Q.
We are thinking about having our ceremony performed at a local state park, which has an entrance fee of $3.50 per vehicle. We are working with a very tight budget and cannot afford to pay this fee for all of our guests. Is it inappropriate to request that my guests pay their own entry fee?
A.
In general, it's not a good idea to ask guests to pay for anything involved in your wedding celebration. When you invite people to a hosted event at a specific location, they should not be expected to pay to participate in that event. There are ways to get around this, however: Talk to the park officials and see if you can arrange for a group rate for your guests. Or, cut back in another area; perhaps serving one less hors d'oeuvre would free up enough money to cover everyone's entrance fee. Even though it's not very much money to ask from your guests, take a careful look at your budget to see if there are other ways you can save before you resort to asking them to fork over the $3.50.
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RoseRich
Consider how much money your spending to feed, entertain, and give favors. I think letting them be responsible for their transportation is fine, but maybe give them a heads up. I know I normally do not bring money to weddings, so a little note to let them know will help prevent it from becoming a big deal. The surprise of having to pay for parking may be more irritating than if they knew ahead of time.
blueberr15@aol.com
I am having the same problem with trasportation to and from the church and hotel. They are less than 2 miles away from each other, but we really can't afford to spend the money on a bus. The wedding is in a major city and a cab ride couldn't be more than $5 for a less than 2 mile ride. I still feel bad though.