Reception Help!

ColumDawn18

I'm newly engaged and just began planning my wedding and I'm already running into a slight problem. I planned it for August 13, 2011 which is the only date in August, September or October that my church has a 3:30p.m. ceromony opening. My family highly suggests that i do not have my wedding on that day because it is the Chicago Air & Water Show and the traffic commuting into the city could be a big problem. 

There are many other dates in August and September that are available but they are 1:30p.m. ceremony times. If I decided to switch to a 1:30 time slot, what do I do with my guests in between the ceremony and reception?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!

Mrs.Thistletwat

My ceremony was at 2:30, reception immediately followed. Everyone got home at a reasonable time and I still got some good night time photos.

*Barbie*

what kind of ceremony is it/how long will it run? while Catholic ceremonies generally run for an hour, my husband and I attended a (Lutheran?) ceremony that only lasted 15 minutes. 

where are you holding your reception (a hotel, a park, hall, etc.), and what is the transit time between the ceremony and reception locations?

what time is the reception going to start? what time would dinner be served? are you planning on a cocktail hour? 

you could have an extended cocktail hour with some snacks available at the reception location (even if in another room?) for any guests that would have to wait. You could move up the reception by an hour. if the reception is at a hotel where many guests are staying, you could just hold the ceremony and reception at planned times and let guests have time to go relax in their rooms. you could organize some sort of activity for a larger gap (double decker bus or duckie boat tour of Chicago?) 

AbbeyS2011

Do you already have your reception venue booked for a specific time?  If not, then see if you can change the reception start time.  If not, just have your ceremony at 1:30 pm, and alert your guests about the reception time in your wedding invites.  (Please join us for ceremony at 1:30 pm, Reception at ABC Place, 5pm - 10 pm)

Most guests do not mind a break in between wedding ceremony/reception - it gives them a chance to ck on kids, go home and change, see some sights if they are OOT, go back to the hotel to freshen up, etc.

HTH