Are you planning to host your wedding ceremony and/or wedding reception at a hotel? If you are, here are 17 key terms to know when planning your wedding at a hotel. I promise you that they are worth knowing.

Staffing at Wedding Hotel

Catering Manager. This staff member works with the chef or catering representative to plan and organize all of the F&B (see below) for your wedding and/or event.

Bellman (or the Porter or Doorman). This is typically the first staff member you will encounter upon arrival. The bellman may open the door for you when you enter and exit the hotel and assist you with hailing a taxi. This staff member is also typically in charge of assisting hotel guests with transporting luggage to and from their hotel rooms. If you need to check out hours before you depart the hotel, the bellman may store your luggage for you until you are ready to depart.

Concierge. This is the hotel staff member who can assist you with various special tasks. Some of the special tasks may include booking restaurant reservations, transportation services, theater reservations, and luggage assistance.

Front Desk Representative (or Front Desk Clerk). This is the staff member who works behind the front desk. This staff member checks you in and out of the hotel. Depending upon the size of the hotel, the front desk staff answers the hotel’s incoming phone calls.

MOD. MOD is an acronym used by hotel staff — It stands for the “Manager on Duty.”  There may be times when you need “manager-level” assistance after business hours. If you do, ask to speak with the “Manager on Duty” or the “MOD.”

Hotel Room Block for Your Wedding Guests

Courtesy Block. This is a block of 10 to 20 hotel rooms that a hotel will hold for you (upon your request) without holding you financially responsible. If you don’t reserve all of the hotel rooms by the “cut off date” (see below), the hotel will return the unreserved rooms back into its general inventory for resale.

Guaranteed Hotel Room Block. If you ask the hotel to hold more than 10 sleeping rooms per night for your wedding guests, the hotel will require you to guarantee your hotel room block with a credit card. It is definitely a less desirable hotel room block for weddings because you are financially responsible for the rooms not booked by your guests. If your wedding guests don’t book the number of “agreed upon” hotel rooms, the hotel will charge you an attrition (see below for the definition of Attrition) fee. We typically don’t recommend a guaranteed hotel room block unless it is for a destination wedding.

Cut-Off Date. The cut-off date is the deadline date to book the hotel rooms for your wedding. This deadline is typically 30 to 45 days in advance of your wedding day. After the “cut-off date” deadline, most hotels will remove the unreserved hotel rooms from your “hotel block” and place them back into the hotel’s general inventory for resale.  Before you sign the contract, I recommend that you ask about the availability of the hotel rooms after your cut-off date.

Attrition. When the number of hotel room reservations booked in a group’s hotel room block doesn’t meet the committed number of rooms noted in the contract, you are responsible for making up the difference financially. Hotel staff and event planners call the difference, “attrition.”

Here is an example —

• You sign a contract for a guaranteed block of 40 hotel rooms.
• The contract for your guaranteed block states that you are responsible for the payment of 90% of the 40 hotel rooms mentioned above.
• Your hotel guests only book 30 (or 75%) of the 40 hotel rooms, not 90%.
• Since you committee to 90%  You will be liable for paying for the remaining six (15%) hotel rooms in the guaranteed block.  Your hotel sales contact will call this 15% difference, “attrition.”

Hotel Reservations for Your Wedding Guests

Check-In Time. The check-In time is the time the hotel allows you to check in to your hotel room. Check-in time is typically somewhere between 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. Every hotel is different, so check it out beforehand.  Note:  If you arrive before your check-in time, don’t fret!  If the hotel has a room available earlier than check-in time, they may allow you to check-in early.

Check-Out Time. The check-out time is the time deadline for you to be out of your hotel room. Check-out time is typically somewhere between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. To avoid paying for an additional day, we recommend you understand your check-out time or request a “late checkout.”

Fees Related to the Hotel Reservations for Your Wedding Guests

Early Check-Out Fee. The fee the hotel charges you if you check out more than 24 hours prior to your scheduled check-out date. For example, the hotel might charge you if you check out on July 25 instead of your originally scheduled checkout date of July 26.

Guaranteed Late Arrival. In order to make room for last-minute reservations, some hotels will cancel hotel reservations not checked-in after 6:00 p.m. If a guest is arriving at the hotel after 6:00 p.m., they can guarantee their reservation by providing a credit card with their reservation. If the guest fails to arrive before 6:00 p.m. and they fail to notify the hotel, the hotel will more than likely charge the guest’s credit card for one night’s room rate.

Key Terms Related to Catering and Logistics at Your Hotel Wedding

F&B. F&B is an acronym used by event staff. It stands for Food & Beverage (or Catering).

A/V. A/V is an acronym used by event staff. It stands for Audiovisual. Audiovisual includes items such as a microphone, up-lights, a projector, a projection screen and wireless internet.

BEO. A BEO (also known as a Banquet Event Order) is a contract between the hotel and the client.  This contract outlines all of the details related to your wedding (ceremony and/or reception). The details may include services such as the set-up, audiovisual, and catering. It also serves as a roadmap for the hotel. Hotel staff will reference the BEO when executing your wedding day and communicating your needs to the hotel departments involved.

Plus, Plus. When the hotel says your bill is “$100++” or “$100 plus, plus,” know that the “plus, plus” means “plus service charge and plus tax.” This charge applies to the food & beverage, audiovisual, bartender fees, room rental, and rental items. Always ask about the “plus, plus” when you are quoted a price or you could definitely bust your wedding budget.

Final Thoughts

Are you ready to plan your worry-free wedding experience? Please contact your wedding planning team at Howerton+Wooten Events

Love and Soul Always, Kawania

P.S. If you’re interested in booking me as a speaker or wedding industry expert, click here to learn more.