Do I have to have my reception in the same place as my ceremony?
While it saves you some time and paperwork, you definitely don’t have to have your
reception in the same place as your
ceremony. Some couples opt to have separate venues -- in fact, certain religious groups require that wedding ceremonies be performed in a place of worship.
Typically, if the wedding day includes multiple venues, everyone just drives to the reception venue after the ceremony. It may be close enough that they can even walk! Guests tend to be completely fine with traveling from one location to the next as long as they're no more than an hour apart.
If you’re having your reception at a hotel and your guests plan to spend the night there, they’d probably get ready for the ceremony there too. If you’re having your ceremony at a church or garden nearby, consider hiring a shuttle bus to take everyone from the hotel to the ceremony, and back again, so no one has to drive. This also works if you choose a ceremony location that guests might have a hard time finding.
Sep 01, 2009