My FI's friend is getting married end of August; the ceremony is at 11:00 AM, and the reception is at 5:30 PM (Cocktail hour). The church where they're getting married is down the street from their reception hall. The locations are about 45 minutes drive away from where FI and I live.
I don't want to go to the ceremony because I don't want to drive 45 minutes there, drive 45 minutes back home, wait a few hours, then drive 45 minutes back to the same location. Alternatively we could find something to do in the 5.5 hours in between the ceremony and reception, but what's there to do in a cocktail dress and heels in the suburbs?
Would it be rude to not attend the ceremony?
(this is why gaps suck, btw)