Asking guests to walk between ceremony and reception

[Anonymous]

OP, you aren't having sooooo any people that you/or your family/or husband or family couldn't discuss this with each family/friend group attending. Mention it. Give people time to plan what will work for them. Very few may need help but some might.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am in the midst of planning a summer wedding. Our ceremony and reception are at different venues but the two are a ten minute walk from each other (five minute drive) and both in downtown DC. My usual instinct is that when a wedding has two venues, it's incumbent upon the hosts to provide transportation but I'm not sure if that's true here.
Would it be unreasonable to ask guests to walk from one venue to the next? Or otherwise make their own way?
I have not made my mind up either way so would love advice on balance cost (of transportation) and etiquette.

Will you have elderly family attending?

For all the rest, most likely a hot, sticky, and humid day. I would not be thrilled to be dressed up and walking. Assuming a suit, DH would arrive a sweaty mess, lol!

Balancing cost? Have the wedding you can afford.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'll be the voice of dissent here, but I think asking people to make their own way is no problem. A true 10 minute walk (10 minutes by google maps, which if anything overestimates) is no big deal for most people. You can seek out the elderly or anyone for whom it will be an issue and provide them with transport.

If you've ever walked 10 solid minutes, in the city (where all the concrete and asphalt just ramp up the heat more), in a DC summer where humidity is huge pretty much all day long -- you'd get why most people here are saying it's a bad idea to have guests do this walk. They'll get to the reception sweaty--yes, after only 10 minutes)--and feeling wilted. DC in summer, especially downtown where the OP says the wedding and reception will be, is especially hot. And what if it rains that day? Ever experienced a true DC summer storm?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You will also have to provide directions to the reception. Out of towners aren’t going to know how to get there.

Everyone has a phone now and can look up the address. This isn't 1980 where people have to pull out a paper map. They will see it's a short walk away and can take an Uber if they don't feel like walking.

DP. I have to laugh at you Uber boosters who always come on threads to say airily, "Just take an Uber." Are you just blissfully unaware that in DC at least, it can be difficult to book an Uber for such a short ride as OP is talking about? And that factors like the day of the week, the time and the locations involved can all make it more difficult to "just take an Uber"?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You’ve got to be kidding me. 10 minutes is like 5 blocks. Sure, arrange transport for the elderly and disabled but most should be fine.

+1 have done this at tons of weddings.... not a big deal at all, just get help for elderly/guests with health matters

In downtown DC in summer? I suspect not. You'd remember how those sweat stains (not just under your arms) forever wrecked your clothing, and how miserable you were by the time you got to the reception. Yeah, after just 10 minutes. It's literally swamp weather here in summer. Even in the evenings, many days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You will also have to provide directions to the reception. Out of towners aren’t going to know how to get there.

Everyone has a phone now and can look up the address. This isn't 1980 where people have to pull out a paper map. They will see it's a short walk away and can take an Uber if they don't feel like walking.

DP. I have to laugh at you Uber boosters who always come on threads to say airily, "Just take an Uber." Are you just blissfully unaware that in DC at least, it can be difficult to book an Uber for such a short ride as OP is talking about? And that factors like the day of the week, the time and the locations involved can all make it more difficult to "just take an Uber"?

As someone with a vision impairment that prevents driving, so I uber all the times, I have never once found it hard to "just call an Uber" in DC. In some more isolated areas? Yes. But in the city on an evening? Never. Sometimes, there is a little longer wait, but not as long as it usually takes a bridal party to get from one place to the other with pictures etc . . .

[Anonymous]

Oh gosh, you don’t have to provide transportation unless you have some elderly grandparents out of respect. I’d do wedding party, parents, and that’s it. If you were in NY/ NJ you would leave a church and drive to reception. Uber exists if ppl can’t hoof it 7 blocks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Oh gosh, you don’t have to provide transportation unless you have some elderly grandparents out of respect. I’d do wedding party, parents, and that’s it. If you were in NY/ NJ you would leave a church and drive to reception. Uber exists if ppl can’t hoof it 7 blocks!

I hope you are on the guest list and let us know how fun and sweaty and smelly you were when you and your +1 arrived at the reception after hoofing it for 10 minutes in the HH&H days of DC!

[Anonymous]

Ubers won’t cut it. Too many people trying to get to the reception site at the same time, not to mention it’s 10 minutes away. The Ubers won’t be lined up for this short ride.

[Anonymous]

Big walker here. Also someone who walks around D.C. a lot. I have walked around in casual wear and business wear in between meetings. DO NOT make your guests walk. D.C. in summer? No way. At night on the way back to their cars? No.

[Anonymous]

As 91 year old Aunt Francine struggles with her walker in the sudden downpour…

[Anonymous]

We paid for the guests to park in the public lot at the church. Some chose to to walk the five blocks back to the hotel. I was the MOB and enjoyed the walk back with friends and family.

The wedding party had a limo-van but they were going off for 45 minutes of pictures.

(We paid for two buses the night before for the large and somewhat distant rehearsal dinner).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am in the midst of planning a summer wedding. Our ceremony and reception are at different venues but the two are a ten minute walk from each other (five minute drive) and both in downtown DC. My usual instinct is that when a wedding has two venues, it's incumbent upon the hosts to provide transportation but I'm not sure if that's true here.
Would it be unreasonable to ask guests to walk from one venue to the next? Or otherwise make their own way?
I have not made my mind up either way so would love advice on balance cost (of transportation) and etiquette.

Will you have elderly family attending?

For all the rest, most likely a hot, sticky, and humid day. I would not be thrilled to be dressed up and walking. Assuming a suit, DH would arrive a sweaty mess, lol!

Balancing cost? Have the wedding you can afford.

+1

[Anonymous]

So 7 pages and OP never returned.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'll be the voice of dissent here, but I think asking people to make their own way is no problem. A true 10 minute walk (10 minutes by google maps, which if anything overestimates) is no big deal for most people. You can seek out the elderly or anyone for whom it will be an issue and provide them with transport.

If you've ever walked 10 solid minutes, in the city (where all the concrete and asphalt just ramp up the heat more), in a DC summer where humidity is huge pretty much all day long -- you'd get why most people here are saying it's a bad idea to have guests do this walk. They'll get to the reception sweaty--yes, after only 10 minutes)--and feeling wilted. DC in summer, especially downtown where the OP says the wedding and reception will be, is especially hot. And what if it rains that day? Ever experienced a true DC summer storm?

I can’t imagine how disgusting folks would feel after walking 10 minutes in dress shoes and clothes on a thick, wet DC summer day. Ugh.