Help with a non traditional reception (timeline)

arijoy1

Hi Everyone...

I am 8 weeks out and in crisis!

I know what I want my reception to look like but I have NO IDEA how to get it there. =[

Can anyone help me with a timeline or suggestions?

Heres some details-

our ceremony is at noon on a saturday

followed by 1.5-2hrs of pictures

Reception starts at 3pm (what I was orginially planning on but now idk)

It is an outside tent reception, BBQ buffet, open seating and we were really wanting a relaxed informal fun atmosphere...small crowd..maybe 50 people? No one really dances or drinks..not the partying type (on either side and def not us) 

We have planned on classic board games for centerpieces and outside the tent we are having lawn games..corn hole, croquet, maybe a potato sack race, etc. There will be picnic blankets set up for convo/game areas. 

We orginially weren't going to have first dance and all that but I am really close to my dad and it would break his heart if we didnt do a father daughter dance so now we will have the 3 formal dances (bride/groom, father daughter and mother son)

We are having a dessert buffet with a very small wedding cake made by my sister (culinary genius)

No DJ, no dancefloor, no coordinator...

My issue is when I look at all the sample timelines out there everything is so formal and rushed...I want it to be carefree and I want to be able to play cornhole with a beer in my hand and maybe a round of hungry hungry hippos..not rushed from event to event to event and then leave. But I don't know how to put what I want together

Novel long post but Im am finished..help please???

JaxInBlue

What jumps out at me is the gap your guests are going to have.  What are they doing between the time the ceremony ends and the reception starts? 

Beyond that, what you have of a schedule doesn't look rushed to me.  You can space out the dances, maybe have your first dance when you officially arrive at the reception, mingle for a bit or eat, have a parent dance, mingle more, cut the cake, another parent dance. 

I think because you have planned something more non-traditional, you need to decide if you want to do all of the planned, reception-y stuff up front which would give you the time you want to mingle and play games after finishing up or if you want to space out the stuff throughout your whole reception time but that would create, in some ways, a program or schedule.  There are benefits to both.  What does your FI think?

QueerFemme

I think since you are doing an informal reception, you can really do whatever you want.  You aren't having dancing or partying, just sounds like mingling and enjoying each other's company.

The only thing I will also say, similar to JaclyneD is the gap between the ceremony and reception start seems way to long to me.   How long do you expect your ceremony to last?  Unless its a catholic wedding mass, most ceremonies seem to last about 30 minutes (at least all that I've been to).    Which means your ceremony will be over at 12:30 and your reception doesn't start for 2 1/2 hours?    I would try to take a lot of your photos with you & your BMs and your fiance and groomsmen ahead of time and only take the whole group photos after the wedding.  I really think you should limit photo time after the ceremony to about 45 minutes at most. 
Unless your bridal party is HUGE, 45 minutes should be more than enough.  

So, maybe consider starting the ceremony at 1 instead of 12, or moving the reception up to 2 instead of 3. 

Otherwise, I think your reception sounds fun !   

blakenliza

I would say... It's your wedding, so do what you want.
After saying that, I would agree with both of the other ladies that the big gap in between the ceremony & the reception is a bit long. Yes, if everyone lives in that town then they could go home.. but what would they do, eat and then eat again at the reception? Honestly if you have that big of a gap you will probably lose most of your guests. I'm not sure how many weddings you've been to, but unless they are super extravagant & over the top (with entertainment & food), or extremely intimate (family & close friends) they pretty much suck for everyone else (especially for men that get dragged along). I would say, do all or most of your photos before the wedding. You obviously aren't having a traditional wedding, so why stick with the not seeing the groom tradition?

In closing - It's your wedding. Talk it over with your fiance' & go with what you guys want to do! The day is about the two of you & you are sharing that with your guests.

librababy

I think you can have be as laid back as you want it to be. Have a time for th emore formal stuff (dances, cake cutting) and then just leave the rest up to how you feel and the flow of the night. No need for a time limit for anything else.