Is this timing feasible?

frenchie13

Hi all,

I am trying to get a rough timing plan together before booking anything, as my wedding is still a little far away (April 2017) but I'm planning from the UK, so I want to wrap my head around things!

We are inviting around 50 people, but imagine around half will come.


My main worry is what my guests will do during photography time. I am a worrier and hate the thought of people travelling all that way and not enjoying my wedding!

This is what is going on in my head:

• 4pm ceremony at Aria (on a Thursday if that makes any difference) - looking to leave there approx 5pm after Imagine Studios photo session. *little worry* what will my guests do at this time? I suppose it's only 45 minutes, and they'll need to make their way to the pick-up point...?

• 5pm - I'm hoping to have a photographer for around two hours, and they'll meet us at this time, along with our guests. I definitely want a group photo of everyone at the sign, then photos of just myself and husband in another location(s). I did consider taking everyone with us for photos after the sign, but worried they'd get bored of waiting for us, or get a bit annoyed about getting out to take various pics...

• Restaurant reception at approx. 7.30pm
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I'm just going to make something up here so bear with me - say I have my reception booked at 7.30 at a restaurant, would it be acceptable to find a bar close by and drop my guests there after the sign photo? 


At weddings in the UK it's fairly normal practice to leave guests for a couple of hours in the bar area or somewhere whilst the bride and groom get some photos, I just feel a bit guilty about doing this as everyone will have traveled a long way. However on the other hand, they will be my wedding photos!

Sorry for the long-winded post, just a little jumbled head here.

KatCtoKatA

I think you may want to reconsider this timeline a bit.  If the ceremony is at 4, it'll probably be done by about 4:30, so now you've got 3 hours of which you want your guests to relocate twice but you only really want their presence for about 15-25 minutes.  That seems pretty inconvenient for them.

With a group that size, maybe something like a party bus would be a solution, where you can have everyone on the bus, with drinks and music, while you and the groom hop in and out at various locations.  More like a traveling cocktail hour. 

Alternatively, maybe do a first look at the sign with just you and the groom, and get your group photo somewhere else iconic and closer to the ceremony or reception location.

vegasgroom

If your ceremony is with an in-house officiant, it will likely be done in 15 minutes, but with entrances, exits, etc, 30 minutes is safe bet like KatCtoKatA said.  

Other than that, I do think it will be an issue if they effectively have two hours to burn between end of ceremony, idle time, transportation and then reception at 7:30p.

Can you tell us what the reception venue is?  

Assuming you end up with 25 guests in attendance, that's not too many to do a Vegas sign shoot on a Thursday, you just need a party bus and you should transport everyone, either with or without yourselves.  If you plan to do other pics elsewhere, then you two and the photographer should ride separately, meet there, 15 minutes to unload and pose, take some pics with the entire crew, another 15 for them to load back up, they head out, you head out to do more pics, party bus can take them to some venue within close walking distance to the reception venue, perhaps they have an hour to burn, then head over to reception.  If you sponsor the first drink at this intermediate stop, I don't think it would cost too much and would go a long way to keeping everyone in the wedding spirit.

frenchie13

KatCtoKatA - So would you say ceremony will finish approx 4.30, then Imagine Studios photos will finish approx 5? They say 45 mins is included, but I can't see us wanting to purchase any photos outside of what is included, and I think I'll be itching to get photos with my hired photographer!

I was thinking either a party bus or a big limo for everyone.


vegasgroom I haven't sourced a reception venue yet, but I am imagining somewhere like Maggiano's or similar. 

I like the idea of us having a car and meeting my guests at the sign, then us going onto somewhere else, thank you.

I was definitely thinking of paying for a drink for everyone whilst they wait for us. If I can't find a bar close to the reception site I am hoping they will have a bar in the restaurant where the guests can have a drink. 

Thank you for telling me exactly what I wanted to hear!  

I suppose my main concern now is what people will do whilst we have out chapel/Imagine photos taken, as the only 'traditional' part of my wedding is that the groom and I don't want to see each other beforehand - so photos before the ceremony are a no.