What do you think?

roque.jessica

Hi Everyone,So let me tell you my dilema!  I have booked my reception site... paradise banquet and convention.  My wedding is for about 75-85 guests. BUT i have yet to book my ceremony site.  The thing is that I don't want to do it at a religous building.  My reception site has a garden where they will do outdoor weddings but I havent booked it for one reason only.. WHAT WILL MY GUESTS DO BETWEEN MY CEREMONY AND RECEPTION??  I want to have time to go and take pictures and dont want to go straight from the ceremony to the reception.  The bar and hors d'oeuves will open, be served, for 5pm.. I really like the outdoor spot for the wedding.. its beautiful.  My concern is not causing an inconvenience for my guests.. so what do you guys think?  Thanks a lot.. this is really worrying me!

ring_pop

A few possibilities:- You could do pics beforehand. I did this and HIGHLY recommend it; it was a good time to release some of the nervous energy so that we could stay calm and focus on the actual ceremony when it came time for that- If you really don't want to see each other beforehand, you could do at least some of the pictures - you + bridesmaids, and you + your parents, for example. That way you can reduce the amount of time that you'll need for pics after the ceremony enough that your guests can just have a cocktail hour. You don't need to attend cocktail hour.It took us 2 hours to do all of our photos. My family took about an hour but that's because we had lists of photos that included ALL of our uncles and aunts - dozens of people. My bridal party pics and pics of just us took another hour. If you're doing formals with only your BP and immediate family, you can probably get it accomplished in an hour, maybe hour and half at most. That's an acceptable gap for a cocktail hour.

miellen

It was really hard for me to let go of the idea of seeing my fiance before the ceremony, but I also did not want my guests to have an entire afternoon wasted. I know every time I go to a wedding with a 4 hour break in between I'm stuck with nothing to do - I don't want that to happen to our guests. So after talking to our photographer, we are doing our photos before the ceremony (which is at 5pm - same location as our cocktails and reception, which is at 6). It actually makes sense and we will get some amazing pictures that aren't rushed. We have time anywhere from 12-4 to take photos around Toronto.Maybe it's something you can consider - it definitely wasn't my first choice, but you have to sacrifice in some aspects to gain in others. Good luck!

missmelodyng

Hi there! Sounds like you and I are in the same boat! We are choosing (like these ladies have recommended) to do our photos before the ceremony. Doing this will allow us to move right into our lunchtime reception after the ceremony as well as help us save some $$ by not having to pay for all those extra drinks and bites of food while waiting.

sarah-bella

we too did our pictures before the ceremony.  made so much more sense to us with our timing, although it did take me a while as well to get over the whole 'seeing me before the ceremony' idea. i am so glad we did it though! you can still set up a 'first sight' shot wherever you do pictures, so it's still a special moment! (just don't let your sisters ruin the moment by putting your soon to be husband in the corner and make him all grumpy because he doesn't understand what's going on!!)

roque.jessica

THANKS GIRLS! Its the seeing each other prior to the ceremony that bothers me.  I dont care about the soo called bad luck, its just that ive always pictured seeing each other for the first time at the altar.  Im having a rough time with letting go of that. UGH!! LOL

raynes

We're also doing our pictures before hand, mostly because we doing the same venue for the ceremony as the reception.If you're concerned about losing that magic moment where you see each other for the first time at either ends of the aisle, you can work out a "first look" type situation with your photographer.  Find a way to capture that moment when you first see each other before hand.From what I've heard from other brides that have done pictures before hand, that moment when you first see each other at the ceremony is still very special.Another option would be to look into having your ceremony at a park.  That way it could be somewhere other than your reception site.

roque.jessica

Thanks girls.. we came to the conclusion that since most ppl dont live far from the reception/ceremony site, we are gonna give them plenty of time to go home and rest inbetween.  Our ceremony will be at 12 and reception cocktail hour starts at 5.  That way they can go home, change clothes, relax and then head back in the evening.Is anyone using an officiant?

weirberg

yes, i had difficulty with this also. Our wedding is in Niagara on the Lake. Our ceremony is @ 2:30, and cocktails at 5....this means guests "hanging around" for prolly about 2 hours. I am NOT into the idea of doing pics before the ceremony. I dunno, call me old fashioned haha. I figure, people will likely walk around the old town, explore the properties, go for a carriage ride, wine tasting whatever, on their own time. I think a small break between the two events, without any structure is perfectly fine. lots of options!!

Kmason21

I am also in a similar situation.Our ceremony and reception are at the same venue, and our ceremony won't be until 4pm with a 5:30 or 6 cocktail hour. I suggested to FI that we take pictures before the ceremony, but he REALLY wants to wait and see me when i'm walking down the aisle.A photographer that I spoke to suggested that the entire wedding party meet in one place before the ceremony to get a lot of the pictures out of the way, but have me in one area and FI in another so we definitely wouldn't see eachother (but we could still get a majority of the WP photos taken). I also think it would be a neat idea to have FI blind folded, so we could have a few fun/cute pictures taken before the ceremony (still deciding for sure on this one though).