Unique Offerings to Include in Hotel Wedding Packages
Whether hoteliers want to increase guest bookings or boost revenue, major events are a simple way to accomplish everything at once. Businesses may book conferences or mass hiring interviews in a property's biggest rooms, but weddings are also a significant part of the hotel industry.
Most major hotels have some kind of wedding package available for interested brides. They might include a free night's stay or an on-site coordinator, but they're often all the same. Modern brides want an experience unlike any other, which makes them more likely to book their ceremony with properties that can offer something novel.
Read on to learn about unique offerings to include in hotel wedding packages. Brides will love these new features and want them to be part of their wedding experience.
- Provide Free Meals
- Post Wedding Pictures
- Include a Photoshoot
- Propose Ceremony Child Care
- Partner With Videographers
- Offer Property Discounts
The soon-to-be-married couple often stays at the same hotel where they host their ceremony. It's more convenient than traveling from across town and keeps them close to the guests they can't wait to see. Hoteliers can make this an even more enjoyable visit by providing free meals for the couple at on-site restaurants if they book a certain number of guests in their hotel block.
Meals, drinks and even room service will make them more comfortable after their wedding and typically aren't available with other hotel packages.
Good hotel management will find a way to be at on-site ceremonies to take a few pictures. Posting the finished altar and reception area on the hotel's website gives future brides something to browse and emulate for their own weddings. It's also an easy way to increase the brand's social media interactions.
Social media influencers are a massive part of the internet for younger people who are just starting to get married. A recent study found that 59% of influencers prefer to use Instagram over other platforms to reach their audience. Posting wedding pictures and tagging the married couple in them on Instagram will increase the hotel's marketing exposure by putting the venue and their experience where their followers can see the pictures. Influencers will gain likes and hotels can win over future guests and brides.
It's also simple to include a photoshoot in hotel wedding packages. Use the property's foliage and flowers as the backdrop or create one indoors with faux greenery, furniture and the proper lighting. Gather props like masks, hats and more if the bride wants a cheesy photo opportunity for guests. Hoteliers can even find a professional photographer to host a pre-wedding photoshoot with just the bride and her fiance, depending on their interests.
Hotels don't often include child care during wedding ceremonies, but that allows more guests to attend and stay on-site. Designate a room on the same floor as the ceremony to be the nursery or playroom. Hire vetted caretakers from a local daycare so they're on the property during the ceremony and reception. Parents will appreciate having a few hours to have fun while their children are well taken care of.
Most hotel wedding packages include a photographer for no extra fee, but that isn't always the best way to capture a bride's big day. Although pictures are meaningful keepsakes, couples can watch a video of their ceremony to celebrate their first anniversary. Studies have shown that 98% of married couples regret not hiring a videographer for this very reason, especially since it captures the audio of saying their vows and hearing their guests cheer.
A wedding package with a videographer may help hoteliers book more weddings, along with any other events that people want captured on video.
Chain hotels have the advantage of properties around the country and even the world. Married couples who budget for a honeymoon will appreciate getting a discount if they travel to a dream destination and stay with the same hotel chain. They can use that discount to experience more while they're away from home and make their first married memories together.
Think About the Location
Partnering with videographers and providing childcare are unique offerings to include in hotel wedding packages, but they also depend on the hotel's location. Consider what's around the property and why brides book weddings on-site to estimate which package offers would be most popular with brides and most financially feasible for the hotel.
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