Is a 2 hour distance too far for a wedding?

Are people going to want to stay in a tent to attend a wedding?? Providing transportation to and from the hotel is nice. It also potentially means your guests have to now stay an extra night in a hotel depending on check in time, and the time of your wedding. People aren't really going to want to drive 2 hours in their attire.

Talk to a few of your VIPS and get their thoughts on it.. That's how we made our location decision and date choice. We made sure it was ok with our VIPS.

2 hours really isn’t that bad. A lot of people we are inviting need to travel 1-2 hours to our venue.

My barn is 2 hours away! Also on a Sunday because it was $1000 cheaper. It's your day girl! You do whatever makes you happiest! The people who really want to be there will be there and those who don't - well. That's their choice. But my venue is literally my fairytale dream wedding location! I couldn't help it's location.

Approximately 95% of our guest list is out of town and will have a drive of 2 to 5 hours to our wedding. We live in a different state from our families but chose to have the wedding in the state that they live in to make it easier. Our venue is 1 hour from us. So I don't see any issue with it. Our guests would have had to drive further if we had it where we live. Check with VIPs to see what they say. I say go for it.

I would personally drive 2 hours for someone I was even moderately close with. For a distant relative or co-worker or friend I wasn't close to, I think the distance would be prohibitive. That's just me. In general I don't mind driving but going to that wedding would basically necessitate a hotel room so it also depends on their comfort with spending. A tent is a never for me so that would be totally out in my mind. The real issue I think is that they'd need to stay overnight since it's so far.

Also, again just personal opinion here, I would drive 2 hours in my evening wear. Sitting in a car in a dress wouldn't be a big deal to me.

The people who really care about you will find a way to come, some people like co-workers, friends you barely hang out with may drop off. Maybe ask a couple of the people with kids that you are worried may drop off about it? A friend has to drive about an hour and a half to come to our engagement party and he's getting a hotel so he can drink and have a "mini-vacation." He didn't want to stay with my mom for free, since it would be less vacation-like lol. If it is your dream venue, do it.

Monica, it IS truly your day. I'm blessed to have many thoughtful friends and family who will attend our fall wedding. The closest friends are 3 1/2 hrs away. We are in MS. Most are either driving or flying in from all over the US and elsewhere. Most of our guests have told me they will arrive Friday night and leave Sunday morning. We have a 10:30 am ceremony. I agree with your parents, if you love it, your friends and family will come. I would suggest blocking rooms at a hotel, though. Guests with children will not even consider putting up a tent!! Some of our guests are traveling 10-16 hours to be with us. They need a comfortable room in which to relax. Your venue sounds lovely! You just need to work out the details. I hope this has helped a bit.

I would think, as long as you provide information about the hotel (do a room block) and transportation you are providing, that most people would be fine with that. I would make sure you do a Saturday night though because a Friday or Sunday wedding means people may have to take off work.

It wouldn't stop me from going.

Over half my guest will be flying in from out of state for my wedding. But I would try to block out rooms for your guest at that other hotel. The tent thing would probably be a bad idea after a fun, classy event

Oh I would also like to add that every other barn that we have looked at that we are considering as "maybes" are still about an hour away, so regardless we fully plan to get a block of rooms and provide transportation, its just a matter of that initial drive to the hotel/venue. I feel like an hour can be made a day trip if you really wanted, but two hours can't be.

Two hours becomes kind of destination. I've totally gone to and enjoyed weddings two hours away, but almost everyone stayed at a hotel.
My concern is, is it still near an airport for those flying in? We looked at a barn we loved that was about an hour from the airport and that just opened a can of worms.

As long as there was a nearby hotel to stay in, I would be fine.

My wedding is a flight or 20 hour drive for most people. Get married where you want. People will be there or they won't.

I say do what you want. Don't worry about others, it's your day. I've had to drive up to 3- 24 hours for cousins weddings. If your guest want to go they will drive 10 mins or 3 hours

Our venue is about 45 to 1 1/2 hours depending on traffic. We are getting a hotel block and people can decide what they want to do. Personally I do not feel that it is too much. People can make their own decision as to if they wish to stay or not the night of the wedding.

Some of our guests will be traveling 3 hours to our venue and reception. We too are doing a barn! I talked to most that would be driving that and they were very much excited to come especially since there are hotels close by. I personally travelled 3 hours for a coworkers wedding.

At some point it becomes a bit of a destination wedding, which is what I had. My wedding was at least 3 hours away from everyone. For a lot of people, it was even further. Most people came. What you do in this situation is check with your VIPs, those you can't imagine getting married without. If they're cool with it, go for it. You just have to be understanding when some people decline for various reasons.

My barn wedding is an hour and 45 minutes away for about 90% of my guests because I ran into the same problems you did. As long as you provide the proper hotel and transportation accommodations for them, it shouldn’t be an issue at all!

You will make your wedding a destination wedding for your local guests. Just be prepared for and graciously accept declines from those who choose not to add the expense of a hotel in order to attend your wedding.

Offering transportation to the hotel will help.

Remember your guests when you plan your timeline. It would be kind to plan a late afternoon or early evening ceremony so they can check into their hotel and change before the wedding.