Receptions, catering can reap big business
With more than 2.4 million couples tying the knot in the United States every year, many hotels do whatever they can to make wedding bells ring at their destinations.
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About $72 billion a year is spent on weddings in the United States, with couples spending an average $20,000 to get married, reports The Knot, a wedding media and services company.
The Crowne Plaza in Warwick depends on weddings for much of its revenue. The hotel on Greenwich Avenue in Warwick markets to attract weddings because of the ample size of its meeting space – 34,000 square feet – which is disproportionately large compared to the number of hotel rooms it has – 266, said Rudi Heater, director of hotel operations.
With a dance floor and a head table setup, the hotel can host weddings for 600 people. Many times, weddings that large also use a large number of hotel rooms for out-of-town guests – reaping major revenue for hotels.
The Crowne Plaza’s total catering revenue is 42 percent of the hotel’s budget. Eighteen percent of the catering is for social events, mostly weddings and events related to a wedding, like rehearsal dinners.
Though June, July and August are popular times of the year for marriage, in recent years, weddings have become year-round events, with autumn weddings being booked nearly as much as summer, The Knot reports.
“October is just as busy as April. The only slow period is between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and June is the leading month, but there is never really a bad time of the year,” Heater said.
Large hotels that depend heavily on weddings for revenue market themselves in bridal guides and wedding periodicals and present themselves at bridal shows all over the region.
Hotels in Newport are very competitive for the wedding market, since the “City by the Sea” serves as a popular destination for couples who want to get married far from home.
Castle Hill in Newport markets in high-end publications in the New York and Boston markets, since very few couples who book there are actually Newport residents, said General Manager Natalie Ward.
“Destination weddings have been a great trend for us. People come here predominately from New York and Boston and make a whole weekend of it – with rehearsal dinners, the actual weddings and a brunch the next day,” Ward said. “When a couple stops in to look at Castle Hill for a wedding destination, we drop everything to accommodate them.”
Castle Hill has only 25 guest rooms and accommodates weddings for up to 250 guests. About 80 percent of its catering revenue comes from weddings, and catering makes up one-third of the restaurant/hotel total sales, Ward said.
The first quarter of each year is when most weddings are booked because of the holidays and Valentine’s Day engagements, Ward said. Couples normally book a year and a half to one year ahead of time to get the date they want, she said.
Castle Hill aims for the high-end market, but couples with smaller budgets can book on an off-peak day of the week and in the winter to save money.
The Hotel Viking in Newport markets itself as a complete wedding destination, with a non-denominational chapel on site, a spa, wedding coordinator, and caterers who work with couples to design their perfect day.
“Weddings make up a big percentage of our sales. It brings people in year-round and in the off-season when we have fewer guests. There are also the rehearsal dinners, the brunches and bridal showers,” said John Harrison, director of sales at the Hotel Viking.
The Viking has 222 rooms and 10,000 square feet of space between its two ballrooms and can accommodate up to 300 guests.
Smaller weddings are a market for smaller hotels, like the 133-room Newport Harbor Hotel and Marina. The hotel hosts weddings for 50 people or less in one of its rooms, the Marina Suite overlooking the harbor. It also accommodates weddings up to 200 people on its lawn overlooking the 60-slip marina that serves as home to the America’s Cup yachts.
“People who don’t live in the area fly in with their families because they have been here before and enjoyed it. It’s great for us because we host the wedding and all their out-of-town guests stay here,” said William Clarke, director of sales and marketing for the Newport Harbor Hotel and Marina.
And the revenue doesn’t stop when couples leave the reception. About $8 billion a year is spent on honeymoons, and the average couple spends $3,657 on their honeymoon, The Knot reports.
Some hotels, like the Newport and Providence Marriott hotels, also offer couples who book weddings on certain dates with a certain number of people a free honeymoon at another participating Marriott hotel, including airfare for two and a rental car.
Other hotels also offer the bride and groom a free night stay on their first anniversary to gain customer loyalty.
