How to keep guests entertained during photos??

cupcake1028

The subject pretty much says it all. My fiancé and I (plus wedding party) are taking photos after the ceremony, so there will be about a one- to two-hour lag between the end of the ceremony and the beginning of cocktail hour. What on earth can we do to make sure our guests are entertained before the party?!? I am open to any suggestions, provided they are cheap and they are indoor activities (the wedding will be in Winnipeg in February, so it is likely to be minus 40 celcius out. Brrr!)

Thanks!!!

aerinpegadrak

The point of the cocktail hour is to entertain guests while you're taking photos.  If you need more than an hour, either your photographer is incompetent or you're a narcissist.

If the gap is because of difficulties in scheduling venues, that's one thing.  But creating a gap just so you can take pictures is extremely rude to your guests.  If you want a ton of extra pictures, take them before the ceremony.  That's what we did and it worked out great.

mbcdefg

If you have control over when you can book the ceremony and reception times ... then schedule an hour for photos and let guests enjoy a cocktail hour (snacks and drinks - doesn't have to be alcoholic if you'd rather not serve it).

If you have no control over when the ceremony and reception times start (many churches have set times because of Mass schedules, and I know that halls in my area have set start times with no real leeway) ... then host some kind of hospitality suite somewhere. If your parents live in the area, maybe they can let people come to their house and have some light refreshments. Or you could have someone set up refreshments in the church basement. Some hotels will let you rent a room or a small dining area for this purpose.

cupcake1028

I'm not trying to be a prima dona - I've actually never been to a wedding where pictures were done before the ceremony, so I was under the impression that it was normal to have some lag-time between the ceremony and reception. As well, all the photographers I've talked to all suggested two to three hours for photos, especially for a large bridal party.

Any other suggestions?

aerinpegadrak

Of course they're going to suggest two or three hours just for photos, they want you to pay them to shoot for longer and they want to be able to pad out their portfolios.  As I said, if you really want those extra photos, do them pre-ceremony.  If you just want the standard stuff with a few fun shots thrown in, you should be able to get that done during your cocktail hour.

You should certainly host something for your guests in the interim.  But be aware that people may decide to skip the ceremony or the reception if you have a gap, because not everyone is willing to give over their entire day for you.

CA2MT4EveR

To help cut down on time, you should do bride/bridesmaids, groom/groomsmen, bride/parents, groom/parents, groom/bridesmaids, and anything else possible without the two of you seeing eachother for your special aisle moment.  Then the cocktail party will be the two of you, whole party, whole families, and anything else you want.  You can also take some time later during the reception (depending on the time) and take some more of the two of you.  Maybe you can get some nice sunset pics.

trix1223

Two words:  Cocktail Hour.

cupcake1028

Wow. Again, I was under the impression that the wedding was supposed to be a whole-day celebration. I've never heard of someone only attending the ceremony OR reception because they didn't want to give up their whole day, especially since most of our guests will be from out of town anyway. Maybe an OC vs. Canadian prairie cultural difference?
In any case, I'm more of a traditional gal, so I don't want to do pics before the wedding, (bad luck! ) but I'll talk with the photographer to try and speed things up and cut down on the in-between time.

brianabrad

I understand the problem with pre-ceremony photos. FI and I are having a Catholic wedding at 2:00pm and it would be impossible to get the entire wedding party, I'm talking mostly the BM's done with hair and make-up by that point. Because of this, we will have a gap between our ceremony and reception. I personally think a lot of our guest will enjoy the down time because they will have rooms in the hotel where the reception is or they will need the time to check in. Our gap will probably be about two hours total from the end of the ceremony to the start of the reception. We will likely host a cocktail party that will start one hour before the reception. So most guest will only have about an hour to kill.

I think sometimes that gap just can't be avoid and I think most people are adult enough to handle a little gap. Over two hours might be a little excessive but still.

We are going to take our first look photos, bride and groom formals, parent and family photos before the ceremony and then join the rest of the wedding party at the church for the wedding and then do wedding party photos after the wedding.

aerinpegadrak

Sure, it's an all day event if you host something all day.  If you're leaving guests to wander around in dress clothes and twiddle their thumbs for hours, not so much.

cupcake1028

Sorry, maybe I didn't make myself clear: an all-day event is exactly what I'm trying to do precisely so guests do NOT have to wander around twiddling their thumbs! We are doing all the photos (except for getting-ready ones) after the ceremony and the hotel will only allow guests into the cocktail room one hour before the dinner, so I would like to provide some sort of entertainment for the one hour or so period between the end of mass and beginning of cocktails. There WILL be a time lag, it is pretty much unavoidable. So now what do we fill it with??

girl2bewed

I'm still confused. Traditionally its bad luck to see the groom before the wedding, not to take pictures with the rest of your wedding party. Why dont you want to take the pictures with the wedding party and all other staged pictures prior to the ceremony? This could be an hour or two depending on how many family members/WP members you are taking pics with. Then the ceremony, then during the cocktail hour (1 hr) you and your FI can take pics together. If you need a little longer then an hour guests can start going into the reception room and be seated, while you finish up but keeping it as close to the hour as possible would be respectful for your guests.

Like PP's said if you want more pics of the two of you afterwards you can take more during/after the reception.

Can the cocktail hour be moved up, why does it start an hour after the ceremony, why not right after the ceremony? If you dont have any other rooms for your guests to occupy themselves in after the ceremony i dont know what you can possibly entertain them with. Is your venue on its own private grounds that they can go tour around? If you needed to kill some time after the cocktail hour maybe you could have a slideshow of pics setup in the reception room for them to watch while they wait

Catwoman708

For Catholic weddings, it's pretty common to have a long gap between the ceremony and reception.  Many people say it's rude, others are quite familiar wtih it and think nothing of it.

The point of cocktail hour is to entertain the guests while the WP takes photos.  If you can, start the ceremony later, and/or try to negotiate with your venue to start the cocktail hour and reception sooner.  If it's a hotel, see if you can do something poolside, or rent a couple of hospitality suites or something.  If you can't or don't want to do anything like that, then just let the guests twiddle their thumbs for a couple of hours.  They might enjoy catching  up with other guests, or going home or to their hotel rooms to rest and maybe change.

If that is not possible, perhaps see if the church has a spot you could offer some simple refreshments, like just punch, coffee, or sodas.  If the weather is nice, maybe something on the grounds, or a photo booth or something.  Or suggest a few local attractions, museums, or pubs that are nearby to the guests.  Maybe when giving out programs.

As far as the photographers suggesting 2-3 hours for photos, that's a little excessive.  Sure you want as many photos as possible, it's your wedding.  But neither is it a photo shoot.  You and your wedding party will be exhausted after 2-3 hours of photos.  It shouldn't take more than an hour. 

brit_bell90

I personally hate the idea of taking pictures beforehand, how is any bride supposed to fit that into her already busy schedule? I just don't know why the bride and bridal party has to feel rushed to take pictures ahead of time. That just seems like a disaster waiting to happen IMO.  People are normally used to gaps in weddings, if guests do not want to wait while you take pictures, they have the choice to just attend the reception. I'd say don't worry about it that much, even though I know on this site gaps are unspeakable along with cash bars and other things that I believe are generally acceptable under certain circumstances...

gottahavashorti

Even if your photographer needs 3 hours of photos and you're not seeing each other before the wedding, it should be 1 hr of photos of bridal party & bride's family before the wedding, 1 hr of groomsmen and groom's family before the wedding, then 1 hr of photos where both the bride and groom are needed after the wedding.

If the venue and church aren't at all flexible with their times, hold the cocktail hour at the church and kick off the reception immediately when guests arrive to the reception venue.

StellarEvents

I'm sure you won't mind if I just skip all the rudeness about you having to change all your logistics and just provide a suggestion or two to your question...

Are children welcome at your wedding? You know they are going to need a release of all that energy. Is there a tobaganning hill close by? The parents will need to be pre-told so they can pack the snowsuits and crazy carpets, but they'll thank you for thinking about their children (and then they'll be better behaved at the reception). Don't forget your children at heart (adults and teens). How about a snowshoe rental and local trail? Who knows, you might even have a good old fashioned show ball fight on your hands. You could even provide a hot chocolate treat for them at the cocktail hour, and a supersized care basket in the bathroom.

Are most of your out of towners renting vehicles or borrowing vehicles? You could provide a guide with some driving tours of the area, see the local sights, take them out for a drive to Steinbach and back to see the countryside. Your local tourism or destination bureau can help you with guides, tour recommendations, and lots of great resources to pass along. Don't forget to consider art gallery or museum visits. You might even be to arrange a discounted rate for wedding guests (short stay, high volume).

Shopping is another great way for anyone to kill time. The Forks is a local attraction isn't it? Maybe this is a time for some of the host family to show off, opening up their home or their place of business for 'tours'. There's nothing wrong with recommending places that are special to you and your fiance, the coffee shop where you met, your favourite restaurant and dessert selection, etc. Can you work a photobooth into your logistics/budget, they are quite the hit these days? I've even heard of a scavenger hunt taking place....

All of these in between activities can be passed along to your guests as part of your invitation (so they can plan ahead) and/or on your ceremony program and/or as a take-away after the ceremony and/or as a welcome kit upon out of towners arrival, etc.

Best wishes!

AshleyNC2010

I'm with brit_bell here....  I myself have never been to a wedding with out a gap. I'm over in BC and its a normal thing here as well... Canadian? maybe??   I had never even heard of a cocktail hour until I got engaged and started watching the wedding shows on TV...   I wouldn't stress too much about it.

  Good luck! I'm sure your day will be prefect and your guest will have a fantastic time no matter what happens while your taking photos!

sky7563

I am having several things at my wedding for guests to do.  Here are a few ideas for you...an advice tree, a journal (for guests to write down past memories, favorite times, hopes and wishes, anything really), a photo space with props, trivia cards for guests (left at tables, by refreshments, etc.), kids corner (with games, coloring pages, a movie if possible, etc.).  I really like the idea of guided tours if possible, attractions for people to see or do on their own (like events or festivals such as Festival du Voyageur), or renting a room at the church or reception site for guests to mingle in.  You could have games set up for those who would like to participate like a bridal bingo, the newlywed game, etc.  It would probably be good to have light refreshments and snacks/appetizers as well.

I would personally try to coordinate something with a festival or event going on in town.  They may be very accomodating to make your day extra special if not you can always go to plan B.  Remember it never hurts to ask.

cupcake1028

Thanks Ashley, Angel, Sky and Catwoman for your suggestions!  I will probably set out some hot chocolate and cookies after the ceremony to hold people over till dinner, and put together packages of maps and tourist attraction suggestions for the guests to peruse on their own before the reception. (Plus, the wedding is on a long weekend, so I'm sure they'll enjoying seeing some of the sights during the rest of the weekend.)

For everyone's information, we are planning on taking photos during the cocktails hour, I just couldn't imagine that one hour would be enough to take pics with the large families and bridal party we have, plus travel time between the ceremony and reception sites. (I am totally open to taking pre-ceremony pics with just guys/girls, but we still need to wait post-ceremony for family pics - shouldn't the groom be in my family pics with me, and vice versa??) Thanks again for your help!

trix1223

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_reception-ideas_keep-guests-entertained-during-photos?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:5Discussion:68d5fc85-a4f5-46aa-8b06-2106860af1bcPost:696f509e-3ecd-4b6d-a0ef-9cf5fe76fefc">Re: How to keep guests entertained during photos??</a>:
[QUOTE]Thanks Ashley, Angel, Sky and Catwoman for your suggestions!  I will probably set out some hot chocolate and cookies after the ceremony to hold people over till dinner, and put together packages of maps and tourist attraction suggestions for the guests to peruse on their own before the reception. (Plus, the wedding is on a long weekend, so I'm sure they'll enjoying seeing some of the sights during the rest of the weekend.) For everyone's information, we are planning on taking photos during the cocktails hour, I just couldn't imagine that one hour would be enough to take pics with the large families and bridal party we have, plus travel time between the ceremony and reception sites. (I am totally open to taking pre-ceremony pics with just guys/girls, but we still need to wait post-ceremony for family pics - shouldn't the groom be in my family pics with me, and vice versa??) Thanks again for your help!
Posted by cupcake1028[/QUOTE]

Didn't you say in your OP that it would be minus 40 celsius out?  Why in the world would I, as a guest, want to go out and tour sites when it's freezing cold out?

Obviously you don't care, but I still think what you're doing is inconsiderate for your guests.

banana468

You need to figure out a way to make the photos just an hour.

More than that and you're being quite rude to your guests.

If photos are more important to you than the people you invited, don't invite them.

But one hour is AMPLE time to get quality photos with your husband, bridal party and parents.  It's about budgeting your tijme and treating your guests well.  You need to host them from the them the ceremony ends until the time the reception ends.

ladyllen

I am sorry other people were so rude in their replies.  This was very inconsiderate, especially since you were asking for help.  Most people expect a wedding to be an all day event, whether they are entertained by you or left to their own devices.  Remember the day will be fine no matter what happens - you will be married either way  

Have you thought of a scrap book station with a poleroid camera.  People can take pics of themselves during cocktail hour and make a page to put in the scrapbook with a message for you.  Stickers and colored paper and some fun scissors would be nice to have out.  This is an activity that all ages could appreciate and you would have a book to keep from your special day.  

I also think that games are a good idea, things like apples to apples, uno, or yatzee are easy to pick up and leave.  Cards out on the table would let people pick their own games.

nleley1505

I think having games available for your guest entertainment is a great idea, I am planning on doing the same thing. You could even try to come up with a mad lib about your wedding and make it so that each table has to work together on one. I t would be a fun and funny way for your guest to mingle. I love the idea of the scrapbook station! I never thought about it but it would be a fun and unique activity for your guests as well as a great keepsake for you. I think you should definitely give your guest a list of local attractions. Some of them may want to go out and explore no matter how cold it is. They don't have to if they don't want to, it would just be a nice option to give them. Don't worry too much about completely filling that time with activities for your guest to do, alot of the time they will probably just be walking around and talking. The thing I would worry about most is providing them with somewhere to go and some light refreshments since you said alot of them were from out of town.

harribro

I am pretty lucky, my reception location has a pool table and shuffle board, also our DJ is bringing his karaoke machine, but you know when I go to weddings and there is a gap Im always happy about it because then I have time to stop and freshen up before the reception and then when I get there I have time to talk to people and catch up with friends or relatives I havent seen in a while, most people at the wedding will atleast know one other person...Ive never been bored waiting for the bride and groom to show up...I actually prefer the gap. I am having about an hour-two hour gap between my ceremony and reception and Im not even thinking twice about it.  I refuse to let my fiance see me before the wedding so we are doing some pics before hand seperate and then the rest are after the ceremony and if people get bored waiting for us, honestly I would be amazed that they had the opportunity to get bored or hungry or thirsty due to cocktails, appetizers, and friends and family to socialize with!  If they do get bored then too bad and not really my problem. 

nikkilong06

i think a scrapbook station and board games are a fabulous idea- there's lots of entertaining games that arent too lengthy and might bring back fun memories for people like connect four, checkers, monopoly, chutes and ladders, candy land, etc.  and nothing beats a deck of cards and maybe some poker chip!!  get a polaroid for them to snap action shots while they're waiting!