In Defense of Hotel Weddings

I can't tell you how many couples come to me and say "we want a venue that's special- NO HOTELS." Ok, I'll give you that many hotels are a dime a dozen-- low ceilings with outdated lighting fixtures, ridiculous carpets that don't go with anything and banquet chairs from the 1980s that are neither comfortable or good looking, even when covered in chair cloths and sashes... in fact, sometimes they're much worse once dressed.

But, consider the benefits of a hotel for your wedding.

• Convenient- all your guests can stay at the hotel, you can do the rehearsal dinner in one of the hotel's restaurants, get your hair and nails done by the in-hotel salon, host an after-party at the hotel bar or in someone's room, generally larger buildings that people can find somewhat easily, no worries about people having to drive home drunk and its common for hotels to give the bride and groom their wedding night stay (usually in a lovely bridal suite) and maybe even a free stay or other perks, like room service and champagne, for their anniversary. 
• Your guests, especially the out-of-towners, will love you. Hotels not only tend to give discounts for guests of a wedding, but they also provide free shuttles from local airports/train stations, they have concierges that can help guests find things to do to occupy non-wedding time, they have services for pressing out cocktail attire and in-house babysitting for little ones. It can be tough to be in a strange town for a weekend, especially when you don't want to bother the families of the bride or groom as they prepare for the event. Most of the "hosting" duties of a wedding weekend can be passed off to the professionals without people feeling neglected or mad.
• Established- because such a huge profit center for most hotels are their event management and hosting facilities, they know what they're doing. They have lists and recommendations for pretty much every kind of vendor you could ever want-- florists, event lighting, face painters and snow cone vendors- the event planners at the hotel can point you in the right direction and often negotiate a discount on your behalf for working with preferred/recommended vendors.
• They already have, in-house, caterers, rentals, dance floor, sound systems, pastry chef, servers, bartenders, valet attendants, etc. You get to do a one-stop shop for these things and save yourself huge amounts of time, and usually, money.
• If its a larger hotel chain, such as Marriott or Hyatt, you have a good chance of being able to claim points on your awards account for some of the wedding expenses and your stay, contributing towards a great honeymoon or anniversary trip.
• Because hotels and weddings generally tend to be larger, it's not uncommon for prospective couples to be allowed to discretely view the set-up of a wedding before it begins or peek their heads in during the reception to see the full look and execution of the hotel's staff and services-- not a lot of places will show you anything but a portfolio of their favorite pictures and their most satisfied newlyweds.

So, given all the benefits, I know you're still thinking- "sure, but it's impersonal and cookie cutter and boring." But you don't have to give up! First of all, you would be amazed at the kinds of spaces that hotels have and aren't utilizing for events. Even your most average looking hotel ballrooms may be in buildings with grand staircases to use for the ceremony, an historic, dark-paneled bar you can use for your cocktail hour, a sommelier to host a pre-wedding wine tasting for out of towners or even a rooftop or courtyard area that can be set up for your party.

In my area, the DC/Baltimore Metro area, I've been recently stunned by the number of truly unique and impressive hotels available to brides-- all the benefits and amenities of the hotel, paired with amazing venues for the ceremony and partying to take place. Baltimore is a favorite of mine for off-beat places, including their hotels. DC also has some beautiful venues with unbelievable views, but don't forget to check out the smaller places in Annapolis or even Lancaster or out by Leesburg for something different and complete. A few suggestions? If you're an Annapolitan, the waterfront venues such as the Marriott are stunning and classic, but for a more unique look, try the Governor Calvert Inn- they give you access to a stunning recreation of an English Garden for the ceremony/cocktail hour and then a reception space with exposed brick, murals and hardwood floors.

Governor Calvert Inn, Annapolis, MD

Or if you want something a little more majestic, take a look at the Fairmont or the Mayflower in downtown DC.

Fairmont in DC

Mayflower Hotel in DC

For the seriously unique, check out these spots I like (Hilton Tysons Corner, Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay (Cambridge, MD) and Hotel Monaco, Baltimore): 

 

For more ideas for venues, check out my Pinterest venue board here.