Asking guests to travel for a no party wedding?

[inspector80]

I do wonder if exposing whether I am the guest or bride will change the responses so... I won't just yet.

Asking guests to travel to a wedding, and realistically stay overnight for a no-party wedding, too much?

The wedding is a registry office ceremony, roughly an hours travel time, then ceremony, more travel time of say 20/30 minutes to venue, then very basic reception. A meal and socialising? No entertainment or dj etc after dinner so therefore no dancing.

Should the couple have just had s small family only wedding because of this or guests shouldn't judge what the couple choose to do for their wedding?

I had a no party wedding, just the register office that's all. We invited our parents and siblings, that's all.
Your wedding has a reception, it may not be on the scale of modern weddings but it's not a "no party" wedding.

I went to a wedding a few years ago. The registry office was an hour and 15m drive away. The ceremony only lasted 20 minutes then a 3 hour wait until the reception which was another 2h drive away.

people were quite annoyed at this, especially the 3 hour wait.

Not having to suffer a DJ and dancing makes me want to come even more!

Travel times seem OK to me. When you say 'basic' is the reception food enough to count as a meal? This is obviously more than half a day in total so it's not fair for people to be underfed. We didn't have an evening party/disco but were generous with food and booze and had a children's entertainer.

Sounds lovely to me to be able to talk to people after a meal and no naff DJ or band blaring music 🎶

My cousins was registry office then a meal at nearby pub. They paid for 2 courses and you brought your own drinks.

So a basic meal (I reckon £15 per head)?but that was fine. We were all done by 2pm and home on sofa by 3. Perfect!

One hour is a very short journey. I think it's fine. People travel more than that distance just for a meal together.

Sounds perfect
A chance for people to catch up and have conversations
Nothing worse than shouting over music and an empty dancefloor (which has happened to a couple of weddings I've attended)
Even worse for one bride and groom, they asked the DJ to stop and start packing up at 9-30 as all of their guests were in the bar quite happily chatting

Maybe a few old family/friends pics dotted around, or on tables. That gets conversation, and laughter, going.

So @inspector80 are you bride or guest

edited for spelling

Sounds like a great wedding to me. I normally disappear at weddings when the music starts. It is normally too loud to chat. I don't think an hour is too long to travel

That’s exactly how our wedding was, registry office then meal at hotel and in the hotel bar afterwards, no free bar, night do, buffet, DJ etc.
family from both sides travelled, as DH and I were living in an area neither of us is from. It was a lovely day.

I guess an hour driving to a restaurant is better than 2-3 hours waiting for wedding photos to be taken.