Transporting guests from ceremony to venue.. then what?!

If there's reasonably priced accommodation near the hall then couldn't people drive themselves and then get a cab to where they're staying so they can drink? For any coming on public transport to the ceremony, maybe try and organise lift sharing? Then they can alway get public transport back the next day.

Though saying that, we've got similar logistical issues I'm trying to work though lol

Well that's what I was thinking, I'm just concerned about people needing to get themselves 25 miles in the first place!

I just had a quick think though, and there is only really one person/group I think may struggle. Each other group will either be willing to stay overnight/pay for a taxi ie parents, or have a designated driver as there are a few adults who don't drink coming.

Maybe ask people's opinions to get a feel for what they may or may not want/expect? Just as a general "we've got lots of options we could take, how do you feel about the travelling?".

I've got family coming from 3 hours away to the ceremony, and the reception is another half an hour on top, and anywhere is at least half an hours drive for everyone, so I've asked my mum to see if she can dig aroun da bit to see how my side feel about the distance, and will then rethink accordingly. With 18 months to go I want to see what we're up against before it gets to the last minute and people don't come because of the travelling. Trying to find out where/if everyone will be staying is a big thing too

We're not having enough people for it to be an issue I don't think. I think the only people who won't come because of the distance will be my grandparents. They're old and a very unwell couple, my grandfather can't be out of the house for prolonged periods of time or where there are steps etc so if they even come to the ceremony we'll be lucky.

It's all very close family - parents and siblings, who wouldn't miss it just over a 30 minute drive.

I still just feel like I'm limiting peoples options a bit though by having it so far away.

We are also having our wedding around 35 mins drive out of the city where we live - although the ceremony and reception are in the same place.

Lots of our families are coming from various places much further afield (varying between 90 minutes and 4 hours drive) so they will have to find somewhere to stay. There are places to stay a reasonable taxi ride's distance from the venue, but we are considering putting on a minibus or coach between the city and the venue in case people prefer to stay there (some family plus lots of friends/colleagues etc. live in the city). I think however that if we put transport on one way we'd have to do it the reverse route as well. Either that or we find some quotes and give the information to our guests, and they can decide whether some of them chip in together to grab a minibus/large taxi there and back, or if they work out car sharing.

Ultimately our guests are adults and they should be able to sort themselves out, but I also don't want them to be hugely out of pocket trying to get to our wedding!

Could the minibus not do the return journey too?

We have a similar problem of our wedding is in the middle of no where, not many hotels around but we are offering camping at the reception venue for £5 pp. Originally we were going to set up a bus from Cambridge city out to the church, then to the reception venue and pick them up in the evening however the cheapest quote I got was for £450 and with a tight budget we can't put it on for free. So we have now said that the bus is £12 pp return if we get enough people wanting it then we will set it up. Currently only 2 people have requested it!

This is why we're not transporting people from ceremony to venue. This is our plan:

Guests drive from church to hotel. We put on coach from hotel > reception venue and back again at the end of the night. They then get themselves home the next morning with the car they will have left at the hotel. Unfortunately we can't cater to absolutely every guest so anyone who is staying at a different hotel (or might want to leave earlier than the coach) will need to arrange their own transport.

We considered giving people transport from the church to the reception venue but like you're finding, it got too confusing. We know we have a few guests that won't stay the whole night - were we expected to put on individual taxis as and when people decided to leave? So we just decided not to, and I don't think we're wrong for doing so.

My other half and I are having a similar debate... All our guests (bar one whose coming from Australia) live within a 9 - 13 mile radius from our reception venue. We were going to aks people to make their own way to the church, then put a vintage double decker bus on from the church to the venue (11.5 miles) then were going to ask guests to make their own way home. My Mum is adament nobody will be staying late or drinking as the venue is 'too far out of the way' (we chose a different venue to her preference which was 5 minutes down the road from her so cue the little 'comments') so "there's no need for a bus as everyone will be driving".

I suppose you will always get the issue of the people having to find a way to the ceremony and from the reception venue - I'm just going to put a little note in the invite asking if people would like a seat on the bus from the church to the venue and to indicate either way - that way I can atleast gage if its worth hiring a small one or going all out for a big vintage double decker. I wouldn't expect anyone to foot my taxi home - but if your up front about it at least your guests can decide if they want to drive or use the bus and get a taxi.

As long as they know they'll have to make their own way back i don't see the problem. Put some information about taxi companies in the invite for the way back.

All weddings i've been to have arranged for transport from the ceremony to the venue but not back.

I'd ask in the invite whether they need the transport from the ceremony to the reception. That way you know whether you need to get a minibus.

I think I might put it on the invite, maybe an information card with taxi companies and places to stay locally.

The issue with return transport is that puts the guests out nearly as much as not providing anything because none of them (except me and FH) actually live in Leeds, and his parents live closer to the Ripon venue than Leeds.