Nice variety of options, @gasenioryear.
When I was looking for the small travel size advil packs, I found the best deal at the time at… Office Depot! Looks like you can also get a big thing of small purely for your hospitality bags there too https://www.officedepot.com/a/products/243443/Purell-Advanced-Instant-Hand-Sanitizer-Gel/#reviewTab
I am now an official mother of the groom! Older son got engaged last night . His fiancee is lovely and we are thrilled!
Congratulations!!
Tried to order the Purell and it’s out of stock! I may buy the large bottles (still available in some places) and fill some small travel bottles. This should be my biggest problem - taking a new attitude towards all wedding-related anxiety in this world of coronavirus.
Try this, @runnersmom
@gasenioryear FWIW we opted not to reserve a block of rooms. H and I are paying for the wedding and all but a few of our guests are in town. The best/closest hotel to the wedding venue required us to be financially responsible for 80% of the rooms we take in a block. H does not want to be on the hook for hotel rooms if the in-laws friends/family decide to book elsewhere. In addition, the block rates were just $5 lower than AAA and AARP rates. I called the in-laws with the information and said that if they wanted to reserve a block of rooms for their guests they were more than welcome to but they declined. So we will just be recommending a hotel.
We will be having shuttle bus from the recommended hotel to the wedding venue and we are hosting a farewell brunch at the recommended hotel.
We sent save the dates with a reference to the kid’s wedding website and the website has all the hotel information. I also emailed our few friends/family who are traveling in and suggested that they book a room at the hotel sooner rather than later.
We figured at some point enough is enough…
So bridal party of 30 - does that mean 15 male and 15 female attendants? Groomsmen and bridesmaids? Lots of brothers/sisters to include? Cultural reason?
Does sound very organized and well planned.
I found that there are often cheaper rates than the block of rooms price. When my daughter’s athletic team traveled, it was often $20 cheaper to just book myself or book at the hotel next door (shared parking lot), etc., with 24 hour cancellation rights. Or, people like to use points or coupons.
I wouldn’t worry about it unless it is some fantastic rate that everyone will want to use, and then just tell your favorite 15 relatives.
@twoinanddone I agree – in fact a friend once called and told me NOT to use the block rate for the hotel for her D’s wedding as there were cheaper rates available online.
I always think that the hotel room block at are nice thing to offer but unless there is some real discount or the hotel will be THE spot of an after wedding party, I think most people are fine deciding on a hotel themselves. Nice if you can provide a list of suggested (close to the wedding location or reception or safe or whatever) as guidance for out of towners but people can certainly make a choice on their own and the wedding family planning doesn’t have to stress over booked or unbooked rooms.
I know @jym626’s comment was tongue in cheek (“Probably not a face mask”) … but my S is a lab manager & cannot get any masks. 3M is sold out. So it’s a good thing face masks in welcome bags are not a thing!
Just got an email Thursday from my dental supplier that only customers of record will be able to order personal protective equipment. I’m limited to ordering every 5 days in minimal amounts. I started stockpiling a month ago. At least the prices haven’t gone up yet.
Back to weddings. Our hotel block went fast. We are in an area with high summer tourism. We got rooms about $60 off regular summer rates, less that direct book, AAA, AARP. B/G had a get-together in the bar after the rehearsal dinner with their friends.
@runnersmom Did not think of trying to get a breakfast included in the rate. That is a great idea! I have gone through and read all 472 pages for ideas. I absolutely LOVED reading your chronicles of your first wedding… everything from… we do not need you to help at all… to the last minute “hey can you be in charge of transportation and desserts.” You seem to have handled it all with class and dignity, and lots of humor thrown in. I have learned from you what “smile and nod” means for a MOG.
@SOSConcern bridal party of 30 means for them, 14 groomsmen and 14 bridesmaids, as well as a flower girl and ring bearer. No cultural reasons. He asked his father to be best man , his two brothers and a bride’s cousin to be groomsmen. That leaves ten attendants that are all so close that he felt he could not leave any of them out. Haha he still feels like it could have been bigger. Bride was a very good sport and agreed to that number for him, but that was her top limit.
Our hotel block hotel had a continental breakfast included. But it was very lean. Plus we wanted our own room. We paid for a full breakfast for all of our wedding guests who stayed at the hotel…most coming from out of town. I think it cost us about $12 per person…and we had our own room, and a very lovely full breakfast. We thought it was well worth it. Folks would be traveling a chunk of the day…and we wanted to send them off well.
Plus, it gave us a nice chance to actually have meaningful conversations with these folks!
@thumper1 that is a good suggestion. I will look into whether they have an option for a private room in the dining room. Thanks.
Similar to @thumper1 - I believe I have mentioned this previously, but something my cousin did for her son’s Bar Mitzvah worked out great. The out of town guest stayed at an Embassy Suites which included daily cook to order breakfast. My cousin reserved one of the smaller meeting rooms, where round tables were set up for guest to sit. As everyone went through the food line in the lobby, food service was not needed, but she did have a drink station set in the room with coffee, juice, and water. I believe she also had one or two wait staff to clear tables.
It worked out beautifully, everyone was together and came down when they were ready. I think she reused some of her table decorations from the night before, but added some balloons. Saved her a ton of money not having to provide breakfast as most guest, about 80%, were from out of town. Just something to factor in when selecting a hotel.
@gasenioryear, thanks. I learned a lot from that one and from all of my fellow MOB and MOG who post here. It’s a great virtual support system! Now, with the added anxiety from this virus, I have learned from another wise poster to just take a deep breath and to control what I can control and try not to worry about the rest.
Our venue has no other events that weekend and people don’t generally stay there on the weekends unless attending an event, so no need for a separate space at brunch as @thumper1 described. A few people booked rooms outside the block without breakfast and I suspect we will pick up those charges if they come. As you may have seen, I hosted all three of my kids’ Bar and Bat Mitzvah parties at this place and did brunch the day after this way, too.
The bride is excited. We texted this morning about their plan for a seating board as opposed to escort cards (smile and nod 
) and I finished my tables which, thankfully worked out easily. My H and I are sitting with our other two kids and their cousins because that’s where the extra seats happened to be. I suspect we won’t be sitting much and these are kids we love and don’t get to see all that much. My nieces live in Juneau, Alaska and LA, so it’s a real treat to spend time with them.
My welcome bags are coming together - just need to find that Purell! @doschicos, that restaurant supply link was very helpful. If the shipping time works, I think I’ll get it there. I finalized the welcome note with the kids and just have to print them. Bags are here, small jars for the personalized M&Ms arrived yesterday, and all I have to do is order some bulk Advil and Tums packets and band-aids to make some “day after” packets per my son’s request. We’re also including water, chips, nutri-grain bars, and clementines.
We’re into the final 3 week countdown. My second dress fitting is Wednesday and I’m online shopping for shoes for my D. Meeting Tuesday with MOB and going to final florist and venue appointments. Brewery for the rehearsal dinner needs a final count and menu selections by next Friday. Even having my mom with us for the last two weeks (and the next three!) has been no problem. She’ll help me make the welcome bags and feel like she’s a real part of things.
Hope everyone else who has a March/early April wedding is doing well!
Niece and her fiance are have 18 - 9 bridesmaids and 9 groomsmen - not many are ‘family’ - only a few in fact They are having ‘a big wedding’ but are hinting about the expenses to an uncle who perhaps they believe would send them a nice check, IDK. Engaged Jan 2019 (when she moved in with him) and wedding is in Oct 2020. They are in Chicago but having the wedding in Milwaukee at lower cost but similar high end type hotel and reception. Protestant church - not sure if groom’s faith or what they could arrange (niece had previously lived in Milwaukee). I think they focused on the reception and then arranged the rest after that. I imagine they will use same photographer that they used for engagement pictures - maybe a package deal. Posted hundreds of engagement pictures on their wedding site - she with an outfit change (one long dress, one more casual).
DD1 had her sister (only sibling) and 3 very close friends, while her H had his brother (only sibling) and 3 very close friends. DD1 was talking about a lot more in bridal party, but she did figure out how to have the wedding party be the most meaningful.
DD2’s room-mate is marrying a fellow with 3 or 4 brothers, so they are all in the wedding party along with bride’s only sibling, a brother (June 2020 wedding) as are the gal’s two college room-mates and a few others.
I bought the Advil and some of items at Office Depot. They came in small packages. I also got tissues there. Many items I bought at Target, e.g. Bobby pins, safety pins, hair elastics. GF gave me head scratchers. I had shipped many items to the condo of parents’ of bride, and they said no more. So, from Costco, Milano cookies, health bars, chocolates. I had ordered boxes of chocolates from a local store, and they were prettily wrapped in shiny green, and filled my small suitcase. I have pictures of my 2 suitcases filled with items. I had my wedding dress, shoes, rehearsal dress, in my carryon. Without more details, my sister and I put the bags together in an hour or two. (She also bought local items.). Great fun.
If this is handy, hangover kit items:
Advil
https://www.amazon.com/Advil-Capsules-Individually-Ibuprofen-Temporary/dp/B0006SW71G/ref=sr_1_5
Antacid
https://www.amazon.com/Medi-First-80233-Chewable-Antacid-50-Packets/dp/B0006GE3CO/ref=sr_1_11