A Detailed Guide to Planning a Hotel Wedding

If you and your partner are debating whether you'd like to host a hotel wedding, you've landed on the right page. We chatted with hotel wedding experts to learn more about hotel wedding venues and hotel wedding receptions, along with their pros and cons (but don't worry, there aren't too many). We've also outlined some hotel wedding venues in the United States where you can tie the knot. While we provide some key information about hotel venues for wedding receptions below, we can't forget to mention that you can also use The Knot Vendor Marketplace to search for hotel wedding venues in your desired wedding location, filtering by price and additional factors, including venue amenities and whether the hotel has outdoor or covered spaces for celebrating.

In this article: Can You Have a Wedding at a Hotel? | Hotel Wedding Cost | Pros of a Hotel Wedding | Cons of a Hotel Wedding | Hotel Wedding Venues to Consider

Can You Have a Wedding at a Hotel?

Yes, you can have a wedding at a hotel, and many couples prefer it. However, you need to ensure that the hotel wedding locations you're considering are equipped with the resources required for a wedding and/or permit them on the property. If the hotel accommodates wedding receptions, many offer special things for the couple. "We offer complimentary perks such as a guest room for the couple, champagne toasts or an anniversary stay," explains Grace Grieco, executive director of weddings at Pelham Hospitality in Dennis Port, Massachusetts.

Lucia Paez, complex director of catering and events for Hilton Hotels of South Florida, adds that wedding hotels sometimes also offer additional perks, which can include spa discounts (if the property has one), which you and/or your wedding guests can use before, during or after the wedding festivities.

How Much Does a Wedding at a Hotel Cost?

How much a hotel wedding costs is influenced by factors such as the property itself, any hotel and wedding packages, seasonality and the number of guests and/or celebrating spaces used for your special day. That said, Paez notes that fully catered weddings at the South Florida venues she oversees generally range from $120 to $160 per person.

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While you might have a wedding hotel (or two) that has caught your attention, The Knot Budget Advisor helps you balance your wedding budget. With this free tool, you can compare the cost of other hotel wedding venues (in your desired marrying location) as well as other wedding elements you'd like to incorporate into your big day.

"While hotels aren't always the cheapest option, they typically provide the most value when factoring in what's included, such as venue rental, catering, staffing, tables, chairs, linens, setup and professional coordination," says Paez. With this in mind, a hotel wedding can potentially be a cheaper option when compared to other non-hotel wedding venues, especially if the wedding packages at those other venue types don't have as many inclusions or offer as many services. You might also save money if you and your guests opt to spend the night at the reception hotel, as you won't have to book transportation. Many hotels often offer discounted prices for room blocks for weddings, which can reduce costs.

Pros of a Hotel Wedding

From hotel wedding packages to overall convenience (especially for overnight guests), there are many pros to reserving hotels with wedding venues for your big day. Read on for insights from our wedding pros to keep in mind while planning to ensure you'll get the most from your hotel wedding venue.

High-Quality Culinary Experiences

While many wedding venues might offer catering options (or help you coordinate with a required or preferred vendor), most hotel wedding venues have a team of highly qualified culinary experts, some of whom are often associated with the James Beard Awards. Furthermore, the culinary teams at wedding hotels are generally familiar and experienced with cooking various types of cuisine and presenting them in an array of formats. Liliana Barojas, cluster assistant director of weddings, Conrad Tulum Riviera Maya and Hilton Tulum Riviera Maya All-Inclusive Resort, notes that tasting menus, mixology showcases and stations featuring chefs are common experiences that bring diners into the action at mealtime.

The Availability of Hotel Wedding Packages

Most hotel wedding venues offer wedding packages that you can reserve and/or customize for your event. This is especially true at all-inclusive wedding venues. While packages vary by hotel, you will usually find catering and cake to be the most common inclusions. This can be a point to consider when deciding where to host your wedding ceremony and reception. Hotel wedding packages are a bonus if you want to avoid the unnecessary stress of managing correspondence with multiple external vendors.

Convenience for Overnight Guests

Since a hotel wedding venue is at a hotel, you can recommend that your guests, especially those traveling from afar, spend the night there on the day of your wedding (and/or the days leading up to it or after). As mentioned earlier, many hotels offer room blocks for weddings (and often for a discounted rate). Use Engine to find hotel room blocks at your hotel wedding venue and in the surrounding area, to provide additional options for guests with varying budgets and style preferences.

Cons of a Hotel Wedding

Ann O'Riordan, director of catering and events at Managed Americas Hotels and Resorts, Hilton, notes that since many hotels (especially popular ones) tend to be in high demand, you may have to plan with ample lead time to ensure the hotel and/or venue spaces are not booked on your preferred wedding day. While not necessarily a con, Barojas notes that many outdoor event spaces at hotels often have curfews and/or restrictions when it comes to audiovisual services and other elements. This is especially important to keep in mind when finding a wedding reception venue.

Hotel Wedding Venues to Consider

When it comes to where to get married, we have options for you. From beachfront hotels to those located less than 10 minutes from Walt Disney World, read on for hotels for weddings you can book ASAP.

Sonesta Resort Hilton Head Island in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

Photo: Sonesta Resort Hilton Head Island

Located directly on North Forest Beach, Sonesta Resort Hilton Head Island offers a plethora of hybrid event spaces where couples can celebrate alongside 70 to 500 of their friends and family, including the Ocean View Pavilion and Shipyard Beach Club. The hotel venue handles all catering in-house, regardless of whether you'd like the cuisine served buffet-style or in stations, so you won't need to worry about finding an external one. With 340 guestrooms, the hotel offers discounted room block rates for guests (beginning with 10 rooms) as well as a complimentary night's stay for you and your partner.

The Hotel Hershey in Hershey, Pennsylvania

Photo: Courtesy of The Hotel Hershey

The Hotel Hershey is a sweet hotel for weddings in Hershey, Pennsylvania, with up to 250 guests across the indoor and outdoor on-site venues, including the gardens and Starlight Terrace Ballroom. When you book your wedding at the hotel, you can expect hors d'oeuvres, dinner, wedding cake and beverages to be included. You can also work with the hotel's catering team to customize culinary options. Depending on hotel availability, you can reserve a discounted hotel room block containing 10 or more rooms. Plus, you and your guests can make your way to the nearby Hersheypark and Hershey's Chocolate World attractions in the days after for a treat-filled finale to your wedding festivities.

Conrad Orlando at Evermore in Orlando, Florida

Photo: Conrad Orlando at Evermore

Tie the knot minutes away from Walt Disney World Resort at Conrad Orlando at Evermore in Orlando, Florida, alongside 20 to 500 guests. You can begin your wedding festivities saying "I do" on the 9,000-square-foot Lyonia event lawn before heading into the Acacia or Jacaranda Ballroom and Terrace for your reception. While you can completely buy out the resort if you'd like, the hotel houses 433 guest rooms (from which a hotel block is required), which you can use to house your wedding party and any guests who may want to stay over. Don't forget to take pictures by the property's "beachfront."

Sea Crest Beach Resort in North Falmouth, Massachusetts

Photo: Sea Crest Beach Resort

If a Cape Cod wedding is what you seek, Sea Crest Beach Resort is a solid pick. The hotel features 30,000 square feet of event space you can utilize for your celebration, such as The Ocean View Ballroom, Oceanfront Courtyard and The Sea Crest Ballroom. Whether you want to exchange vows on the sand or have your reception overlooking the water, this hotel has options for you. The hotel is home to a variety of rooms and suites (including a complimentary room for your wedding night). And, you can receive regular updates when you inquire about your desired room block throughout the wedding planning process.

The Lenox Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts

Photo: The Lenox Hotel

The Lenox Hotel in Boston's Back Bay neighborhood offers two hotel wedding packages for you and your partner to choose from for your special day, accommodating between 50 and 150 guests, depending on your party size and budget. Regardless of which wedding package you select, you can look forward to a customized cocktail hour and reception menu, a wedding cake, an open bar package, floor-length linens and gold chiavari chairs. Unlike some other wedding hotels, this one holds room blocks (with up to 20 rooms) for two nights, perfect for any guests who might be traveling from out of town or attending your rehearsal dinner.

Hotel del Coronado in Coronado, California

Photo: Hotel del Coronado

Host your wedding reception at Hotel del Coronado for a celebration filled with history, elegance and 28 oceanfront acres. Regardless of your desired celebration type, the hotel offers several wedding packages that include a four-hour open bar, setup and a four-course plated dinner. We can't forget to mention that this property is a registered National Historic Landmark, within which you and your partner will have access to private beachfront areas to capture wedding photos.

Hyatt Regency Downtown Chicago in Chicago, Illinois

Photo: Hyatt Regency Chicago

For those wanting to tie the knot in the downtown area of one of the largest cities in the United States, consider a hotel wedding at Hyatt Regency Downtown Chicago. The hotel's Crystal Ballroom contains floor-to-ceiling windows and an outdoor patio suitable for celebrations with up to 400 guests. The hotel houses wedding specialists who will help you (and your wedding planner) plan your big day from the moment you inquire about your event to the moment your last guest departs from your reception.