Wedding Venue Choice

I will just advance you to do what your heart tells you because at the end you will regret doing it to accommodate people. My venue is one hour away from everyone too. That’s the cheapest I could find and the one I liked the most. So I am recommending a few hotels near by for my guest to stay in if they want to. If the venue with the mountains view is the one you like the most because it’s perfect for pictures, go for it ! At the end the pictures are memories that last forever.

Advice** I wrote wrong

View Quoted Comment Thank you!! That makes a lot of sense!

I would go with the closer one since it would be more convenient for your guests.

I think this is going to depend on what you value more - convenience for you and your guests, or photograph locations. The closer venue is going to be more convenient for your guests (less drive time, less gas money, 2 hours less they have to pay a babysitter, and they can more easily enjoy drinking alcoholic beverages without worrying about driving an hour back), and also for you (added travel time, figuring out where hair and make up will be done-will you change at home then wear your dress for an hour drive? Will you leave super early and have hair/make up done in the town the venue is in? Will you get a hotel room in that town the night before?), and if you are DIY-ing any of your decor, you will have to also figure out how to transport it all there and back. You have to also consider vendors. Will you be hiring vendors in your town, or the town the venue is located in? If vendors have to drive an hour away, you will likely be paying travel fees on top of all the other fees. So definitely keep in mind where your preferred vendors are located. You also need to be real with yourself about how important photography locations are for you. If you go with the less scenic venue, will you regret it? Will it make you live your wedding photos less?
There are a lot of things to weigh out. In the end, you need to choose the option that you feel you will be happiest with in the end.

Will vendors charge more for travel? If not, or if you're willing to pay it, I'd say go with the venue you want.

All else being equal, the closer one for all the reasons mentioned. I would only ask people to drive more than say 45 minutes if there was realistically nothing suitable any closer. My priorities were the convenience of my local guests and the reputation and experience of the caterer.

Thank you all for weighing in! I’ve got a lot to think about and consider