Budget Weddings Forum

Sunday Wedding??

Re: Sunday Wedding??

  • That reception is really long. I'd expect lunch and dinner. If you start at 1:30, people will be ready to leave by 5:30.
  • I agree with Starmoon... If you have the party go til 8:30, you need to serve dinner too. That might make it more expensive. And I don't think people will stay. So you will have wasted a bunch of money on an unnecessary meal.

    If I were you, I'd keep your timeline mostly the same but just have the reception from 1:30-5pm and only serve lunch.
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  • Personally, I love Sunday Funday!  But I also agree that 8:30 is a little long! 

    The party is determined by the guests and the hosts, not the time or day!
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  • An additional vote about that being a long reception; also, do you have OOT guests? 8:30 on a Sunday is a little late for me unless it is my family. TBH I would definitely not stay the whole time even for a close friend. Just have a mid afternoon reception from 1:30-5:30, you'll still have a great time and party! Guests care more about being properly hosted, IMO, than the time of the wedding.
  • I agree that 1:30-8:30 is too long. 

    That said, I've attended many afternoon weddings with full bars, full meals and packed dance floors. Just as much fun as evening weddings.






    What differentiates an average host and a great host is anticipating unexpressed needs and wants of their guests.  Just because the want/need is not expressed, doesn't mean it wouldn't be appreciated. 
  • I'm sorry I had the times wrong our ceremony is at 2:30 and our reception is 3-8.
  • I'm sorry I had the times wrong our ceremony is at 2:30 and our reception is 3-8.
  • I'm sorry I had the times wrong our ceremony is at 2:30 and our reception is 3-8.
  • I just got married this past Sunday. It was wonderful and amazing! We had the ceremony start at 3, end about 3:45 (we had a receiving line) and people we free to go to the reception site. We ate dinner about 5:30, dances about 6:30, and the tosses about 7. People started leaving right after that. I did have a dry wedding, but I doubt alcohol would have helped people stay as it was a Sunday and most still had work or school the next day.

    All in all, the reception hall was cleared out at about 8, which was expected. I would choose having your reception end about 5 or move your ceremony time up so your reception ends closer to 8, although I still wouldn't expect anyone to stay later then that. Remember it is still a Sunday and people have the work/school week to get ready for.

    Good luck!
  • I'm sorry I had the times wrong our ceremony is at 2:30 and our reception is 3-8.
  • CMGragainCMGragain member
    10000 Comments 500 Love Its Fourth Anniversary 25 Answers
    edited October 2015
    I think a six hour reception is too long, especially for a Sunday afternoon wedding.  Three hours would be more reasonable.
    Usually a three o'clock reception is a cake and punch reception.  Older guests will want to leave early so they don't have to drive in the dark.
    It sounds, to me, like you want to have it all - an afternoon ceremony with a full dinner reception.  That doesn't usually work very well.
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  • CMGragain said:
    I think a six hour reception is too long, especially for a Sunday afternoon wedding.  Three hours would be more reasonable.
    Usually a three o'clock reception is a cake and punch reception.  Older guests will want to leave early so they don't have to drive in the dark.
    It sounds, to me, like you want to have it all - an afternoon ceremony with a full dinner reception.  That doesn't usually work very well.
    Works very well in my social group.   Been attending weddings like that since the late-70's.  (although mostly on Saturdays and not sundays).






    What differentiates an average host and a great host is anticipating unexpressed needs and wants of their guests.  Just because the want/need is not expressed, doesn't mean it wouldn't be appreciated. 
  • Responding to this one because it had more posts. Between the two posts, I can't really get a sense of what vibe your going for...I sense a rather dance party atmosphere, but I don't know.

    Truthfully, if your crowd is the type that parties down at the drop of a hat, they'll do it on a Sunday afternoon. If your crowd is more subdued and likely only to dance after plied with liquor, that's going to be harder on a Sunday afternoon unless you have an excellent dj that really knows how to work a crowd. Even with a good dj, the fact that you'll be interrupting the festivities for dinner at some point is likely to disrupt the mood and flow and it will be hard to get back after that, unless you are serving dinner absurdly early. Because of that, I think 5 hours is just too long for a Sunday afternoon reception.

    Also, keep in mind that people do have a good time just listening to good music, eating good food, and visiting with friends and family. Just because it might not be the party atmosphere you want doesn't mean people won't enjoy themselves.

    I think we probably can give you more specific advice if you provide more details and your timeline.
  • I think a 3-8 reception for a dinner/evening wedding on a Sunday can work.  I went to one with a very similar timeline and it was fine.  The crowd wasn't quite as dancy and riled up as they may have been on a Saturday night, but there was still plenty of dancing and merriment, and it was fine.  I assume 3-4 will be your cocktail hour, and then start serving dinner around 4:30-5-00.  First dance as you walk in, toasts while dinner was being served, then cake cutting/parent dances as main course is being finished and dance floor opens between 5:30-6:00 as dinner is wrapping up.  A little bit early but not too too bad.  If this is what works for you, your VIPs, and your budget I say go for it.
  • I think your 3-8 plan sounds completely fine. You do not need to worry about older guests not wanting to drive in the dark any more than you would on a Saturday night.
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