Catholic Weddings

Timing

How much time are you leaving between the end of the ceremony and the start of the cocktail hour? 

My non-Mass ceremony will be at 5, so "the gap" is not an issue for me.  I just want to time it so that guests will get to the cocktail hour and have enough time to enjoy the drinks, hors d'ouevres and brass trio we're providing, but I also don't want them to be waiting around to get in.  It's a 10-15 minute drive btwn. the church and the reception. So, I was thinking:

5:00-5:30  Ceremony
5:30-6:00 Receiving line (is this too long?  we will prob end up around 200 guests)
6:00-6:15 Travel time
6:15-7:15 Cocktails

Re: Timing

  • Clare13Clare13 member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011

    We currently have our timeline as:
    All pictures taken before mass
    6:00pm- Full mass
    7:00-7:10- One picture with all in attendance ourside the church
    7:10pm- depart church (our priest has PROMISED that the mass will be under an hour)
    7:10-7:25- travel to hall
    7:25-8:15- Receiving line and coctail reception at hall
    8:15-9:30- Dinner
    9:30-12:30- Dancing

    We expect about 350 guest.

    I expect that things may be pushed back slightly, but I would like to keep it as much to this scedule as possible.  We chose to do the receiving line at the hall to maximize our time at the end for dancing.  HTH 

  • alliecarrie41alliecarrie41 member
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker First Comment
    edited December 2011
    4-5pm Ceremony
    5-5:30 receiving line and getting into limo
    5:30-6pm driving to reception
    6pm cocktails

    no gap, no time inbetween.  we did pictures beforehand and a few when we arrived at cocktail hr, just us two, before joining everyone for drinks. 
  • edited December 2011

    We have:
    3pm - 3:30pm - ceremony
    3:30-4pm - receiving line
    4pm-5pm  - gap where guests will return to the hotel and be picked up by the shuttles
    5:30 - cocktail hour

    I worry about the gap :( I figured the guests may like to drive their own cars to the church and then park them back at the hotel and be picked up from there to the reception.  I may talk the monsignor to start the ceremony at 3:30 in which case we will move the cocktail hour to 5 and guests will be taken from hotel to church and then to the reception place...

  • Calypso1977Calypso1977 member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its First Answer Combo Breaker
    edited December 2011
    we did wedding from 11-12:15, 12:15-12:30 travel, 12:30-1:00 was for the munchies/first drinks/waiting for everyone to arrive, then the lunch started being served at 1pm and we went until 4pm.
  • scoffindafferscoffindaffer member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    We are doing pictures before mass so our timing will look like this:
    2-3: mass
    3-4:30 ish: receiving line and guests will walk across the street to receiving area (is that too long?
    4:30-5:15 ish: dinner/toasts ( we are a toasting people)
    5:15 -dawn: dance :)
  • edited December 2011
    scoff- that's great that you have your reception site until dawn :)
  • Calypso1977Calypso1977 member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its First Answer Combo Breaker
    edited December 2011
    3-4:30 ish: receiving line and guests will walk across the street to receiving area (is that too long?)

    i assume this includes the cocktail hour?  if so, then no.
  • scoffindafferscoffindaffer member
    First Comment
    edited December 2011
    Yeah, it includes the cocktails, little nibbles and a mix of Celtic music, Arabic music (his family is Lebanese) and Journey playing. Good mix.
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