How Many Hotel Rooms To Block For A Wedding and all Your Other Wedding Block Questions Answered.

Not sure how many hotel rooms to block or when to book them? This guide covers room block math, timelines, costs, and the most common wedding FAQs.

Planning guest lodging feels tricky until you break it into simple math and a few decisions. This guide explains how many rooms to block, when to reserve them, what it costs, and what to ask hotels before you sign on that dotted line. If you would rather skip the emails, phone calls, and all the manual negotiating, you can collect quotes from multiple hotels and manage the entire room block in one place with a free group booking platform like Engine Groups.

This includes our new bulk RFP sending app that not only allows you to send multiple RFPs at once, but also manage and compare all your hotel offers side-by-side so you can choose the offer that's the best fit for you and your guests. And in case you're wondering, it really is 100% free. Engine.com makes our money off the commissions hotels pay us for bringing them room block leads, your costs never increase.

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Quick answer and rule of thumb for the "How many rooms do I need?" question.

Fast estimate:
Rooms to block ≈ ceil((out-of-town invitees × expected attendance) ÷ 2) plus a 10 percent buffer.

• Start with your out-of-town invite list, not total invitees.
• Use a realistic attendance guess based on your wedding type.
• Divide by 2 for an average of two guests per room, then add a small buffer.

Example: 60 out-of-town invitees, 70 percent expected attendance
60 × 0.70 = 42 travelers. 42 ÷ 2 = 21 rooms. Add 10 percent buffer → 23 rooms.

Adjust up if you have many singles or families needing multiple beds. Adjust down if most guests are local or sharing vacation rentals.

Wedding Room Block Complete FAQ

1) How many hotel rooms should I block for my wedding?

Use the formula above. If you are unsure, start with 15 to 25 rooms at your primary hotel, then add a second block at a different price point for another 10 to 15 rooms. You can increase the block if pickup is strong before the cutoff date.

2) How many rooms do you need for a hotel block?

A typical courtesy block is 10 to 20 rooms. Contracted blocks can be any size that the hotel agrees to. Many couples plan two tiers, for example 20 rooms at a midscale property and 15 at an upscale option.

3) How many hotel rooms to block for a wedding with 100 to 150 guests?

Count only out-of-towners. If 60 guests are traveling and you expect 70 percent to attend, block about 23 rooms with a small buffer. If 80 guests are traveling at the same attendance rate, block about 31 rooms.

4) How far in advance should you block hotel rooms for a wedding?

Aim for 9 to 12 months ahead for peak seasons, popular cities, and destination weddings. Six to 9 months can work for off-peak dates or smaller markets. The earlier you book, the better your rate and room type availability.

5) When should you block hotel rooms for a wedding vs when to reserve?

Start outreach as soon as your venue and date are set. Shortlist hotels at 12 to 10 months, request proposals, compare terms, and sign your agreement by 9 months if possible. Share the booking link on your save-the-date cards at 8 to 6 months.

6) What does it mean to block hotel rooms?

A room block is an agreement where a hotel holds a set number of rooms for your guests at a negotiated rate until a cutoff date. It can be a courtesy hold or a contracted block with specific terms and responsibilities.

7) Does it cost money to block off hotel rooms?

Courtesy blocks usually do not require payment and carry low risk, but the hotel may limit the number of rooms and release them earlier. Contracted blocks sometimes require deposits and include attrition clauses. Read the terms carefully.

8) Do hotels charge to reserve a block of rooms?

Some do. Charges can include deposits, meeting space add-ons, or stricter attrition. If you want no deposit and minimal risk, ask for a courtesy block or a small initial block that can expand as rooms are picked up.

9) Do hotels require a deposit for blocking rooms?

Often for contracted blocks. Deposit rules vary by property and date. Ask if the deposit is refundable up to a certain date, and whether it can be applied to room revenue after the event.

10) Do you pay for hotel room blocks?

You usually do not pay for each guest room yourself. Guests book and pay through the block link. You only owe money if your contract includes financial commitments, for example unmet attrition or a deposit.

11) How many hotel room blocks for a wedding should we set up?

Two to three hotels is a good range. Offer a value option, a midrange option, and sometimes a higher-end choice. This increases pickup and reduces the risk of overcommitting to one property.

12) How early should you block hotel rooms for a destination wedding?

Start 12 to 14 months out. Destination markets fill early, and guests appreciate longer planning windows for flights and time off.

13) What to ask hotels when blocking rooms?

Use this checklist:

• Room rate, taxes, and any resort or parking fees
• Room types included and how many of each
• Cutoff date, release schedule, and extension flexibility
• Courtesy vs contracted block and any deposit amounts
• Attrition percentage and how it is calculated
• Complimentary rooms or upgrades based on pickup
• Early check-in, late checkout, and connecting rooms
• Shuttle options to the venue and airport
• Online booking link setup and tracking reports
• Policy on welcome bags at the front desk
• How to add more rooms if the block fills
• Name changes and cancellation windows

14) When is the cutoff date for a wedding room block and what happens after?

The cutoff is usually 21 to 30 days before arrival. Unsold rooms go back to general inventory and the rate may change. Watch pickup weekly as you approach cutoff and request an extension if demand is strong.

15) Should I block hotel rooms for my wedding if most guests are local?

If 80 percent or more are local, a small courtesy block of 10 to 15 rooms still helps relatives, out-of-towners, and anyone who prefers to stay near the venue. It also centralizes guests for shuttles and after-events.

16) How many rooms should I block if we expect many single friends?

Lower the two-per-room assumption to 1.5. Example: 40 traveling guests × 70 percent = 28 travelers. 28 ÷ 1.5 ≈ 19 rooms. Add your 10 percent buffer to land near 21 rooms.

17) How many rooms should I block for VIPs and family?

Reserve a small sub-block for immediate family and wedding party, typically 6 to 10 rooms near each other or on a quiet floor. Clarify upgrade eligibility and late checkout in the agreement.

18) What if we run out of rooms in the block?

Ask the hotel to add rooms at the same rate if available. If not, open a secondary block at a nearby property and post both links on your wedding site. Communicate quickly so guests can adjust.

19) Can I mix a courtesy block and a contracted block?

Yes. Many couples start with a courtesy block at Hotel A and a small contracted block at Hotel B that includes perks like a suite upgrade after hitting a pickup threshold.

20) What extras can we negotiate in a room block?

Common adds include a complimentary suite after a set number of pickups, welcome bag distribution, a small hospitality space, or shuttle discounts. If you are flexible on dates or length of stay, ask for better terms.

Step-by-step room block math you can copy

1. List out-of-town invitees.
2. Choose an attendance estimate that fits your wedding type.
3. Pick your sharing assumption, for example 2 per room, or 1.5 if many singles.
4. Calculate rooms, then add a 10 percent buffer.
5. Split across two or three hotels at different budgets.
6. Monitor weekly pickup and adjust before the cutoff.

Pro tip: Use simple benchmarks to sanity-check the math. If your venue holds 150 and half are traveling, expect roughly 20 to 30 rooms across two hotels.

Timeline you can follow

• 12 to 10 months: Shortlist hotels, collect proposals, compare terms.
• 9 months: Sign agreements and get booking links.
• 8 to 6 months: Publish links on your site and save-the-dates.
• 3 months: Review pickup, ask for more rooms if needed, or release extras.
• 30 days: Final reminder to guests before cutoff.
• Wedding week: Confirm welcome bag plan and desk notes for guests.

Lightly managed option

If you would prefer not to email five hotels and track spreadsheets, you can open a request once, compare proposals side by side, and let a trip manager handle the back-and-forth. That is exactly what Engine Groups is built for, and it is 100% free to use. No nonsense, no strings attached.

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