I would never...

[myschae]

Ding-dong! Do you have an ironing board and iron? Yes, it’s in your closet.
Ding-dong! Do you have a sewing kit? Bobby pins? Some club soda? Aspirin? Safety pins? Water? Champagne glasses?
No champagne glasses? Ok, we’ll just use the juice glasses so you have to wash them again. Oh! Look! An extra bathroom in a room we didn’t pay for! How handy! We just need to move this furniture a little for pictures. I knew you wouldn’t mind. We’re having lunch catered so we don’t have to go out. You can clean that up after we leave.
Oh, the limo is blocking the driveway and you have other guests? Can’t help you, we’re busy taking pictures/doing makeup/managing dresses.... it’s 11:00 PM and you want us to be quiet and explain who all these people are in your living room? But it’s my weddinggggggg!

Wait. What? I'm sorry, they move your furniture? *blink* Really? (never mind, I'm making notes...)

 

[myschae]

That is why I do Elopements only (4 guests maximum) AND because I do not have bathrooms or parking for a WEDDING. So far, mine have been really happy with what they got and what they paid for it.

We were married at dawn in a canyon. I'm not even sure the cabins we were staying at knew we were a wedding party.

It's not that I'm opposed to catering, mind you. I've arranged catering for friends to corporate sized events - I just didn't want to deal with my mother and her ideas of propriety.

Many of these comments could easily apply to groups in general, not just wedding groups. When you have a group booking you have placed all of your eggs in one basket, a full weekend can become an empty weekend quickly, more difficult to recover that loss than the loss of a single reservation.

Just my observation that couples in simple weddings tend to last longer together than those who must have mega events.

Great information on groups. I admit that I was thinking of ways to market packages that might attract groups for the upside and it's easy to forget that there's a very real downside(s). This is why experience trumps naive 'common sense' all the time and why I appreciate that places like this exist.

Personally, I agree about weddings. I've always thought that people who feel their wedding day should be the best day of their lives are not leaving much room for better days in the future. My personal observation at weddings over the years is that I can't remember one couple who did the smash/smear wedding cake on each other's face thing make it over the long term though I'm sure they're out there.

 

[Morticia]

Wait. What? I'm sorry, they move your furniture? *blink* Really? (never mind, I'm making notes...)

Yes, they move the furniture. You know all the wrapping that tuxes and dresses come in? That’s all thrown on the floor and trampled on. Shoe boxes. Beer bottles, wine bottles, you name it, it’s on the floor. In one case, a family left dirty baby diapers under the bed.

 

[GoodScout]

When we book weddings here, we require the couple to be responsible for their guests booking all 10 rooms as part of the contract.
No way you can chase after wedding guests' needs and regular guests at the same time. Nor do we want regular guests partying in the hot tub while the ceremony goes on 30 yards away in our gardens.
Weddings are fine, but yes, they are demanding. Price accordingly if you're going to have such groups.

 

[An Old Tavernkeeper]

I love the ResKey Yield Management feature. I don't think it reduces"getting my guest" a bit, and it makes me several hundred $$$/year with zero effort on my part. If it's a few days out and I only have 1 room left, it's going to cost a little more. People will pay it.

And it's not always about getting top dollar. I have it REDUCE rates when it's a day or two out and I have multiple rooms going unrented.

Excellent points. I do the same with ResKey. If I get down to my last 2 rooms for ANY date, the rates go up. If there is only 48 hours left I steeply discount one night but still require 2 nights. If you want a one night last minute stay, the price is the price.