Wedding Forum - Thursday wedding for travelling guests?...

I realise I won't get a firm idea until I actually ask some of our guests but I feel a tiny bit daft doing that before booking a venue and knowing the date... even though it'd be too late to do anything about the day at that point.

We're aiming for a Thursday to reduce costs at a lovely venue (hopefully May 4th 2017) but 90% of our guests are coming from the countryside where we're originally from - 2.5hrs drive or 1.5hrs by train or 3.5hrs by bus.
Is it too much to ask folk to travel to attend a Thursday wedding if we have a later ceremony to minimise the days off work needed?
They'd be getting nearly a year and a half notice of the date, long before formal invites are sent out.

We want to avoid booking the venue (minimum 40 guests) then the majority saying they can't make it so it's basically wasted money. How best to approach family to ask if a Thursday would work for them? Is it too early to be running potential dates past them?

i Agree start saying about it now ..... some may not be able to come not because they cant travel down on the thursday but more because to do the trip back they will either have to leave "early " or try and get the friday off too

Our families are a mix of council workers, admin workers and self employed (my dad is the only one with a strict holiday rota who needs to book holidays more than a year out). Thank you so much for the advice and guidance on this, will be contacting relatives tonight to see what works best for them.

My family have to travel for 3 hours and I know it can be difficult when your guests have a way to travel. I asked who would like to attend before even booking my venue. It's a lot to ask of people to come that way, especially as they will most likely need to stay overnight and most people will need 2 days off work to attend. That's why I wouldn't have considered a weekday wedding.

It's best to be upfront and ask as it will make it easier for you in the long run .

We approached both sides (ah the wonders of Facebook) and, as expected, the mid-week date we had on the list was a no go for our welsh/irish relatives. Late on a Thursday got the all clear, as did a Friday date (if we can work out prices)

Come the end of the month, we'll be able to sign on the dotted line and secure a date with a venue knowing that we've done our best to accommodate everyone.

the only bank holidays in may 2017 are 1st & 29th

Thats loads of notice for people and im sure they would come given that much notice. We have changed the date of our wedding so that my brother can come asmhe lives and works in Australia and I really want him to be there. Lucky for me it is a week day he can make it.

I'm also planning to get married on a Thursday and this is really something I'm thinking about before booking. H2b thinks it will be all right, but I want to talk to his mum first. My family is all coming from Brazil, so it doesn't really matter, but his family comes from Sunderland and we need to see if that would be ok...

I think that no matter what day you have it on people will moan (Some people work weekends) do whats right for you and H2b a sunday may be cheaper for the venue and most suppliers but its more expensive for a registrar. Id say if sunday is cheaper than friday go with that day people will need to take a day off no matter what if its a friday or a sunday.

good luck :)

Our local office said the same Elizabeth. Not sure what it cost to have it at the office on a Sunday (or if they do it), but they definitely had a higher Saturday vs weekend charge for their room. For them to come to the venue:
MON - FRI (10am - 3.30pm) - £210
MON - FRI (4pm - 6pm) - £305
SAT (10am - 6pm) - £305
SUN + Public Holidays (10am - 6pm) - £325