Getting ready at hotel question

Most likely you'll have to book the night before for the hotel to let you have use of the room that early. It might be beneficial to stay the night so you don't have to worry about being somewhere on time early on your wedding day.

Are any of your bridesmaids out of town and will be getting a hotel room? You could talk with them and see if they would let you use the room to all get ready. I would also suggest reaching out to the hotel and explain the situation and see if they can accommodate checking in early without a fee (I assume you would spend the wedding night at the hotel?), or allow checking in early with a small fee and not a full nights worth.

What Annie said... It's really unlikely they would let you have access to a room that early without booking the night before.

It would be iffy. Every time I've asked for early check in I'm told I can try but it's not guaranteed. It would definitely be safer and more solidified to have it for the night before as well.

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I only have two bridesmaids and they're both local (closer to the venue than I am lol). Actually most of my family lives closer than we do, but I wanted to get ready somewhere that wasn't someone's house (no offense to them!).

Once it gets closer I'll definitely have to call around and see if they could do that. Thanks for your advice!

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That's true, thanks for your comment!

They can- but you need to call and talk to them about it. My ex and I used to work for a Hampton Inn- so sometimes for guests (if we can) we will put the room they booked at the top of the list to clean, so it can be turned over. The hard part is if the hotel is sold out the night before- check out isn't until that time either, so you'd be trying to force the cleaning crew to turn over the room at an impossible rate. And that's assuming the people before you didn't ask for an extended checkout. It's not impossible- but its a little tricky. Now if you are in just a regular room, it might be a little easier as they could just move you to another room. Harder if you are in a suite that they have a limited amount of.

Talking to them will also let you know if booking the night before will be better as well. Although it seems silly, it would make that 45 minutes less stressful (especially because ANYTHING can happen in 45 minutes)

There's no way they will be able to tell you anything a year out though

Call and talk to the hotel. They might have a small conference room you can use to get ready in for less money than an extra night.

Our venue was about the same distance away and I just booked the hotel room for the night before and stayed there. It was nice and was a lot more relaxed that way.

Our hotel has check in at 3 and does not guarantee early check in. We luckily have to stay the night before with some out of town guests so it is not an issue. Maybe ask if you can pay a little extra to get an early check in?

We stayed in the hotel the night before because it was 5 minutes from our RD location, but 30 from home, and because hair and makeup was coming at 8:30 to set up, starting at 9. I did not want to do the drive in the morning and wake up that much earlier. But I had a couple bridesmaids who did not want to spend the night before at the hotel to save money, and when I asked if they could be checked into their rooms early, the hotel said they could put the request in the files but there was no guarantee, as check-in was not until 3pm. They were finally let into their rooms around 11am, but it made me very glad I stayed in the bridal suite the night before. It obviously would've thrown everything off for the whole day if we started 2 hours late.

Trying to check in the same day seems frantic to me, there is just too much going on and emotions are high. Sleep there the night before, you won't regret it.

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Thank you for your input!! I know it's a tricky situation and I'm just trying to be cheap hahaha

Since you worked at a hotel, how far out would you say I should contact them about this, as well as a room block for our OOT guests? Is six months out too far/too close? Just looking for an idea since I've never done this before.

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Thanks for sharing your experience! That's true - our RD would be close to the venue, so that could definitely save on some time Friday into Saturday rather than driving home Fri night and back down Sat morning.

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Thanks for your input! The reason I thought checking in that day would be okay is because our ceremony is on the later side at 5:30 and it's only me and my two bridesmaids getting ready. But we're so far out, time will tell once we narrow down our schedules!!

I had a similar issue. We live about an hour away from where we go married (live on Long Island and got married in Brooklyn) but with summer traffic, we wanted to be sure we got there early. Our venue didn't have a bridal suite and they generally don't allow the couple in the venue until about 30 minutes before. We needed a place to be from about 12noon - 2pm (right smack in the middle of check out/check in time). We called the hotel we reserved a room block at and told them our dilemma. We were happy to rent the room the night before (even though we weren't staying there) but needed a late check out. The hotel GM generously allowed us to check out at 2PM on the wedding day. My husband checked into the hotel room the day before and dropped off my gown, his suit and other items in the room. I got my hair and makeup done early in the morning of the wedding and we then drove to the hotel (3 blocks from the venue) to get dressed. Our photographer arrived at the hotel at 2PM and took some portraits there. We were also able to get some family pics done there since a lot of my husband's immediate family were staying at the hotel. Fortunately, the hotel had a lovely outdoor space to take pictures.

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I'm glad that worked out for you! Ideally I'd like to check in to a suite early, like 10 am? (It'll only be me, two bridesmaids, Mom and MIL getting ready so I don't think we'd need a TON of time to get ready) Then FH and I can stay there after the wedding.

To me, it's a complete waste of money to book a room Friday into Saturday when I don't need the room at all until Saturday morning! If it was farther, maybe, but it's only 45 minutes away. I just doubt any other VIPs would want to make use of the room Friday into Saturday since they all live closer to the venue (like 10-20 minutes away) than FH and I. Maybe once we get closer I'll have an epiphany and/or change my mind

I would absolutely book the room for the night before (just because you book it doesn't mean you have to stay there the night before, it just means you can get there as early as you want the next day. Although, for peace of mind I'd absolutely have someone go there in person and check in the night before, get the keys, take a look at the room, etc.), or see if you can use a small conference room at the hotel instead of a hotel room for the roughly 10am-5pm window you'd want it (although the downside would be a bathroom would be down the hall, not in the room).

I would absolutely not risk trying to get an early check-in unless you had a SOLID plan-B in place! What would you do if you got there and the room wasn't ready? This just leaves so may things up in the air to chance, I would definitely not risk it.

My house is 30 minutes away but I'm planning on getting a hotel because I'm not staying in our house the night before. My FH is so after the rehearsal dinner me and my bridesmaids will be leaving to go to the hotel. I just think it would be nice to relax the night before and hangout with my girls before the busy wedding day happens.

My hotel/venue was great. I had the room the night of the wedding for free and they allowed me to have it the night prior for free to avoid that. Knowing how anxious of a person I am, it was nice knowing I had the room for sure that morning. I would go ahead and book the night before as well.