wedding time and photos!HELP LOL

[Deleted User]

OK so my wedding is March 29,2014 in  westchester, NY. I have a couple of delimas that are preventing me from selecting the perfect time to get married and take pictures with sunset being at 7:15pm. First  and biggest delima is my reception hall which insists that we begin our cocktaill hour at 7pm. Second I am having a light reception downstairs from my church for those who I could not invite to the reception.I would have liked to take pictures at a separate place than my reception hall, but I also don't want the people going to the actual reception to have a large gap between the ceremony and cocktail hour.  So here it is in a nutshell I have ceremony( I want the first look there), light reception, Pictures, Regular Reception Cockail hour at 7pm. Any suggestions HELP LOL? 

LisaA2014

Ouch do those people know they aren't good enough to go to the 'actual' reception? I suggest making your ceremony closer to the start of cocktail hour, say about 6. The ceremony ending around 6:30. That way there's only about a 30 minute gap for people to travel to the reception. You can do bridal party pics before the ceremony separately to minimize how many pictures need to be done after. This is what most of us are doing, a result of choosing march. Please reconsider your 'light reception'. This is rude to both those only invited to that PLUS the ones who have to deal with the large gap before the 'actual' reception.

Ella and Pedro

I agree with the above poster about:

pre-ceremony photos

moving the ceremony time

having just one reception

Good luck

[Deleted User]

Those are some good points, and I can see where you are coming from. However,I am still giving the light reception because I feel bad that I can't afford to invite everyone to my wedding such as my church family. I've seen it done  before where all are welcome to come the ceremony but just have to go home after and are not invited to the reception.I find that rude. If they wish to come to celebrate my day I can at least give them some refreshment even if I can't afford to give them the whole shabang. I just rather do this then to not invite them at all.

Marchbride2014

Cogratulations we are wedding date twins!!!!!!!!  I totally understand that you would like
your church family to be apart of your special day. I think you should move up the ceremony time. You will still have time to take pictures before and after the ceremony. Also you will have a brief time to mingle with your church family before pictures. Also it won't be a big gap in time going to the reception hall area. Also everyone can feel included.

Hope all works out for you :-)

Ella and Pedro

In my opinion, if these are people you want to come to the wedding, you should be inviting them to the same reception with the same quality of experience as any other guest. 

It is one thing to see that a wedding of a royal couple (Will and Kate) with thousands of mandated VIP guests that they personally don't know are given a separate reception, it is another to do this to people you know and respect. 

If you can't afford to do a full dinner for all your 'church family,' you should consider (strongly) to change the menu or type of reception into one which does enable you to thank and welcome all your guests equally.  There is no rule that says you must serve a fancy, plated sit-down dinner for it to be a wedding reception.  The 'etiquette rules' though, are very clear about not giving all guests the same courtesies.

cmmadison

Yay date twins! My soon to be BIL did the same exact thing. It worked out fine. I think it's all how in you invite the church family, are you sending them invitations and inviting them to the shower? Might be a bit rude. But if its more of a word of mouth thing or an announcement at church that others are welcome to come to the ceremony, then I think it's fine.