S T E P   F O U R

Booking The Rooms!

Rest assured, we deal with group blocks and contracts every day. This is our expertise, and we will handle all of the details for you.
We take care of deadlines, room blocks, date changes and everything else that comes with holding a block of rooms for guests to book into.
​Our goal here is to book as many guests as possible into your block so you earn the most perks, amenities and freebies as we can get you!

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100%Yay!

Deposit Paid

100%Done!

Choose Resort

100%Whoot!

Set The Date

100%Step 4

Book The Rooms

0%Step 5

Guests

0%Step 6

Travel

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You have questions. We have answers!

We know wedding planning can be overwhelming and intimidating. Contracts, deposits, and the whole process is all new to you. After all, its not everyday you get to plan your wedding! But luckily for you, this is what we do.... every.... single.... day! If something looks off, we'll discuss it with you. If we're not comfortable with a term we got from the resort, we'll explain why. Over 95% of our couples sign group contracts, so you're not alone. The pros greatly outweigh the cons, as you'll see.  

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The Group Contract Explained

Travel Dates ▽

Travel Dates 

The travel dates you see listed on your contract are just the starting point. We have to give the resort a date range to initiate the room block. We know that most guests will book 3-4 nights, but some may choose to stay longer, which is perfectly fine. Most resorts limit room blocks for 4-5 nights. We try to hold dates before and after the wedding date so guests are able to request the stay that work best for them. Guests can still request to arrive before our block starts or stay after our block ends. When this happens, we will work directly with the resort to get these extra nights added to the reservation as the request comes in. Since we are not holding rooms for outside our block dates, we must have the hotel confirm availability and pricing on these extra nights. We’ll work with guests directly to get this all confirmed, though. It can take a few extra days to get it all confirmed, but we’ll be in touch with guests so they know we are working on things. The sooner guests book, the more flexibility and options they will have when it comes to travel dates. 

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Initial Room Block ▽​

Initial Room Block

The initial room block, similar to the initial travel dates, is just the starting point. As guests start book, the inventory we are holding will change. We do our best to monitor the block and make adjustments as needed, but there is no way for us to know what guests are going to book. We try to anticipate room needs as best we can. Because of this, the sooner guests book, the better. Resorts sell out of rooms all the time. We will continue to swap rooms as best we can, but when the resort is sold out of a category we will no longer be able to add it. We can always get group rates for a room and add it to our block if someone wants to book a room not listed in the group contract. We just need to know what room the guest is interested in so we can get the rates. 
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Deadlines ▽

Deadlines 

Deadlines are a good thing and they will help you tremendously! There are typically two deadlines that are the most important. The "Book By" date is when we need all guests to make their room reservation and initial deposit by. We hold the room block until the Book By date, and release unbooked rooms back to the resort when this date passes. This is a fabulous way to get an accurate list of who is committed to attending your wedding. You need this so you can plan the details, like how many chairs you'll need, how many meals, how many layers of cake, etc. It is a GOOD thing!! The other important deadline is the "Final Payment" date. This is when all rooms needs to be paid in full. We make sure guests are fully aware of this and all other important dates as we prepare them for travel.

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Cancellations ▽

Cancellations

No one expects to cancel, but unfortunately it does happen. There are typically two different cancellations to be mindful of. One is a single room cancellation. This is when a guest booked, but later needs to cancel. Guests are responsible for any penalties associated with their cancellation. The other is a whole group cancellation. This is when you, the couple, decide to cancel the entire wedding and group. You will be responsible for any penalties associated with a whole group cancellation. 

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Pricematches ▽

Pricematches 

If a single guest thinks they have found the same room for a lower price online, we'll want to take a look at it. Usually, there is something off, causing the price difference. If it truly is identical, we can ask the resort to "pricematch" the room for us. If they agree, the room would be booked outside the block and will not count towards any group perks or amenities. If you, the couple, find considerably lower prices for the same rooms, we can ask the resort for the lower rates. A whole group pricematch is considered a whole group revision, though, since we have to reprice all rooms and invoices. Only the resort can approve a whole group revision/pricematch.

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Amenities ▽​

Amenities

Everyone always asks how the “free rooms/nights” amenity works. It is pretty simple. If this amenity is part of your group contract, you will earn free rooms or nights based on how many guests book into your room block. After your group travels, the resort will do an audit of the group to determine how many free rooms or nights you earned. We will authorize a refund back to you (back to the credit card used to make payments) after travel for the value of the free rooms or nights you earned. YOU get this, not your guests. It happens automatically usually within about 2 weeks after travel. The resort will know nothing about this since it is part of the room contract we sign. But don’t worry! This will be refunded back to you as soon as we can get the group finalized with the resort. Rooms that book outside of your block do not count towards any group amenities. 
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Rates ▽ 

Rates ​​

Almost all rates are as “per person, per night.” Because the resorts we sell are all-inclusive, prices are all per person because the resorts have to account for meals, drinks, airport transportation, etc. Every person staying at the resort will be charged for their stay, even if they are sharing a room with someone else. The prices we share with you will usually include the room, the roundtrip airport transportation, all meals, drinks and taxes. There may be some small local taxes that must be paid at check out (for example, $1/night environmental fees, etc) that cannot be included with the room rate, but we disclose that on each guests’ invoice. Rates for rooms outside of our initial block are subject to current rates and availability. If we are unable to price "per person, per night" we will have it all spelled out in your contract so you know up front what pricing looks like. 
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Reductions ▽​

Reductions ​​

A "Reduction" means we are reducing the total number of rooms we are holding in our room block. We are able to release  unbooked rooms and nights without penalty as long as we 1. release by the deadline and 2. maintain a minimum of 10 rooms in your block. We typically reduce rooms just after the Book By date so the resort can have them back to sell to other groups and travelers. We will manage the reductions and room block for you.

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Revisions​ ▽

Revisions ​​

There are two types of Revisions. One type is a single room revision. This is for guests who make changes to their reservation after it has been confirmed and an invoice sent. Guests will pay a $50 Revision Fee to make changes to their room reservation. The other type is a whole group revision. This is when you, the couple, chooses to make a change to the whole group. For example, you need to change the dates or change the resort or destination. Since we are breeching the contract and starting over with the dates, resort or location, there is a Revision Fee paid by you to make these major changes. The changes still need to be approved by the resort. 

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Group Deposit ▽

Group Deposit ​​

You will pay the group deposit to set up the room block. Most resorts require $100 per room to set up the block. Sometimes, for larger groups, resorts want 10% of the total group for the deposit. Your contract will list what the deposit it. After you pay the group deposit, the resort will confirm the room block, and we will have you book your room on your website. You are able to book whatever room you’d like at the prices listed. When you get your room invoice, you’ll see the group deposit applied as a credit on your room total. Even if we release rooms down the road, you still keep the full deposit as a payment on your room. This group deposit is not covered by Cancel Insurance. 

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Don't worry! We'll manage the entire group for you!

As guests start to book, we will keep a spreadsheet of who has booked, which room, check in and check out dates, flights, etc. We share this list with you throughout the process, and also with the resort and wedding team once we get closer to travel. We also manage the room block, changes to reservations and special room requests. Guests will have our email and phone numbers so they can reach out to us with any questions about booking or travel. The last thing we want is all guests calling or texting YOU! Let us take care of your guests, so you can have fun planning the wedding experience for everyone. 

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On to the Next Step

Destination Wedding Planning Step Five

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