Exhausting parties

A month ago we held a party celebrating my mother's 70th birthday. Though the preparation gave me headaches, it went great. About a hundred invitations were given. It's a seated lunch. So, we need to call back everybody and confirm if they would come. About ninety percent came. Plus some others that were invited without us (by us, I mean the organizer, my sisters and their husbands, my husband) knowing. You know families. The party went smoothly, the room was full, food was great. Everybody stayed until almost the end of the party. And it lasted four and a half hours!! Ok, ok this isn't exactly about the party.
Now, the next week I met one of my relatives. Naturally, we talked about the party. He said it was great and bla, bla. THEN, he complained that everybody willingly and happily came to parties like this, but fewer and fewer people came to traditional batak wedding parties. Huh??!! Pleaaaseee, it doesn't take a genius to figure that out.
In traditional batak parties, there are usually more than seven hundred people. Naturally, the room has to be outrageously large. Then the host family is almost always so afraid that nobody can hear "the important guests" talking in the front, so they always put the sound system volume to the highest!! The music is so loud. You have to almost shout to be able to talk to people seated next to you. The important adat guests in the front talked endlessly about things that have been decided!!
Now usually batak's wedding start with church ceremony in the morning (because a large number of batak is christian). Right after church, everybody goes to the party. So, the party starts around 12.30. And don't get me start on the guests who eat before the prayer! After lunch, then the important guests start talking again. Then it's time for some guests (about half) to congratulate the bride's and the bridegroom's families while giving them some money. The other guests would have to sit and wait, because different things are expected of them. More snack would follow, then coffee/tea. Then bottled water or sometimes soft drink. You can imagine the amount of money the would have to be spent.
Since there are a lot of people, you can imagine the heat. Recently, more well-to-do families get air-conditioned hall. So, it's a bit better,
Still. It's hot, it's noisy, and it lasts for hours. Most parties end around 6!! Now, is it any wonder that less and less people come? Come on. As the result of this, busy people ("people who are working or have careers") usually come after lunch (if they need to stay till the end) or they come just for lunch, congratulate (aka give their gifts) and go home.
Now, because of this, some batak people start to REALLY HATE traditional batak wedding parties. And I don't blame them. How can you enjoy such parties? The sad thing is, some people blame the batak culture. I don't agree with them, but then it's a whole different discussion.