Typically guests don't want to make a wedding (or most any event for that matter) an all day affair, so don't feel too badly, OP.

Wedding guests often don't plan to stay too long because they feel the newlyweds will want some alone time together. At least they came out for your special day, and you got to see them and then spend some time with your new spouse!

Not really sure what you were expecting. 4 hours seems like a long time to me

For every wedding I've ever been to, how long guests stay depends on how great the reception is. I've gone to the tame weddings of older relatives and they are so boring that people start trickling out after just a few hours. When we have had weddings for younger relatives, the whole thing is fun and entertaining and have people staying almost until the sun rises. It seems shallow on the guests' part, but if the guests aren't having fun, you can't expect them to hang around waiting for you or your new spouse to find time to talk to them for a few minutes. Weddings aren't as fun for the guests as they are for the couple getting married.

4 hours is not bad for a wedding, especially if your ceremony was as short as most US weddings are these days. They probably were up and about earlier than most weddings for yours and were tired by 3 pm. Unless it's an evening wedding with a full dinner and plenty of entertainment afterwards, and the guests were thinking of staying basically until their bedtimes, being there four hours is pretty great. I know it's hard - just had the same experience myself - but it's not at all unusual for most everyone to want to leave before the bride and groom do, of course! I found in my case I also didn't consider my population in comparison to one bride who did have a longer wedding. When it comes to older people, people with children, and people who live further but won't get a hotel, even if they're your nearest and dearest, they can't stay forever. You'd have to start with quite a huge number of guests for there to still be enough around to continue the party after four hours! Believe it or not, people have gone to a lot of weddings before yours, and they'll have to go to many more again. It's extremely difficult to devote an entire day (and likely much more time, beforehand) in our busy lives. Hopefully you loved the four hours you did have!

I wish my guests had ****** off within 4 hours at my wedding. It was only immediate family there. My mother even followed me and my husband to our room for the night. Totally ****** up.

Please don't feel disheartened OP, tbh I don't think people tend to spend as long at weddings anymore these days anyway. As long as they stayed for the important stuff like the ceremony and some of the reception then you should feel happy. You just married your soulmate and have the rest of your lives together, you should just concentrate on that instead. I want to congratulate you both on your wedding day and hope you are very happy together.

4-6 hours seems average for a wedding if you're including ceremony and reception together. I was at a co-worker's for 7 hours last weekend, but the ceremony was at 4:30 followed by cocktails and then dinner/speeches/dancing starting at 7, so when I left at about midnight it didn't seem like that long. Honestly though, don't fret. Unless you're in the wedding party (and even then not always) weddings can be kind of draggy and tedious for some people, because if there's an average of 100 guests, you're not exactly seeing much of the bride and groom.

In Australia they typically get married around 1-3pm then reception and dinner then party so usually they're around 7-8 hours long. however you got married! that's not a fml

Who cares

Ummmmm, 4 hrs is actually a long night time to hang out after a wedding.

When it is family it is often different than regular guests. I cannot recall a single family member that left my wedding early. I am sorry your family didn't stay