Asking guests to travel for a no party wedding?

This precisely, I'd love it.

So it's an hour to the wedding venue and a further half hour to the reception.
So an hour and a half home.
Is there an alternative to driving for those who need public transport between the venues? That would be my only concern.

I don’t think the bride/groom are obligated the provide a solution for every possible transport scenario?

I suppose i don’t understand why you want to make people travel for something ‘very basic’. Couldn’t you just find very basic closer to home?

We had a formal meal, then brought in our CD player and played music. We had our first dance and then just chatted to our guests, more food was brought out mid evening .. no DJ or anything. People happily stayed till midnight .. people travelled 8 hours ..no complaints and no regrets.

I thought you were going to say an hours travel for a ceremony then straight back home. There is still a reception after the ceremony with a meal and socialising so I’d go. Are you the bride and you have a guest not wanting to attend?

Depends on the meal. Rubber chicken or a goats cheese tartlet frankly wouldn’t get me on a bus to the bus station, let alone travelling into the depths of a wilderness no matter how scintillating the conversation. I might be shallow but I have standards.

your title implies just a wedding service, but there’s a meal as well

we attended a wedding with just a meal after, all done by 7pm and everybody went home, no problems at all in your case if it’s and hour and a half away for the meal I would go and come home after with no issues

My wedding was drinks, ceremony, meal, bit of socializing and DH and I left about 4pm. No dancing as DH would rather die.

Guests thanked us for them being able to get home easily!

Admittedly we have the sort of friends who don't want band/DJ/dancing but it was fine.

I don't think I've ever stayed for the disco at anyone else's wedding either. For me it's the worst bit of a wedding.

How lovely! That must have been so special. I'm glad that you still have the outfits. I think it was simpler because people didn't have so much of a disposable income. It didn't seem competitive and wasn't really "an industry". They were always genuinely happy events, though.

Sure I'd go. It's scarcely "travelling".

You could drive home after (if you didn't drink) if you didn't want to stay overnight.

An hour is many people's daily commute! That doesn't count as "travel" for a wedding in my book.

Same here. I hate dancing!

There is a party though? It just doesn't include dancing and a DJ.

Yeah I'd travel for that in order to see my friends get married and spend time with them. It might end a bit earlier than most weddings but doesn't mean me and DP would have to end the evening there.

This is the only kind of wedding I'd look forward to

The meal and the socialising is the party.

Not every bride/groom wants the big disco. In fact, of the weddings I've been to, more people have done the type of wedding you describe than the big dance party version.
I certainly wouldn't think anything worse/different of a couple who didn't want the disco.

A wedding reception is the personal choice of the people getting married. Simply send invites, they don’t HAVE to accept if they feel it’s too far to travel/ too costly etc. if it was my nearest & dearest Freind/family getting married, it wouldn’t matter if they were marrying in a tent I’d be there!! surely it’s about the event itself not a big party with dancing?
I know weddings have become ridiculously expensive and dare I say it, competitive. If a smaller more intimate event is what they want then surely that’s their choice x

I really don’t understand what the issue is - an hour is nothing and a DJ is not standard at every wedding. The wedding sounds perfect to me.
I imagine most will simply want to see you married and celebrating your special day, that’s the most important part of the day.

I thought you were going to say the wedding was overseas!

My commute to work is an hour. This is no big deal. Absolutely no ‘need’ to stay overnight. Just don’t go if you don’t want to.

You are being (ridiculous and) reasonable

Yes, I’d forgotten about the Going Away outfit. I’ve still got mine, with the wedding dress (1970s) wedding. Sadly both remind me how slender I was!
Fortunately we had quite a large house, so the buffet reception was held at home. We married at 12 noon and left at 6pm, to drive to our Wedding Night hotel, in a car that was decorated and full of confetti. Seems terribly simplistic now.

Meal and socialising sounds perfect - guests can hear themselves speak to each other, not be shouting over a disco

Sounds lovely! We went to a wedding like this last year, really enjoyed it!

What was the activity?

When we got married , registry, we had very few guests , we took them for a light lunch then did an activity , and then to a restaurant for a meal in the evening .

Sounds fine to me.

My wedding was very similar, registry office, 10 minute walk to a pub with champagne and canopies on arrival then a 2 course meal with champagne flowing throughout the evening and the wedding cake as dessert.

Everyone was happy and enjoyed themselves and if they didn't, they were polite enough not to say it to my face.

I'd put the finish time on the invitation, to make it quite clear.