What will my guest think about this?

Question

I am getting married in a church in my hometown. It is a small town and there aren't any nice halls to have the reception. I am having my reception in a nice place that will already be decorated but it is 40mins away. The drive to the church for guest will be anywhere from two hours to a few mins depending where they live. Then the 40 min drive from the church to the reception. What do you think about it?

Answer 1

if people want to attend they will. for example: i have family all over the united states and they ALL came. the furthest one was from north carolina and i live in california.

the distance from the church where i got married and the reception was about the same distance as yours. everyone went to that as well.

an option for some may be to car pool. if the ones from further away dont want to drive seperately, maybe they can meet at an agreed place and one could drive the rest of the way.

i was a little worried about the distnace when i got married to, but it turned out just fine and everyone came to party.

Answer 2

I have been to weddings like this, and although it is a bit of a pain, it is YOUR day. You might want to check and see if there are any type of hotels or motels near the reception. That way people have the option of possibly renting a room for the night and they won't have to drive home so late.

You could also look into having a bus charter your guests from the church to the reception hall. A wedding we went to a few years ago did this. It was so nice to have that option.....especially if some of the guests aren't from the area and may be unsure on directions.

Answer 3

I think the best thing is to have the church and reception fairly close in proximity - however, sometimes you just can't make that happen. I would choose a nicer reception hall vs. one that's not so nice but closer. Once your guest get there, get settled and start having a good time, they won't care about the drive (though they may care about the drive home if your reception ends late and they've had a few drinks). Good luck.

Answer 4

I will say it will be most difficult for those who live far away, and thereofre don't know the area. Also, a 40min commute between the church and reception won't go over very well. Most people will likely opt to attend just the reception. Isn't there anyplace closer you can choose? Or can't you pick a chapel/church in the place where the reception is to be held?

Answer 5

I think you should have made it convenient to your guests. My brother is getting married next month. The majority of the guests are Philadelphia residents (about 95% of the 200 guests). The ceremony is in Philly but the reception is in New Jersey almost 30 minutes away. With so many top notch reception halls in Philly everyone is very confused why the hell they chose their reception so far away from everyone. Most of the guests are Italian and we Italians love our wine. Hopefully no one will get into an accident going home that night. Good luck to you.

Answer 6

Please ignore all those who say "it's YOUR day" -- or, in other words, to h*ll with your guests.

It's right that you are concerned about their convenience and happiness.

It doesn't have to be a "dream" place -- just a big enough place that can be made to look festive.

If outside is possible (dunno your weather this time of year, or time of day), that could work. Does the church have a garden or a park near it?

After all, it's the wedding and the celebration that are important.

Asking people to spend a day driving around for a couple of hours of enjoyment seems a bit much (they all have to go back home at the end, too -- or at least get to where they're staying).

Of course, we don't know any of these people; you know some of them.

If you happen to know they all love to drive, or don't consider those distances "far" -- which IS subjective -- then they won't mind.

BTW, the people who "didn't hear" any complaints are being accurate -- people didn't complain TO THEM on their wedding day, that doesn't mean they weren't made unhappy by the arrangements.

Answer 7

From what I know, conducting my own wedding research, unless guests are super patient and nice, they will not be totally thrilled with the 40 minute drive in between ceremony and reception. The drive to the ceremony might be okay, but you want to not lose the atmosphere of the wedding by having them drive silently for almost an hour to your reception. I've had to reposition my ceremony and reception site several times to accomodate travel for my guests, but in the end you are secure in the fact that they wont skip out on your reception...

Answer 8

This is my opinion and from my past experiences, it is best to have everything convenient. My wedding and reception were right next to each other. My wedding was at a chapel on UGA campus and my reception was next door at a hotel ballroom. My guest LOVED it b/c they didn't have to move their vehicles. Once they parked, that was it until they were ready to go home. I know it is your wedding and you can do whatever you want but convenience makes a big difference. You don't want half of your guest to get lost and doesn't show up either. Think about it!!!! Plus I was invited to a wedding that was on one of side of ATL and the reception was on the another side of ATL. I was exhausted tryin to keep up with the limos b/c I knew if they lost me, I was lost so I had to do whatever to keep up. Good luck on your decision.

Answer 9

One of my co-workers went to a wedding this weekend where the reception was a long ways away from where the ceremony was, and it was a real inconvenience for her. It's a pain in the butt for those who live closer to where the reception is. But, it's your wedding and who cares. Consider having an outdoor reception at a park, or someone's backyard, etc.

Answer 10

I think its a bit much, but if this is the norm for your area that might be ok, I know I live out in a very rural area, so driving everywhere takes a while, but 40 mins still seems a bit much!