Inviting guests to Witness wedding with no dinner

Yes. If you're asking guests to travel, then you should provide a meal. Even if you're not asking guests to travel, you should at least provide something (i.e. cake and punch, which would be appropriate for a local wedding at a non-mealtime.) But if guests will be traveling 2-3 hours, then I would definitely plan on providing dinner

I agree with Hanna, it would be inappropriate/rude to invite people to travel hours for not even 30 minutes. Is it an option to get married at a different courthouse? Plan to be closet to a nice restaurant.

Wouldn't it be okay to have a meal prepared at your place?

Or still could have dinner at a restaurant nearby. The other option was to find a courthouse or other arrangement near a better restaurant. But there should be some additional gathering and food for travelers that far away. Nothing has to be extravagant at least for many regular people.

View Quoted Comment It’s a beautiful courthouse just that the nice restaurants aren’t open on Sunday….. it’s 2 hrs from my home - what if I planned a dinner for a later date?

View Quoted Comment That might work if you make it later that week and you suggest activities for your guests to do in the area. It would be like a wedding getaway weekend!

View Quoted Comment

Another couple had a problem with restaurants being closed too early (maybe on a Sunday). I think they had more people, but there might be a chance to convince a restaurant to host a dinner. You might call around. Maybe there is a way to have catered or prepared beforehand and then find a place to enjoy it. (I'm not sure if the other couple has been able to arrange anything.)

View Quoted Comment Is the courthouse even open on a Sunday? I thought most of not all courthouses were closed on weekends.

View Quoted Comment I agree. I don’t know of any courthouses open on Sundays. I would definitely check with the courthouse on what days and hours they perform marriage ceremonies. And I would probably try to plan during a time that restaurants are open in the area.

View Quoted Comment None of the ones we looked at at the beginning of planning are open on Sunday because it’s a government building.



It’s highly rude and inappropriate to invite guests and not feed them immediately afterwards the same day. You don’t need to make a reservation at a 5 star restaurant. If Wendy’s or the local Chinese restaurant is the only place available, then take your loved ones there and cover all their food and beverages. No one who loves you will judge you that you are not going to an expensive black tie required restaurant.

You buy out the restaurant to use on Sunday. The owners/ managers should be use to this for special events. But, I agree, courthouses are government buildings not open on Sunday (in the US). Also, as you would not drive the 2 hrs back to your house without eating with your new spouse, so you should not expect others to do so. Driving 5 hrs total and told to bring snacks in your car is not... yah, no.

It's not polite to ask people to come witness your ceremony without hosting them afterward. I think it's particularly important when people need to travel for the wedding. Is it possible to change the date or location to make it easier to do that?