Is 40 minutes too long of a drive between ceremony and reception?

Around here, traffic can make most drives 30 or more minutes. It doesn't seem horrible to me, but then I don't know how things are in your area.

I wouldn't be too happy about it

To me more than 30 mins is pushing it.

Lisa, a word to the wise. You know your guests and you know what they will do. FH and I went to a wedding and the reception was 10 minutes away. Some of the guests complained because they got lost (there were a lot of one-way streets) We also went to a wedding where the reception was 1 hour away and guests complained about the distance.

You can't make everyone happy, so make yourself happy. Pick the location you want. If it's next door or 2 counties over, it's what you and FH want.

I think 40 minutes is a lot, frankly....

I likely wouldn't do 40 mins. Because the overall travel time would be quite a bit...

I'd probably choose one or the other but but would be a far stretch because I'd spend more time in the car than the ceremony and you also risk getting lost, construction, accidents etc.

In general, yes 40 minutes is a significant drive between locations.

I think staying under 30 minutes is a good rule to stick by.

Is there hotels near the reception venue? I don't mind driving 30ish minutes if the hotel is closer to the reception...

40 minutes I would say is pretty far..

If I were close to you I would do it. You may have people just skip the ceremony and go to the reception. FH drives 55 minutes to work daily so to no big deal.

Seems to bit much .. sorry

Yes. Absolutely. Unless you are willing to provide guest transportation, don't even entertain it.

Yea that would be way too much unless it is on the way to my own home. I think about 15 minutes is the max I would drive.

I say no big deal, but I think it's what is the norm where you live. I'm going to a wedding in May and it's about and hour drive. Mine is going to be a 40 minute drive as well. We're kind of use to it here.

I think it's too long too, but we don't really know if there are any other options! FH seems to think it's no big deal.

Lynzey, we aren't doing pictures and all that jazz, but they would be driving 40 mins after a long ceremony for lunch!

If it's custom for your area then no it's fine.

In my area that is a given... in my town there is NO place to have a reception so we have to drive 30-35 mins and also the hotel is 1.5 mile from the reception hall so over all my guest will have to drive an hour. but again that is normal.

But we are having about 2 hour gap in between so we can take pictures and be back for cocktail hour. It just happened to work out that way it was the time the reception hall gave us first and then the church said 2 p.m.

I don't think 40 mins is bad but I'm used to having to drive that far for work/mall/anything are your OOT guest near your reception hall that is the only thing I would take into consideration.

How long will your ceremony be? Either way I think 40 minutes is a little too long and if you have a long ceremony then I think it is even worse!

YES. Even if I commute 40 minutes to work, why in the heck would you want to put me through that long of a drive to go to your party? And who knows how long of a drive it will be to get home afterwards. 40 minutes is another city in most parts of the country! Pick another location or provide your guests with transportation.

Our ceremony will be close to an hour! Super long!