Originally we thought we were stuck with havin 2 hours of down time between our ceremony and cocktail hour, but after meeting with our priest last night, we learned we have two options for times to have our ceremony.
3 pm ceremony (no mass), followed by cocktail hour at 5 pm.
6:15 pm ceremony (no mass) followed by cocktail hour at 7pm.
3pm- Pros: More time for pictures, no need to rush; Dinner around 6:30ish. Cons: Possible traffic; Down time between ceremony and cocktail hour (1hr-1.5 hrs. We are getting married at the beach, so there are things to do, but if it rains or is very hot, it could be uncomfortable for older guests); Eariler in the day (won't get dark til about 9); Will want to extend the reception by an hour (By doing this, guests can enjoy local fireworks display from inside the venue! but requires $ to vendor and band to extend the time).
6:15pm- Pros: Evening wedding; Less traffic; No down time between ceremony and cocktail hour; Cons- Late dinner (if everything is on time, served around 8:30ish?) Much less time for pictures. (We want FI's first time seeing me to be when walking down the isle.)
Both options seem doable, but not ideal.The reception site is about a 5-15 minute drive depending on traffic. The church has confessions at 4 pm and mass at 5 pm. Our reception room has large windows overlooking the ocean, and a big stage with lighting (we will have an 8 piece band), which is originally why we wanted an evening reception, but 8:30, possilby later, seems really late for dinner. (Dinner will be a buffet.) Tough dilemma! Any thoughts?
