Hope that I am posting this in the right section - let me know if not.
We are having out wedding in the Adirondacks (upstate NY). It is a minimum 5 hour drive for US guests. Fiance is from Ireland so a lot of guests will be flying in for the wedding.
We wanted a wedding that is fun and relaxed. In Ireland weddings go from the afternoon ceremony through the night. We wanted to channel this in our wedding but also be realistic about the amount of unstructured time Americans can handle.
We do have a wedding coordinator at the venue - but, she is responsible for the wedding once everything arrives at the venue and tbh hasn't been super responsive this far our from the wedding. We are the ones planning and booking people.
I am wondering about our timeline for the day of the wedding. Transition times in particular.
2pm-Ceremony
2:30pm- Ceremony ends (we will go and take photos now and get on 2nd bus)
3:00pm- 1st bus leaves to take 43 guests to ferry (15 mins away)
3:40pm- 2nd bus leaves to take 43 guests to ferry
4:10pm- Ferry leaves for lake cruise, will have open bar and hors d'oeuvres
5:40pm- Ferry arrives reception (want 1st photo with everyone lined up along decks of ferry and us on the dock and 2nd photo guests throwing white birdseed at us)
6:00pm-guests at reception area (short walk up from dock), get drinks, find table...
6:15pm-entrance bride and groom
6:20pm-Buffet dinner starts - beer/wine/soda
7:20pm-Open toasts (anyone can offer a story or toast)
7:40pm- Desserts offered (time for guests to get up mix and mingle)
8:00pm- First dance (legit 30 seconds)
8:00-11pm- Dueling Pianos- open bar
11-12pm- Bar with late-night snacks
Concerns:
1) people having 1/2-1 hour between ceremony and bus boarding
2) enough time for dinner/toasts/dessert before dueling pianos
3) should dueling pianos start sooner?