Location, location, location

Re: Location, location, location

• pegasuskat member

  

  December 2015

  If its distant people and they are scattered all around the country, I honestly wouldn't use that in my decision for the venue.  I would make sure my nearest and dearest knew way in advance and use the venue.

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• Heffalump member

  

  December 2015

  Knottie1450640540 said:

  Sorry in advance for how long this is!!

  My fiancé is from Santa Rosa, California and just about all his family in friends either live there or within an hour's drive. We also both live there now. I am from Laguna Beach, California (a nine hour drive from Santa Rosa), and my immediate family still lives there. I also have close friends and more distant family scattered all over the country. So here's where things get a little more complicated: 

  My fiancé's parents have offered to let us use their home (where my fiancé grew up), a lovely 12 acre ranch in the outskirts of Santa Rosa, as our venue. We are both recently out of college, and this would be an inexpensive option for a rustic and homey event. We are most likely going with it for our ceremony and reception.
  

  Our wedding will not be until spring or summer of 2017, and my immediate family and best friends will of course be there. However, I don't envision many of my distant family and out of state friends being willing or able to travel for the wedding, mostly due to expenses (even with the long notice), and we are likely to end up with a big wedding that is mostly his family and friends.
  

  We have already discussed this, and we are both a little bit at a loss for what would be the best option. Has anyone else ran into a similar problem? Would going through with the inexpensive venue be best, even under these circumstances? Is there anything I can do to better accommodate my out of town relatives and friends?

  What other options would you consider for your venue?  It sounds as though the Laguna Beach contingent will be able to make it to the Santa Rosa venue, so that leaves the people scattered around?  If I'm reading that correctly, there's not much to be done about that.  If you think travel expenses are an obstacle and it's in your budget to help with those, then that's an option.  But it's not expected, and certainly not required.
  
  It sounds like there isn't a single location that will be close to everyone, so no matter what, people are going to end up traveling/not attending.  And since that's the case, if you're just out of school and the ranch is budget-friendly, it does sound like a good choice.  It may be hard to imagine not having all of your friends and relatives there, but realistically, even without the travel some people wouldn't be able to make it:  work schedules change, jobs relocate, people (or their kids) get sick, they're in another wedding that weekend, etc.
  
  FWIW, there were more of "my" side at our wedding than DH's, and it all worked out just fine. 
  

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• jenna8984 member

  

  December 2015

  pegasuskat said:

  If its distant people and they are scattered all around the country, I honestly wouldn't use that in my decision for the venue.  I would make sure my nearest and dearest knew way in advance and use the venue.

  Same. Because it's going to be the same situation if you do it down by your family. Then he will say well my grandma/ aunt/ whoever can't make it. Either way, some people won't be able to make it so I say just go with it because it sounds like a really beautiful and generous offer.
  

                                                                   

  
  

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• [Deleted User] member

  

  December 2015

  Thank you all so much! The engagement is relatively recent, so we definitely haven't had the time to process all our options. But you're absolutely right that no matter the location, some people will have to travel. My debacle was that it would be marginally more my family than his, but honestly, it's going to be a great day no matter how many of our relatives are present! Thanks again

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• MNNEBride member

  

  December 2015

  Knottie1450640540 said:

  Sorry in advance for how long this is!!

  My fiancé is from Santa Rosa, California and just about all his family in friends either live there or within an hour's drive. We also both live there now. I am from Laguna Beach, California (a nine hour drive from Santa Rosa), and my immediate family still lives there. I also have close friends and more distant family scattered all over the country. So here's where things get a little more complicated: 

  My fiancé's parents have offered to let us use their home (where my fiancé grew up), a lovely 12 acre ranch in the outskirts of Santa Rosa, as our venue. We are both recently out of college, and this would be an inexpensive option for a rustic and homey event. We are most likely going with it for our ceremony and reception.
  

  Our wedding will not be until spring or summer of 2017, and my immediate family and best friends will of course be there. However, I don't envision many of my distant family and out of state friends being willing or able to travel for the wedding, mostly due to expenses (even with the long notice), and we are likely to end up with a big wedding that is mostly his family and friends.
  

  We have already discussed this, and we are both a little bit at a loss for what would be the best option. Has anyone else ran into a similar problem? Would going through with the inexpensive venue be best, even under these circumstances? Is there anything I can do to better accommodate my out of town relatives and friends?

  Sounds like a nice venue, but I wouldn't assume it will be inexpensive.  You will likely need to rent/hire all of the tables, chairs, dishes, decor that may have been included in another venue.  

  

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