Covid Wedding Timeline

csmilhon1

We are having a very small, immediate family only (18 people), wedding in March. We are renting our venue for 4 hrs but I am worried this will not be enough time. Mostly we will be getting ready elsewhere and only dressing at the venue. Very minimal decorations. Tell me what you think.

4 - Get dressed and decorate
5 - First look and pictures w/ B&G and family pictures
6 - Ceremony
6:30 - Dinner
7:30 - Sunset pictures w/ B&G (if clouds cooperate)/ clean up
8 - Be out of venue.

short+sassy

I think the second half (after the ceremony) is a little too tight.  Especially if you all are serving dessert.

I think with some good, organized planning, you could shave off 30 minutes from the first two hours and start the ceremony at 5:30.  I'd also see about hiring someone to set up the decorations and/or clean up afterwards.  That's the one part I could see taking longer than you think it will and being something else to worry about on the day of, when you just want to be enjoying yourselves.

I had a small wedding with 35 people.  We didn't do a first look, but our pictures after the ceremony didn't take longer than 30 minutes.

There was a LOT to clean up.  Even with disposable plates and cups and assuming most guests will take their own to a trash can, it's still a lot to clean up after 18 people who were eating and drinking.  Plus packing up and/or throwing away whatever leftover food and drink there is.

My mom uses a housekeeping service once/week and she hired her usual person, plus two more to come after the reception (it was at my mom's house) and clean up/pack up the food.  It took over an hour to do all that, even with three people.

MesmrEwe

Short answer - yes, that's tight as heck!  That said, talk to your venue on what their set-up/take-down policy is as some places allow you in earlier for purely setting up purposes and allow a little wiggle for take-down...  FWIW, it's worth every penny to hire someone to do the decorating/setup/cleanup for you!

knottie23ef5e4036a74e92

I had a small wedding with 44 people.  We didn't do a first look, but our pictures after the ceremony didn't take longer than 30 minutes