Guest accommodation for a destination wedding: villas, hotels and room blocks

Booking a villa, a farmhouse or a whole small hotel means your guests wake up in the same place, which makes the weekend feel like one long celebration. You usually pay the whole cost upfront and then share it out, so you need a fair way to split it and a way to collect the money.

Rooms vary a lot in a villa, from a big suite to a small twin, so splitting by room size is usually fairer than splitting per person.

For bigger weddings, couples reserve a block of rooms at one or two hotels near the venue, often at a group rate. Guests then book and pay for their own room. Check the contract carefully: many blocks have a release date after which unbooked rooms go back on sale, and some charge you for rooms that aren't taken.

There's no single rule. Guests usually pay for their own travel. For rooms, couples choose between paying for everything, paying nothing, or covering part of the cost. Many couples cover a share so a guest's stay costs about what a normal holiday would. Whatever you choose, say it clearly on your website so nobody has to ask.

The simplest approach is to show guests the rooms you've arranged and let them pick one. On Marrythere, each guest household sees the rooms on your wedding website, chooses one for the nights they're staying and can pay their share online. A room is held for them while they pay, so two families can't book the same one.

Your hosts will want to know who is in which room and for which nights, and you'll want to see at a glance which rooms are still free and who hasn't paid. Keep it in one place that updates as guests book, rather than a list you rebuild by hand every week.