To Block or Not to Block, That is the Question

I've been busy calling a few places to obtain room blocks for the wedding. Yes, I realize our wedding is about 11 months away, but a) it's never too early to plan and b) I can't make decisions on things I really need to do like pick out colors or bridesmaids dresses, therefore I do things that are easier! :-)

I've contacted the two closest hotels to River Creek: Lansdowne and the Holiday Inn. Both have their pros and cons.

Lansdowne is a beautiful, top-notch resort, but obviously more expensive. They also want me to sign a contract for the number of rooms I think I'll need and I can't get out of it. Most hotels will just release the unbooked rooms back into the system by a certain date, but not Lansdowne. I will basically be responsible for paying for any of the unbooked rooms. But the flip side is that it's gorgeous, with two 18-hole golf courses, 8 pools and a spa, and overlooks the Potomac River. It's also most probably where Belinga and I will stay on the wedding night and we'll probably after party at their bar.

The Holiday Inn is not that bad either. The main buildling is an 18th century mansion house, which gives it a nicer feel than your regular hotel. However, they are undergoing renovations at the moment, though they promise to be done soon. I also just read some reviews online that make me nervous.

I might need to extend my search into Leesburg, though this will be even further away from River Creek. I'm contemplating just blocking at Lansdowne so that I know where I suggest is sure to please--it truly is a beautiful property and at $159 a night, I've been able to negotiate a major discount off their normally $200+ rooms. My contact tells me he might even be able to get me a slightly bigger discount, so we'll see.

Now I need to move on to the harder decisions like flowers, invitations, save-the-dates...EEK!