Most people don’t attend college in their hometown, so when couples get married during their college years, these weddings might take place outside of Ames. Because of this, many students find themselves traveling to attend their friends’ weddings.

Attending an out-of-town or destination wedding can be really exciting, but it can also be a hassle if guests aren’t properly prepared. Luckily, there are certain things guests can take into consideration.

Amy Rubins, professional bridal consultant and certified destination wedding specialist, has 12 years of experience in the event planning industry. As the owner and founder of Fete Perfection in Minnesota, Rubins has years of experiences working with engaged couples as they plan their special day. Over the years, Rubins has coordinated destination weddings and helped clients work with venders to book hotel and travel arrangements.

Hotels

Rubins explained that a wedding couple will often block or reserve rooms in hotels close to their wedding ceremony and reception to accommodate guests who need to travel. She said couples typically provide one or two different hotel options.

“One is usually lower price for the couple’s friends who are not as established,” she said.

Rubins said this hotel is usually close to the reception site and priced around $100.

The second hotel option, if there is one, is “an elegant hotel with a higher price point for family members and the parents’ friends,” Rubins said.

If a couple reserves a block of rooms for their wedding guests, Rubins explained that the hotel will typically give a 10 to 15 percent discount on the rack rate for each room. The rack rate is the standard rate for the room on that day.

Betsy Happe, wedding coordinator at the Gateway Hotel and Conference Center, 2100 Green Hills Drive, said the rack rate will fluctuate depending on the occupancy and how the weekend has been historically.

To receive a discounted price on hotel rooms, a couple usually has to reserve 10 or more rooms, Rubins said, and usually if a couple reserves more rooms they will be offered a better discount.

Most hotels offer one or two different types of room reservations for groups. A couple can enter into a contract block for a certain number of rooms or the hotel might offer a courtesy block.

In a contract block, the hotel is guaranteeing a certain number of rooms will be available, but the bride and groom are contractually obligated to fill a predetermined number of rooms and pay for those rooms no matter what. At the Gateway Hotel and Conference Center, Happe said couples that enter into contract blocks are financially obligated to fill a percentage of the rooms they originally reserve.

With a courtesy block, the hotel will reserve part of the number of requested rooms and as those room fill up, they will hold more. This allows the hotel to take in additional paying guests that aren’t attending the wedding. At the Gateway Hotel, this is called an empty block, Happe said. She said couples aren’t responsible for filling a certain number of rooms, but they also won’t get as good of a price on the rooms.

Flights

For people that have to fly to attend weddings, Rubins said that the airlines are far less agreeable with discounts than hotels.

In the past, she’s had an airline agree to take a 5 percent discount off the ticket price for a flight with a large enough group, “but you have to have everyone flying out of the same airport at the same time,” she said. So, even if the airline tries to offer a group discount, the savings aren’t significant enough.

However, Rubins does suggest that traveling guests use a travel agent when they book a flight for an out-of-town wedding.

“You might be able to get a lower rate with online booking agencies, but I highly recommend using a travel agent instead,” she said.

She said that with all the delays in airports due to mechanical issues or weather, it is good to have a travel agent on your side to work on your behalf to fix any issues.

“Hiring a travel agency is usually between $15 and $35, and it’s like insurance for your flight,” she explained.

Quick tips for traveling guests

Plan ahead and book your reservations early. Never plan on arriving the day of the wedding.

Rubins said is it really important that wedding guests look into their travel arrangements early on.

“The closer it gets to the travel date, the more money guests will spend, especially on flights,” she said.

If price is an issue, you can shop around.

If the hotel options the couples provides are still too expensive, Rubins said there are always guests who try find a better price than the block prices.

However, there are disadvantages. Often the less expensive hotels are located farther away from the reception and the other guests, so these people might not get to participate in extra activities the bride and groom might have planned, Rubins said.

“There might be a spontaneous pool party or a gathering at the hotel bar, and guests who don’t stay with the group might miss out on those things,” she said.

Happe agreed that sometimes a hotel might run rates on the Internet that could beat a predetermined block rate for a group, but “it’s hit or miss,” she said. “It might be available one day and not the next.”

Happe said that at the Gateway Hotel, if guests stay in a couple’s reserved rooms, the hotel will allow the couple to know when each guest arrives.

If you’re booking a hotel, be aware of check-in and check-out times.

Happe said that this is one of their biggest difficulties involving wedding guests. She said guests will try to check into their hotel room early.

“They’ll get to the hotel early and want to go up to their rooms to freshen up,” she said, but the Gateway Hotel has a guaranteed check-in time of 4 p.m.

This can cause problems for guests who aren’t prepared. Happe suggested people plan ahead and be aware of a hotel’s check-in and check-out times. She added that guests should inform a hotel ahead of time if they have special needs, such as certain handicaps or dietary requirements.

Always send your wedding gift, don’t travel with it.

Rubins suggested that guests let the store or company send their wedding gift to the couple’s address. She said that if guests are flying to the wedding they can run into security issues with their gifts, or the present might be lost, stolen or damaged during travel.

“Cards are different,” she explained, “it’s also less hassle for the bride and groom if you send the gift to them.”

Look at a couples’ wedding website and watch out for “save the date” invites.

“I recommend that any couples I work with either set up a wedding website or send save the date cards to their guests.” She said the information the couple provides is something guests should pay close attention to, “not just file away.”

Take advantage of out-of-town weddings by turning them into a mini vacation.

If you’re traveling for a weekend wedding, Rubins suggested flying during the middle of the week when flights are cheaper and spending the extra days exploring the location. She said that if guests are attending a destination wedding, the bride and groom might have special activities planned either before or after the wedding that their guest can attend.

“If the couple has sponsored activities, then participate and be fully engaged in the couple’s activities,” she said.