Obviously you’ll want your wedding night to be as special and memorable as your actual wedding day.  By planning carefully and well in advance, your first night together will be one to treasure for years to come.  There are however, a few things that you should keep in mind when considering your wedding night accommodation.

Planning Your Accommodation

After all the months of hectic planning and busy scheduling, your wedding day will eventually come to an end.  With luck, everything will have gone to plan and after a long sleepless night and a day of smiling for 1001 photos, chatting to long lost relatives and sipping a couple of chardonnays you’ll be officially ‘hitched’.  It’s any wonder why you’ll be feeling totally exhausted.  For this reason you should first consider the location of your wedding night accommodation. 

The Location

Whilst you may have had your heart set on that romantic little cabin in the hills, chances are that when you actually arrive after a few hours drive, all you’ll have on your mind is some well-deserved ‘shut-eye’!  At 2am in the morning you may very well appreciate your accommodation being closer to your reception venue.  You can always visit the cabin for your first anniversary.

 The Style

Choose accommodation that suits your style and provides just the right touch of magic.  There are many hotels that offer special bridal packages designed to make your wedding night a romantic and memorable one.  Complimentary flowers, champagne, chocolates and a spa bath are often included in these packages.  Requests for additional things such as a late check out may also be arranged.

Your Budget

If your budget allows for it, you may opt for accommodation in a luxury bridal suite in a five star hotel.  This style of accommodation generally comes with a hefty price tag, however will provide all of those little extras that most brides dream of.  If on the other hand you’ve spent all your cash on the rest of the wedding, more affordable suites may still offer just as much a romantic setting as any of the more expensive ones.  After all, you’ve got each other and it’s what you make of it.

Shop Around

In order to avoid disappointment you should arrange pre-inspections in a few hotels and find one that best suits you.  Hotel staff are usually more than happy to show you through various suites and discuss any special requests that you may have.  If your reception is being held at the same hotel, it may be possible to receive a discounted (or even complimentary) bridal suite.  Another advantage to having your reception in the same hotel is that you won’t require transport from the reception.

Consider the Time of Year 

Also to consider is whether any festivals or major events are being held at the same time as your wedding.  If this is the case, hotels usually book out early and often charge up to three times the regular price.  For example, when I was married the Melbourne F1 Grand Prix was originally scheduled to coincide with our wedding date.  We were quoted over $1000 for our suite!  Luckily for us, the date for the Grand Prix was changed and we only ended up paying $300 – a big difference. 

If you find that this is going to happen to you, consider other hotels in neighbouring areas.  Often there’ll be one that’s ‘just perfect’ for a fraction of the price.  Do ensure that you book early as once the major hotels have booked out the smaller ones down the road will too.  If you don’t do so, you may wind up back at mum and dads for the night, which certainly doesn’t have the same romantic ring to it!

 What to Pack

In regards to what to pack, take a little time to plan ahead.  The luggage you take will depend upon whether you’ll be leaving for your honeymoon the next day or simply staying over night. Obviously if you’re off jet-setting to Europe the following afternoon you’re going to have to arrange to have all of your luggage with you, and be organised well in advance (see our travel section on p. for more advice on honeymoons and travel). If however, it’s just a short stay then you can pack lightly.  Think about what you want to wear that night and the following day. Pack things in a small bag and either have a reliable friend or relative bring it to the reception or drop it off to the hotel for you.  Your fiancé may alternatively drop things off to the hotel earlier during the day.  This way he can also check that everything is finalised for when you arrive that night.

An evening for two, or three, or four....? 

If you’re planning a nice romantic evening for two, it’s best to keep the location of your hotel to yourselves.  This way you won’t be interrupted by any unexpected guests during the night, or have your bed short-sheeted as one of their practical jokes.  If however, you are both keen on further celebrating with a small number of special friends then this may be arranged.  Hotel staff may organise for some drinks and canapés to be delivered to your room. 

Whatever your decision, enjoy your night.  All of the hard work is over and it’s time to join in the celebration of sharing your new life together as a husband and wife.