Almost every wedding that takes place at French’s Point is a family affair for our clients. With such a momentous occasion to look forward to, it is very common for the family to offer their assistance as wedding plans are being made. So, oftentimes parents and other family and friends participate in wedding planning at various points in the process. Many hands make light work, right? We find that many mothers of the bride and grooms, in particular, really want to help in some way. However, they don’t know exactly what they can do to help the happy couple with their plans, without overstepping the bounds of “helpful.” In this How Can I Help blog series, we will offer some ideas about how you can help your son or daughter and their partner with the planning. In this series, we offered ways you can assist with the Venue Search, plan the details of the Rehearsal Dinner, help coordinate the Farewell Brunch, and offer assistance on the Honeymoon Planning. This time, we will discuss how you can provide support through planning Lodging Blocks or Room Blocks at local accommodations.
#1 Where to Start: What kind of lodging do you need?
Talk to the Wedding Couple
Talk to the couple about their vision for their event-related to lodging. They may envision their guests staying in the lodging at French’s Point in combination with the other area rental cottages along Hersey Retreat Road, which leads into French’s Point or they may want a combination of these rentals as well as local inns, hotels and motels.
Who Will Stay at French’s Point?
French’s Point offers 19 guest rooms in 18 suites at French’s Point. There are 12 guest rooms at The Farm and there are 6 guest suites at The Retreat including one Family Suite that has a shared bath with a room with a queen bed and a room with two sets of bunk beds. Each suite has its own private bathroom. Check out the floor plans to The Farm and The Retreat for details. We suggest you determine who will occupy these 19 guest rooms before you do anything else. Typically, the guests that are nearest and dearest to the couple stay in these rooms, ie. immediate family and wedding party. Many couples want their weekend to feel like a wedding and a reunion/vacation nicely combined. This option offers that experience.
Rentals Closest to French’s Point
You can refer to the blog post series about the Rental Cottages of Hersey Retreat Road for details about some of the rental properties closest to French’s Point. For an extended stay, house rentals offer more amenities and are more affordable than nightly properties such as hotels and motels.
Hotels, Motels, and Inns
However, some guests may only be able to come for the night or two around the wedding, so a hotel or inn property may be a better option. There is a nice portfolio of nightly lodging properties near French’s Point of varying price points and styles. We suggest the newly renovated Belfast Harbor Inn, its sister property, the Yankee Clipper, or the luxury Belfast ay Inn & Suites. These properties offer a nice spectrum of options for guests.
PRO TIP: Consider setting up shuttle transportation for the wedding day to and from these local accommodations to ensure guests can enjoy themselves and safely get home at the end of the night.
Accommodations Guide
We provide our clients with our Accommodations Guide and the Area House Rental Guide. These resources offer information about the properties in the area that guests may have an interest in reserving for lodging.
#2 Next Steps: when and how to secure room blocks
When to Block Rooms
For events taking place at French’s Point between May and October, we encourage reserving rooms no later than three months in advance. For events on long weekends, we suggest reserving them as far as five or six months in advance.
PRO TIP: We suggest having lodging information on the wedding website before Save The Dates are sent, so guests can reserve their lodging and begin planning their time with you for a weekend of fun and memory-making!
Contact the Property
Once you determine which properties you are most interested in suggesting to guests, contact the property. Most offer Room Block Rate Locks for large groups. This means they will offer a rate lock or reduced rate for rooms reserved within a room block. Some properties will offer a Room Block Hold but will require a credit card to hold the rooms and the card will be charged for unsecured rooms once you get to the expiration date of the Room Block Contract. House Rentals do not offer holds. You can still suggest these properties to guests.
Update the Wedding Website
Add the chosen lodging options, website link, contact details and a description to the wedding website or wedding app the couple are using for their event. We recommend including a suggested date by which the lodging should be reserved.
Learn more about French’s Point, we can’t wait to hear from you!