Are we asking too much?

I'm probably not the most helpful here - as not doing a wedding really (we're eloping), but maybe it could be easier to alter timings a bit rather than location - as you said there was nothing in budget any closer. If I was a guest with your current timings, I might leave after photos to pick up kids and then miss out on the meal. However, I'm sure you'll get more useful advice from others!

I'm now certain exactly what arrangements you're proposing. I'm assuming it's no children at the ceremony but they can come for the meal. In all honesty I think you could be asking too much. You're really going to break up your day by having a fair number of people being expected to leave to go and collect children, get them cleaned up and dressed for the wedding to then bring them for the meal. Also if it's mid week then people have to think about school and work the next day. Not sure how many families are involved but it might be better just to say no children and leave it at that or reconsider your date or timings. It's not really the distance of the venue that's the issue, it's the breaking up of the party right whe you'll need people to be there and having fun.

you also need to think about the effect on photos etc.

I think most people would leave to go and pick up their children. Could you change the time of your wedding to the morning so that people could have their meal before needing to go and pick up their children?

What time will people be free from to go collect the kids?

If it's not till 5ish some people may struggle to find Childcare to collect the kids and look after them.

If you finished the day part about 2.30 ish then no you'd def not be asking too much.

As a guest at your wedding, the last thing I would want to do is leave in the middle of it and go and collect my children. If it's on a school night, I wouldn't even want them coming to the evening as (a) they should be getting an early night, and (b) I wouldn't want to have to stay sober enough to look after them! If it's a Friday, then that changes things slightly and I would want to try to bring them along to the evening if I could.

Have you spoken to any of the parents about this? And what does you OH think?

We had to get a close family friend and partner to fill 2 places to the whole day as 2 people pulled out. Ours is a Saturday and I feel bad enough they have to make a 10 min trip to go and get their children after the meal.

I think it could get very complicated for your guests. With a lot of travelling and sorting out tired kids from school. Having 2 children myself I know how tired my son is after school.

Could you make it a no children wedding? Is that a possibility?

That might be a bit difficult for them? What age are the children? Some could maybe miss a day of school and go to the whole thing, which is not so bad but the older ones obviously wont be able to so even if they come to the evening you'll probably get parents leaving at around 9pm to get kids to bed. Unless they can get child care and just not bring the kids?

They are all ages ranging from 2 - 16.

We are going to have to invite them aren't we? Most of them are just so naughty our wedding will look like a crèche.

Most schools don't authorise days off so saying children welcome wouldn't solve the problem, just go for no kids because either way they're going to have to sort childcare.

[Most schools don't authorise days off so saying children welcome wouldn't solve the problem, just go for no kids because either way they're going to have to sort childcare.

This! we get married on a friday and had to ask permission for our kids to take the day off. we have only invited about 5 nephews and nieces to the day so its up to their parents if they ask for them to have the school day off. A lot of my friends with children will be invited to the evening. x

If parents bring them they are likely to have to pay a hefty fine per child I'm afraid! I've heard of £50 ish per child in some schools!