Off-season weddings are providing properties with welcome added revenue in traditionally slower periods, while couples often reap rewards with savings across the board—from F&B to rental fees. The “look” of the season, with holiday decor, is also proving to have stronger appeal.
Couples planning their weddings have a wealth of information at their fingertips, thanks to online pricing data. This knowledge has equipped them with the power to negotiate favorably with resorts and other venues—often turning to the off-season winter months to host their nuptials, Hotel News Now reported.
Saving on food-and-beverage and soft costs, receiving better pricing on rooms for their guests, and having more “extras” and upgrades thrown in by catering and event managers are just a handful of the benefits available during the winter months, Hotel News Now reported.
And the upside extends beyond a reduction in rental fees on items such as chairs, linens and china. In addition, Pamela Baldwin, Director of Sales and Marketing at the 257-room Gurney’s Newport Resort & Marina in Newport, R.I., told Hotel News Now, airports, restaurants, spas and resorts are less crowded. Bridal couples also know they will be able to get the preferred days of the week and times that they want for a party during the winter, Baldwin noted, with much less chance of having to share the day or the venue with other weddings or events.
Overall prices are 20 percent less for offseason affairs, and room rates are 25-30 percent cheaper, added Gurney’s resort manager, David Smiley.
“Couples are not just saving money themselves; their guests who will be staying at the property will also have the benefit of lower room rates,” Baldwin said.
Winter weddings can save couples 10 to 15 percent, including upgrades and extras, Robert Rauch, CEO and founder of RAR Hospitality, told Hotel News Now. Photo booths and special dance floors may be added in, for example, and there can be reductions on F&B-related discounts, such as cake-cutting costs.
As a price comparison, a winter affair would cost in the low $40,000s, versus $50,000 in prime season, Rauch said.
“The difference between a winter wedding and an in-season wedding is like comparing a Saturday-night versus a Sunday-night wedding,” he said.
At the historic Equinox Golf Resort & Spa in Manchester, Vt., winter weddings can cost 25 to 35 percent less than they would during the busier summer months, Director of Sales and Marketing Alexandra Zullo told Hotel News Now. The 199-room property also offers reduced room rates and facility fees in the winter.
In addition to the numerous cost savings, winter weddings are also attracting couples who like the “look” of the season, Hotel News Now reported. Couples are now more open to holiday-timed weddings, so they can take advantage of holiday décor.
And even though colder climates could limit outdoor activities, guests coming from other areas for the wedding of a family member or friend can still make a mini-vacation out of their trip, which couples getting married also take into consideration when planning winter nuptials, the Hotel News Now report stated.
Restaurants, museums, nightlife, and special events also often can be experienced with fewer crowds than during the summer, the report noted, further adding to the advantages of winter weddings.
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