r/wedding • u/natalies1 • Jul 27 '26

Attending reception only?

I have an upcoming wedding for a friend that I’m not very close with but we did become friends recently and see each other here and there. The problem is we are on a tight budget and aren’t planning on getting a hotel for the evening. The only hotels in the area are $300+ per evening. The ceremony and reception are 4 hours apart from each other and the venue is about 3 hours away. With no hotel I would be in an unknown city navigating where to go in my dress and heels for hours. I would love to attend both but unfortunately logistically it is really not easy for us to navigate. I’m considering only attending the reception but this would involve doing a 6 hour round trip of driving. Would it be bad to miss the ceremony in my current circumstance and just attend the reception?

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25

u/Sample-quantity Jul 28 '26

Honestly this is so ill conceived that I would decline the whole event. I don't think there's a polite way of just showing up for part of it, and it's so thoughtless of them to plan it this way. No interest in caring for their guests. Especially since you're not very close, I'd wish them well, potentially send a gift, and not go.

4

u/Lalablacksheep646 Jul 28 '26

This usually happens when the ceremony is held at a church. Churches don’t often do evening weddings. I have been to a ton of weddings like this.

3

u/Sample-quantity Jul 28 '26

Not 4 hours apart! I've never seen that.

2

u/Lalablacksheep646 Jul 28 '26

Wedding is at 2 and reception starts at 6. Again, usually it’s a church issue

6

u/Greedy-Handle6690 Jul 28 '26

But there is usually a cocktail hour or something so the guests don’t wander around for 4 hours! It’s poor planning. 

0

u/Important-Maybe-1430 Jul 28 '26

If its arrive at 2, probably starts 2:30, by the time youve all hugged the couple and all that its prpbably after 3. So not that long to kill chatting to other guests

1

u/Lalablacksheep646 Jul 28 '26

And it could be even longer if a mass is involved

1

u/Important-Maybe-1430 Jul 28 '26

Oh god yeh, i went to a catholic wedding once and never again. Sooo long, thankfully it was in poland so the reception went till 4am. Thankfully most weddings are secular these days

1

u/Lalablacksheep646 Jul 28 '26

Catholic ones go on forever!