As a one income family, is it worth looking at getting a second income to cover costs like this?
This.
Your single income is enough to raise a family and a buy a house but not enough to afford to attend an in laws wedding? hmm
I agree that OP and DH have other (and cheaper) options they can explore to make this work; but this is a really nasty, low blow.
Do you really, truly, genuinely believe that, instead of organising their employment/home/family life balance and budgeting around what works best for their own family, they should live day in, day out, in a way that really isn't ideal for them - just to vicariously prioritise being able to afford the odd occasions when somebody invites them to a wedding in a place that's far away from them?
It's rather ironic that, on a forum that's mostly populated by women (many of them mothers), we frequently see so much sneering at and patronising of SAHMs - apparently, feminism means that women should have choices in their lives, as to what suits them and their families, as long as they don't end up wanting to choose what is seen as the 'traditional' option. Never mind the fact that not everybody can find a way to work and afford childcare, even if that is their preference.
It's MN at its basest, where everybody has plenty of spare money at their disposal, accessible instantly - the only reason that you wouldn't is because you simply can't be bothered to.
We don't know how well any of them travel wrt travel sickness or any other medical conditions. We also don't know how comfortable, new or reliable their vehicle is. It's really not on to suggest that 'any normal adult' should be able to easily travel for up to eight hours in one day (and that's assuming the stated time includes necessary rest, meal and wee stops). We've just returned from a week away, with a drive of about 4 hours each way - with 6 days of no or minimal travelling and a relaxed atmosphere in between - and we are exhausted; and we only have one (older) child and are only mid-40s. Different people experience different circumstances in different ways.
Also, we don't know what school years the children are in, but I never understand the dismissive attitude to the first day or two of the year. This is a very important time of familiarising yourself with the new surroundings, teachers, children, friendships, circumstances etc. and I find it mean to treat it as unimportant, as though children's life experiences don't matter, just because they're kids.
I wonder how many adults would like to start a new job where everybody else there all began together a day or two before them and found their feet and got to know each other, forming early friendships and alliances - and then they come along as the new person, and have to slot in and find their place when all the rest are already established?