expensive & time-consuming wedding and pre-wedding shenanigans

Friends are getting married in the wife-to-be's parents' home country which is a long haul flight. It's a lovely country and we're going for a couple of weeks for all the pre-wedding build up they've scheduled. It's very exciting and we're very happy for them.

They've now sent out their "save the date" for the hen & stag parties. The hen party is in the Middle East and the stag party is in a European city. We have two young children. We can't afford all of these flights/hotels/annual leave. Our apologies have been met with people offering suggestions for childcare, links to cheaper flights, disappointment in us, etc etc ...

I'm just having a rant, we're not going to the hen & stag. We're spending enough time and money going to the wedding. If we had spare cash and annual leave I'd prefer a family holiday. My days of drinking games in the midday sun in a bikini are well and truly over. I just feel it's a bit much to expect from people and just accept it when people decline.