Acceptable travel time

First thing I think of is where are they going to leave their cars - they first travel to the ceremony venue in their cars and then do they leave them there, then get on the bus - a great surprise but the problem is they now have to get a 50min taxi back to the car.

Have I got that wrong.

Other than that a crate of booze and snacks on the bus instead of a prolonged stay at the ceremony venue eating snacks might be better.

I think it's too far - as Bill says, where do they leave their cars? If they leave them at the reception venue and you lay on transport to the ceremony, then that is 1.5 hours each way! If they leave them at the ceremony venue, then they will be forking out for an expensive taxi ride back to their car. Plus if guests have already travelled a long way, they're not going to feel enthusiastic about hopping on a bus for another 90 minutes!

If your dream reception venue isn't registered to do weddings, then could you go to the registry office for the formal/legal marriage a day or two early and then do some kind of vow renewal/wedding blessing at your actual reception? Alternatively, maybe accept that since you have your dream reception venue, it doesn't matter so much if the ceremony venue isn't exactly the way you would like it and pick a registrar that is nearer the reception - keep the photos there to a minimum and focus most of your attention on the reception.

View quoted message Thank you so much for your opinion.
I have been over thinking this for a couple of days… I have also slyly asked a few people how far their guests travelled in between venues. The response has been mixed between 20-45 mins
The will wait for us to finish at the ceremony and take us back. We are also planning entertainment on the bus singing and a game of bingo!
I have been to some weddings where the wait from the ceremony to the meal has been 2 hours with no snacks or drinks!
I am planning meticulously about how we are going to make this as fun as possible for our guests!

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What about the guests car question.?

"I have been to some weddings where the wait from the ceremony to the meal has been 2 hours with no snacks or drinks!"

Yes that is quite normal timing - sit down 1.5 hours after end of 20 min ceremony but that 1.5 hours is also when the photos are being done too. As you said the reception venue is special to you then you will want photos there when you get there after the 1.5 hour bus ride so you need to add on time for that too at the reception venue.

"We are also planning entertainment on the bus singing and a game of bingo!"

This sounds great and as a photographer I would want to be on that bus somehow - you should speak to your photographer about this.

I also see that you are getting married 25th October so there will be fading light issues for photos when you do get to the venue after the 1.5 hour bus ride (sorry)

There must be a reg office nearer to the venue than a 1.5 hours old bus ride, and then if there were then there would be no need for the old bus !

View quoted message Thank you so much Bill. I appreciate your comments
The guests will think the ceremony is happening at the reception venue so they will all leave the cars there and go on the bus with the groom. All of our guests are staying at the venue or nearby the night before. So will be fed and well rested.

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Just so I have got this right,

They turn up to your sentimental venue

They then get on a bus for 1.5 hours to the ceremony venue.

perhaps 1 hour at the ceremony venue.

They then have a 1.5 hour bus ride back to the reception venue for the sit down meal.

Is that right.

View quoted message They will be at the reception venue, meet in reception and then a bus will turn up, they will go on the bus. The maximum drive is 1.5 hours, I have checked with the bus company and they have said to allow this time, but they think they will do it in just over an a hour.
We will get married and stay at that venue for just over an hour and then make the drive back to our reception venue for more fun!

Its an old bus I think you should factor in the whole 1.5 hours including getting on an off.

So that is 3 hours on the bus total. You said that the nearest reg offices are not your style, could you not just suck this up as you are only there for 30 mins and then you can get back to the venue that you said is special to you and you will then be spending more time there instead of travelling. I love the sound of the bus surprise and the fun and games but 3 hours ?

What time is the ceremony at the moment.

I can understand you wanting to surprise your guests, but unless you know all your guests very well and are 100% sure it will not be an issue for them, I think you should tell them about the 3 hour round trip in the bus in advance, not save it as a 'surprise'. (And on a practical level, make sure the bus has a loo on board! Anyone who has bowel or bladder conditions or who is pregnant is going to struggle with a 1.5 hour bus trip with no toilet access)

I still think it's quite a lot of travel though, so if you can, find a registry office nearer.

I am normally a big advocate of have the wedding you want, but I do have to agree with the others I’m afraid. For so many reasons, spending 3hrs on a bus on a wedding day isn’t something I would just spring on someone. People may not be prepared for all sorts of reasons, bowel issues, anxiety issues, travel sickness, timed medication that they need to take, as well as suits & glam dresses not exactly being the most comfortable travelling clothes.


Also if you love your venue so much, you should maximise the time you have in it. As a thought, could something like an 11am or 12pm ceremony at a local registry office with just the immediate family & bridal/grooms party (maybe not even in your wedding dress, just to keep that moment special too) and then a 2pm ceremony at your venue with a celebrant work for you? I imagine it’d be cheaper than the party bus hire, for you it’d be the same amount of time & for your guests they don’t need to attend the registry office ceremony and plenty of weddings have 2pm ceremonies so they wouldn’t even think it odd in terms of timing.

My cousin got married 2 hours away from my house then I had to race to another venue that took an hour and 15 then it took and hour to drive home after the reception, It depends how much people really want to come to your wedding I wanted to be there for her so I done that.

Thank you so much all for your opinions. I really appreciate you all taking the time to comment and give advice.
Hind sight is a wonderful thing and we got a bit wrapped up in the excitement of it all without considering all aspects!

All of our guests are staying the night before. We are not expecting anyone to drive themselves anywhere. All transport is provided. All drinks until the evening are on us… they will have sweets, pizza, canapés and an evening meal all paid for. Not to mention ploughman’s, burgers etc in the evening.
They will spend the day being entertained with music, games and I’m hoping there will not be a dull moment.
Our day is about celebrating us and I think what I’ve learnt is that you cannot and will not please everyone..

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It sounds as if you have decided to go ahead with the long journey between venues. Can I suggest that you do not keep this as a surprise, just in case some of your guests have health issues that would make this extra travel an issue for them. It would be really sad if anyone had to miss your ceremony when advance warning might have meant they could adjust their plans so they could be there.

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding! It's great that you've chosen meaningful venues for both the ceremony and reception. While a 50-minute distance between venues seems reasonable, the unexpected 1.5-hour journey on the vintage bus is concerning. Perhaps consider informing guests about the travel time so they can plan accordingly. Exploring alternative transportation options or discussing route optimizations with the bus company might also help. Ensuring the comfort of your guests is key, so proactive planning and communication will be crucial. Best wishes for a smooth and memorable wedding day!

As someone who suffers with extreme travel sickness, as much as I love my friends and family, there is no way I'd be prepared to do a 3 hour journey on a bus for such a short time. It wouldn't matter for me how fun the bus was, even with travel sickness tablets I would have to sit and shut my eyes for most of the journey so I wouldn't be able to enjoy it. But if I knew in advance I could prepare to travel by car separately and back. My mum has issues with her stomach and needs to know she will be close to a toilet etc. So I really hope you tell the guests in advance cause it isn't always so easy for everyone doing those kinds of journeys without being prepared xx

A 1.5-hour bus ride may be too long. Inform guests in advance and consider alternative transport options, like taxis or carpooling.

View quoted message It sounds like reading this you and your partner have already made your mind up about your plans. I would suggest not leaving a up to 3 hour round trip journey as a surprise for your guests.
As an example I was recently bridesmaid for my friend and took a 45 minute journey to the venue in a vintage car, I suffer from travel sickness (usually longer distances), however the day of her wedding in an old car I felt so unwell I think it was a mixture of things such as an older car, formal dress and full face of makeup. I knew the journey was longer and so opted for the front seat and took precautions such as not drinking the morning of the wedding but unfortunately it did not prevent it. Of course it’s a small part of the day but do feel it’s important guests are given the opportunity to prepare for a multitude of reasons.
Best wishes with your wedding and planning journey

You’ve had plenty of responses here so perhaps don’t need mine too, so ignore if unhelpful but… yikes. I think you might be setting yourself up for a lot of RSVP “no”s because as much as I love my friends, three hours on a bus is too much. Is there nothing closer to your special place to make a ceremony nearer legal/viable? A hotel with a ceremony license? Or as other people have said, can you do the legal bits the day before and just have a celebration there if it means that much to you both? Or could you have a dinner there the night before with your nearest and dearest? (Sorry, without knowing what kind of place it is, suggestions are limited).



There is usually an interlude between ceremony and dinner, but it is bad form to not offer drinks and canapés in that time, so your friends that said they got neither of those had a bad host! We had about 1.5-2 hours between ceremony exit and dinner entrance where we did all our family portraits, but we had live musicians, drinks, and food for everyone in that time. That bus ride being a surprise for the guests is imo a bad idea, as a guest I’d be annoyed. Dresses will crease, makeup will sweat off, and as a Covid conscious person with an immuno-compromised husband we would have agreed to attend under one set of circumstances and then found ourselves sealed into a poorly ventilated tube with a hundred people. To be blunt, I’d be fuming.
Bill makes a valid point about you losing the light in those shorter October days. From my experience, everything on our day went so quickly. It was the most fantastic blur, but we managed to squeeze every moment out of it by being in one place. Where we got ready was where we got married, was where we had our reception, and where we spent the night. It also helped my pre wedding nerves on the day knowing I’m exactly where I needed to be, if anyone forgot anything, it was in a room upstairs. The only cat herding we had to do was family for photos and even then it was as efficient as possible. Losing three hours ferrying people back and forth is a big chunk of your day, and goodness if anything went awry with that bus or left behind, you’re a great distance from everybody’s cars/hotel rooms. I think you’re giving yourself a lot to worry about and weddings are hard enough to plan and execute as is.
I’m sure you’ll find a way that’s right for you both. In theory you’re only doing this once, so spend your time how it best suits you ❤️