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VIP October 2015

And so it begins. Are we being thoughtless and rude not providing transp?

RhnCasi419, on August 24, 2015 at 7:03 AM Posted in Planning 0 42

Sent out the invitations last week. Now some of FH's family is asking FMIL if transportation will be provided from the (small) block of rooms we reserved at a hotel that is 20 minutes away from the venue. I tried desperately for 3 months to find a closer hotel near our venue, with no success. Problem is that every hotel in the area required a 2 night stay because we are having our reception 15-20 minutes from Salem, MA., during the Haunted Happenings month (October) and apparently it is a huge tourist attraction. Every hotel in the vicinity of Salem required this. The best I could do was get the hotel block (for 1 night stay) 20 minutes away. I actually explained this on our wedding website. I feel horrible that I picked our wedding 2 weeks before Halloween in the North Shore (near Salem, MA.) and I'm so mad at myself for feeling this way. We weren't planning on spending $750 for transportation for our guests. But now people are asking. What would your response be to them?

42 Comments

Latest activity by Mrs. P, on August 26, 2015 at 11:14 AM
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    Master October 2013
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    "Unfortunately we will not be providing transportation. Here are the names of some local cab companies, and we encourage guests to carpool as well!"

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  • Laura Marie
    VIP September 2015
    Laura Marie ·
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    Just say no, but put taxi options on your website or something. Does Salem have Uber? Maybe get an uber discount code and offer it up, but you shouldn't feel back about not offering transportation. Your guests are adults - they should be able to get them to/from a location without requiring provided transportation - whether it's a taxi, uber, rental car, their own car..whatever. Though if you are concerned about it, call the hotel and see if they have suggestions. Sometimes they either have a shuttle or can give you a discount code to a bus rental.

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  • Now I'm Mrs. L
    VIP April 2015
    Now I'm Mrs. L ·
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    Rhn, as you know, I'm local to you. What hotel are your guests staying at?

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  • R
    VIP October 2015
    RhnCasi419 ·
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    This isn't my first post about transportation in the last month or so. I just needed this reassurance since it came up again last night when FMIL called FH! UGH. When FH hung up with her he said "this is getting out of control now" - he meant the money. He also asked me to ask WW what they thought (which I thought was super cute of him, haha) - I told him I did once before and many of the responses were that we aren't their babysitters.

    Yes Laura Marie, there are cab companies in the area. I think I will do just that: Put the info on the website and print out little cards or something with cab numbers on them.

    Thanks.

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  • R
    VIP October 2015
    RhnCasi419 ·
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    @Now I'm Mrs. L The Woburn Marriott - which as you may know, is quite some ways away from Danvers where we are getting married. However, it is straight highway all the way. You leave the hotel and get right on the highway to Danvers and same back. It is an easy ride, but could be long with traffic.

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  • Celia Milton
    Celia Milton ·
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    Stephanie nailed it. These are adults. Put the cab companies on the website and call it a day. If the hotel offers a shuttle, great, but don't make it your problem.

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  • Jess
    Master May 2015
    Jess ·
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    Ditto Stephanie. There is no reason for guests to expect transportation.

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  • Heather S
    Expert October 2016
    Heather S ·
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    Agree with everything Stephanie and Laura said!

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  • OGSue
    Master August 2016
    OGSue ·
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    Transportation is not a must, it's definitely a "nice to have". They can take cabs like the others have stated.

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  • M
    Super September 2015
    Mec_Happens ·
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    And they don't *have* to stay where you blocked off rooms either. If driving the 20 minutes or taking a cab is that inconvenient to them, then they should book a closer hotel themselves.

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  • Mrs. Nicole
    Master May 2016
    Mrs. Nicole ·
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    This is another of those things that are put on a bride's plate and expected to do everything short of wiping a guests ass to accommodate people.

    Don't sweat it.

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  • jenna_
    Master March 2015
    jenna_ ·
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    No. don't worry about it. like other's have said... these people are adults. it's not your responsibility. we had a very rural (not really any cab options either) semi destination wedding that EVERYONE had to travel to and find lodging for. we did not provide transportation. all was well. people rented cars and car pooled. it was fine.

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  • Kelli
    Master September 2015
    Kelli ·
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    Yep they don't have to stay at that hotel. Transportation is not your problem. Adults will figure how to get there!

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  • Reese
    Master July 2015
    Reese ·
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    This was one of the things that drove me crazy because I really don't get it. I feel like the biggest argument for transportation is "What if people drink too much?". How is it that people are able to be adults and drive themselves around or find themselves a taxi at every event except for your wedding? And 20 minutes is really not that far.

    Don't let yourself get bullied into it. It is not a requirement; it is just one more thing getting added as a "must do" that wasn't even in anyone's radar 10 years ago.

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  • R
    VIP October 2015
    RhnCasi419 ·
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    I know Rebecca! And everyone else who offered their opinions!! My sentiments exactly. When FH hung up with his mom last night and we were back to square one over the guest transportation issue, my first thoughts were "open bar AND transportation" a great way to facilitate excessive drunkenness!! HAHA. Seriously, I want people to have a great time and drink and eat and dance, but really ??? Transportation too?

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  • OG Kathryn
    Champion May 2016
    OG Kathryn ·
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    See if your hotel has any options or works with any companys. thefirst one i was going to book had a company they workede for. the second one actually had a shuttle that would transfer at $40/trip which isnt bad if you dont have alot of OOT guests.

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  • R
    VIP October 2015
    RhnCasi419 ·
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    @Kathryn I've already done that early on. All the hotel could do for me was give me some "recommendations" for transportation. Those recommendations would cost us $750 and up! Some recommendation! I was not happy. Whatever. It was just one of the first moments in wedding planning that I realized not everything is going to go how I dreamed or would have liked to have planned. Yeah, I got a little envious of couples who have hotels that offer shuttles for a reasonable cost ... but that just isn't going to happen for us. Oh well.

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  • Now I'm Mrs. L
    VIP April 2015
    Now I'm Mrs. L ·
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    Just for the readers, where they are and where they are going, there is no easy, inexpensive cab service, guests are looking at a $30+ ride each way :/ RHN, if transportation is something you really decide you want to provide, here are two suggestions, 1. Did you check with the Holiday Inn in Peabody? They have a reasonably priced shuttle, and I do not think they are big with the Salem crowd. 2. Ludwigs Limo is very accomidating, and I believe much less than $750 for what you are looking for.

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  • Brittany
    Super September 2015
    Brittany ·
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    We all know weddings make people ridiculous. They also make people SO ENTITLED.

    If you invited these people to a party at your home they wouldn't expect you to send someone pick them up first. They'll live. Forget this stress immediately and let them figure it out.

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  • R
    VIP October 2015
    RhnCasi419 ·
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    Ok. We are feeling much better on this now thanks to WW. Our final decision is no transportation and we will provide cab numbers to the guests. The madness has to stop somewhere is pretty much where we are at with this at this stage of planning.

    @Now I'm Mrs. L - Even the Holiday Inn in Peabody dissed us on a 1 night stay. And let me tell you I was pretty pissed off because when we hired our venue, they mentioned that this particular hotel offers a really great space for an after party for couples who have their weddings where we are having ours ... as it turned out ... they will only require a 2 night stay. I don't want to stay at a hotel 30-40 minutes away from where I reside for 2 nights, and I'm pretty sure most of my guests do not want to stay 2 nights as 95% of them all live in Massachusetts, just some farther than others (like the Cape Cod area, or just over the border in NH) - either way, they aren't coming that far that it would warrant a 2 night stay. Yeah, that was a big disappointment, having the venue entice us with that piece of information and having some sort of an after party there only to be told we would have to block 2 night stays.

    We are so done with the transportation issue. All I keep saying is that the best wedding I've been to in the last 2 years didn't provide hotel blocks or transportation and it was in Vermont 4 hours away from me. We booked our own room, and got ourselves to the wedding and drove back (and drank responsibly) - ironically, the worst wedding I have gone to within that same time frame, did offer a block of rooms WITH really sweet stretch limo transportation for the hotel guests. I would say the transportation was the best part of that wedding, LOL. Seriously. The food was awful. Just awful. It was family style (which I didn't have a problem with that) but all they offered was dark meat chicken, I kid you not. Fine for someone who likes dk meat, but I didn't enjoy it. No open bar at that wedding either. Hmmm? Maybe I am on to something here.

    Thank you all so much for setting me straight that I do not have to babysit my guests. And providing me with suggestions.

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