@oldfort - the last wedding I went to was “in town”. The bride and a lot of her family lived within 30 minutes of the venue. The grooms guests came from all across the globe. I live in an area that is a popular destination for weddings. Both my S and D have chosen venues in our state but spots that will require travel for all the guests including the bride and groom. Most people I talk to can’t believe they aren’t getting married here. My good friend is getting lucky that her D is marrying her HS bf. They stayed together through college and grad school. I think by the time they marry it will have been 14 years. They live out of town but are getting married here in the city they both were born and raised in. Aside from friends most of the,guests will be local.
@mom60 - my remark wasn’t directed at you. I was just saying that because D1 and I were having a discussion about it over the weekend. She has been going to a lot of weddings, and most of them have been out of town. They required her to take a flight and stay at a hotel. Those weddings were not distinction weddings.
We are attending five weddings this year…NY, NJ, TX, Greece…and ours. The only one “local” for us is ours. But it’s not local for 75% of the guests. We have only one family member who lives in our state. The rest of the family has to travel.
The Greece wedding is a destination wedding. The others are not…because the bride or groom has strong connections or family in the place where the wedding is taking place.
For our wedding, even the bride has to travel…she lives in another state. The vast majority of her friends are traveling.
Too late to edit! We are attending four weddings…not the Greece one.
We are attending 3 weddings this year—2 in HNL and one at Northstar, Tahoe. The 2 here are because grandparents of the brides live here, as do many members of extended family, though neither bride nor groom live in HI. For one wedding, the parents of bride live here. For the other, the parents of bride & groom are and bride and groom are in TX.
No one attending wedding lives in Tahoe (or gas any connection with it other than skiing), and I am not sure if there may be some who end up with altitude sickness.
Our kids are not invited to the two HNL weddings, so won’t have to fly in for them. They will be flying in for drive to Tahoe, for that wedding.
Our daughter is getting married in 2 weeks. Can’t believe it is finally here. It is out of town in Tucson, but in the end it didn’t really matter because most people are going to have to travel no matter where it is. The groom is originally from Mexico and much of his family is still there. Both bride and groom have lived all over the US and internationally and friends are coming from all over the place. He went to school in Arizona and has some family there, and it is within driving distance for us. Most importantly, the cost of a wedding in Tucson is about a third the cost of one here in So. California! We are going to make a mini vacation out of it so should be fun.
I am pretty much finished with everything at this point although there wasn’t a lot to do. It has been a little hairy due to cultural differences, but his family is so nice that nothing major has come up. There will be no attendants, and it is pretty casual. At a beautiful venue in the hills above Tucson-outdoor ceremony and barn for the reception. We are taking lawn games-giant jenga and cornhole boards that I added a large wedding decal to. Hoping for a relaxing and fun evening and crossing our fingers for great weather.
There is giant jenga?? 
@intparent You can find sets on Etsy among other places.
I saw somewhere where they did a guest book out of Giant Jenga (or maybe it was a shower game). https://www.google.com/search?q=giant+jenga+guest+book&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjY1rbQobDaAhVjSZoKHW-JCtwQ_AUICygC&biw=1192&bih=757
DS2 and DIL live in the midwest, we’re in New England, and her family is in Southern California. Easiest state to get married in was ours – no waiting period, no residency requirement. They chose based on that more than anything else because they didn’t want or have an event. Our side of their family is pretty much DH, DS1 & his SO, my mother, and me. MOB and FOB traveled here and we all spent the week “the kids” got married together.
Last month DS2 and DIL flew out to visit her side of their extended family for a week. It was a casual, relaxed and welcoming time. DS2 spent a good chunk of the time earning his cat-in-law’s trust and approval. 
I don’t know what they would have decided if they’d had more wedding; they each have a grandmother on either side of 90 on opposite coasts, and I suspect the ability of one or the other to travel would have weighed.
DS and his fiancé are getting married in San Diego. They live in San Diego. She grew up in San Diego. Both went to school in California. We live 70 miles north of San Diego in Orange County. Most of the guests will be coming from different areas in California and many will be coming just to the wedding. We have two nights at a hotel near the venue. Our DD is a bridesmaid and our other DS is the best man. Our family dog is the ring-bearer (luckily our hotel allows dogs). My sister is the officiant. The rehearsal dinner is after the actual rehearsal and near the venue. It will be only for the wedding party plus the grandparents. DD and my sister are having a co-ed shower either at my house or at my Mom’s house (who lives in my neighborhood).
Jumping in because my D is starting to plan a wedding.
In my wedding, my MIL walked up single file and my husband came down half way to bring her to her seat. She loved this.
I’m sure this has been talked about… but D said today that both she and SIL will be walked up the aisle by both parents. Not sure of the exact logistics yet (attendants - men in front to start with, or what?). I’m sure they will work it out, but just another reason I have to find the right dress and shoes now. 
@intparent, that’s the Jewish way of doing it – both parents walking both members of the couple up the aisle – and it seems to be growing in popularity with other people as well. There can still be attendants.
If the ceremony is being held in a room where the seats aren’t already bolted to the floor, your daughter should tell the people at the venue that she needs an aisle wide enough to accommodate three people. That won’t necessarily happen by itself.
For our Jewish ceremony, (where there was a cast of thousands but only the couples’ siblings and parents stood under the chuppah) ;), the procession order was: 3 flower girls and one flower boy(!), groom’s brother with his paternal grandmother, groom’s sister with his maternal grandmother, groom with both parents, bride’s brothers, groomsmen & bridesmaids (by two but not evenly matched - more women than men), 2 more flower girls, bride and her parents. It seems like it should have taken longer than the ceremony but the music they chose (which of course I can’t remember) kept the pace moving quickly. All members of the wedding party (except sibs and parents) walked down the aisle and then were seated in the first two rows on either side of the aisle. Like I said, cast of thousands!
Not sure what DS’s plans are for us to walk him down the aisle, but his fiancee isn’t jewish, and she is walking sown lone. Would it look weird if we walk him nd she walks alone?
@Marian The groom’s mom is Jewish, but non-practicing. (Groom’s dad is Catholic, groom doesn’t practice any religion). And D is a UU — so flexible to incorporating other traditions. Ceremony is not at a church. Service is non-denominational, but D said they decided to do it to incorporate an element of Jewish tradition, and they liked the idea.
I will mention the aisle width to her, as chairs are not fixed.
We have been to a number of weddings in recent years…the groom has always been at the end of the aisle…entering from the side. This is all faiths…Catholic, Protestant, Jewish. The grooms didn’t walk down the aisle at all.
But I’m sure anything goes now! As long as the bride and groom are good with it.
For our wedding…the two grandmas will be walked down the aisle by brother of the bride or groom. Both mothers will also be escorted down the aisle by these guys. The bride will be escorted by her dad. That is still up for discussion…and I might be going with them.
But the groom will not be walking down the aisle at all. He will be entering from the side…and will be in position to greet everyone.
At my wedding a million year ago, I had both sets of parents walk my H and I down the aisle. I always loved the Jewish tradition of both parents walking with their children.
I didn’t like having my dad give me away as if I was a piece of property. I thought of it as two families coming together and uniting. Which is something we still work on today.
@jym626 - I’d focus on the bride’s take on how your son goes down the aisle; to my eye, very little looks unusual as most weddings have unique elements these days. If bride is okay, I’d do whatever my son prefers, just wouldn’t want to push any buttons on the big day.