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First, talk directly to the sales department. The front desk may not know anything about it. If the hotel doesn't have a sales department, talk to the General Manager directly. Be prepared that the GM may direct you to a central reservation agency or a corporate office, depending on who owns the hotel.
In this case, it is good to tell them that it is for a wedding. Non-wedding group sales are handled VERY differently than wedding room blocks. For group sales, you have to put a deposit on all the rooms in advance and pay for them whether they are used or not. For wedding room blocks, you merely have the hotel set aside rooms and each guest reserves it on their individual credit card. After a certain time, usually 30 days before the event, any unsued rooms are released back into inventory.
When you talk to the sales department, they will give you a written room block contract. It will state the dates the rooms are being held and for how long. The contract will also say that the rooms are being paid for by the individual (meaning the guest staying in it) and that it can be reserved by individual credit card. They will give you a group rate, usually anywhere between 15-30% below "rack rates". They will also give you a code for your guests to give the hotel and/or reservation agent to book their rooms. The guests will call the hotels/reservation agency and give them the code. KEEP IN MIND that they will most likely have to contact the hotel directly as the website usually does not have individual group codes in the database.
The guest then calls the hotel, makes the reservation, holds the room on his/own credit card. Some days before the event- anywhere from 2 weeks to 60 days (it will say on the contract), any non-reserved rooms are released. Your group codes/rates are no longer valid for NEW reservations and any guests wanting to stay there after that time are treated as regular guests.
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