the cut-off date for bookings, send a second reminder to those guests that have not yet booked their hotel rooms. Again, keep these messages warm and appreciative, and reiterate all the details for booking their hotel rooms.
• Last reminder – about 1 week before the cut-off date. You can make this message a bit more direct, and still keep it friendly. Remember to reiterate the cut-off date and to encourage guests to book the block if they are planning to come.

I just wanted to remind you that you haven’t booked your hotel room yet. I know you’re coming to celebrate us, and I want to make sure you have a room at the rate we negotiated for. I can send you a personal note with the details if you’d like.

What to Include in Every Reminder

Every reminder should contain the same essential information for your guests:

• The hotel name and location
• The group rate or rate range
• The booking link or reservation code
• The cut-off date, stated clearly
• A note as to why booking by the deadline is important.

Remember to keep the steps to book simple and easy to follow. The easier you make it for your guests to book a room, the more likely they are to book a room the correct way, immediately.

Gentle Nudge Template Examples

The following are some examples for you to get started with. Adjust as you see fit.

Early Reminder:

Hi everyone, just a friendly reminder that we have a hotel block reserved for our wedding weekend at (Hotel Name) in (City). The rates for our hotel block are (rate) per night. The booking link is (link). Our cut-off date for the group rate is (date). If you know for sure that you’ll be staying for the wedding, we’d really appreciate it if you booked by then. Let us know if you have any questions or if we can help with booking your room!

Midpoint Reminder:

Just a reminder to everyone that the cut-off date for our hotel block at (Hotel Name) is fast approaching – in just a week (date), the rooms will no longer be available at the group rate. We have tried to make it as easy as possible for you to book a room by reserving a block and providing a link for you to book online: (link). We would be really pleased if you could join us for the weekend and book a room within the block. After the cut-off date, we have no idea what the availability for the block will be.

Final Nudge:

We just wanted to remind you that the hotel block at (hotel name) will close in one week on (date). Please book your rooms before this date at the group rate by clicking on the following link: (link). We are unsure of the hotel’s availability after this date. We hope you can join us for the weekend and stay close by.

Tips for Sounding Polite, Not Pushy

Words have power. The way that you word your reminders to your guests will determine how they are received. Most importantly, focus on the fact that you are helping your guests by sending them reminders. Don’t make them feel like you’re pushing them to book.

Be helpful, not pushy. Remember that you are sending reminders for the guests’ sake. So instead of saying something like “don’t forget to book” or “you need to book now,” say something like “we wanted to make sure you had the details of the hotel block” and then include the details and the link.

Try not to guilt guests into booking a hotel room. For example, don’t write a reminder about a hotel block closing and then follow it up with a note that says something like, “We really hope you can make it.” This puts a lot of pressure on your guests.

Include the link in every reminder to make it easy for your guests to book!

Keep it brief. Don’t be wordy. You don’t want to be read as insincere.

What to Do If Guests Still Delay

Guests miss hotel cut-off dates occasionally, and that is okay. When a guest misses the cut-off date for the hotel room block reserved for wedding guests and later inquires about available rooms, you should contact the hotel to determine if space is available and at what rate. The hotel may extend the block for an individual guest. You would then let the guest know what is available. You can also suggest other alternative hotels in the area and provide them with relevant information.

When a guest inquires after the deadline, it is best to check with the hotel first and see if they have any rooms available at the current rate. Some hotels will extend a block for a single guest if asked by the couple. Inform the guest of the situation straightforwardly. Provide them with information on alternative hotels in the area and keep your message practical. The couple did their job in promoting the hotel block, and now it is up to the guest to make a decision. Guests who miss a deadline are not trying to be difficult. They are simply not as organized as the rest of the couple’s guests.

Even if you do your best to send out timely reminders and your wedding is months in advance, there will be late-bookers. Sometimes they’re booking at the last minute because they just finalized their vacation time from work, and other times it’s because they’re waiting to see if their friend is coming or not. But no matter the reason, every late-booked guest is not trying to be difficult. And they may appreciate your help in finding another hotel in the area.

A Smoother Process Starts Early

Late-booking guests are a normal part of the wedding planning process. A clear reminder system that starts early and clearly communicates the cut-off date for booking a Kleinfeld Hotel Blocks reserved room(s) and spaces them out will mean that most guests book without needing any personal follow-up from you.

The same thing with Kleinfeld Hotel Blocks – we can set up your communication plan as well as your hotel block so your guests know all the details from the very beginning. Please email us with your date and your venue.