Ceremony Questions

BrightFirefly

So now that I have our ceremony location booked - with no officiant yet - I have a few questions.

1) How much time are you allowing between ceremony and reception? How far apart are your two venues?

2) How are you guys handling transportation from the ceremony site to the reception venue? Getting into your own decorated car with a lovely "Just Married" posted on the back window? Limo? Horse-drawn carriage (Which seems WICKED cool to me)?

3) What about ceremony music?

bridetobe71412

I'll answer!

1) There is a 2 hour gap between the end of the ceremony and the beginning of the reception, but my reception venue said they'd open the cocktail hour early in the event people start showing up. I wouldn't really recommend this much time between the two to be honest, but so it goes in the Catholic church. Our venues are 23 miles apart.

2) We're heading with the bridal party in a big limobus thing. Fiance wanted us to be with the bridal party, even though I kind of just wanted to be with him. He wins this one because I win everything else about this wedding...

The guests are being bused to the reception - with a gap between and a kind of big distance, we thought it would be nice to provide it. (This is also kind of the norm in my group of friends, though. We live in the city and none of us really drives, and most people are staying where the ceremony is located, so it made sense to bus them there and back.)

3) Ceremony music is dictated by the Catholic church so we don't get to be creative I'm very jealous of all of you that can be! Can't wait to hear all the selections!

mekiakoo

1) Ceremony will be at 6:15 (weird time, I know) and cocktail hour will start at 7, people will need to drive 2-3 miles.

2) The wedding party will take off in a trolley (so excited!) and make a short detour for pictures

3) Music? I have no idea haha. We'll just let someone pick it out- doesn't matter to us since we are deaf. I guess we should start looking at lyrics.

michelle11988

1) It is about 30 minute drive between the ceremony and reception so we are starting cocktail hour at 6:30 and our ceremony is at 5:30 and should be a half hour.

2) We are taking a limo to the reception from the ceremony, we may have our parents or the best man/maid of honor drive with us or just us.  We haven't figured it out really and our guests are taking a school bus.  We want everyone to relax and have a good time and not worry about transportation, there are also no cabs in the area so I don't want to worry that night.

3) Music, well its a ceremony at a Catholic church so I don't think we have too much of a choice on it.

elizabethmae315

1. Our ceremony will start at 6, and our reception will be right after. Because its a friday night, people will want to eat, so there wont be a cocktail hour in between. Its not very common to have a cocktail hour around here anyways. Guests will have to drive about 5 miles. 

2. Im trying to determine if there will be room in the budget for a limo; if not, we are hoping to borrow FI's grandparents old style t-bird. or, Idk what option 3 is. 

3. Ceremony music is a guitar played by a bridesmaid for the Unity Candle, and maybe exit. Her mom is playing the piano for us. I liked the idea of keeping the ceremony personal that way. 

BrightFirefly

For those of you paying for ceremony musicians, approximately how much is that costing?

penny12986

We have a cocktail hour between the ceremony and reception. They are both at the same location. Our venue is a hotel so we will be staying there for the night and we are not worrying about special transportation. We have our DJ providing the ceremony music and that was included in the overall price. The total cost for him doing the ceremony, cocktail hour and reception is $700.

Lisariqua

Our cememony and reception are being held at the same place. We will have an hour cocktail hour before dinner.

My FI's friend is playing the piano. I have no idea what to tell him to play.

ginadog

1) How much time are you allowing between ceremony and reception? How far apart are your two venues?

Even though the ceremony and reception are at the same place, my DOC recommended 30 minutes between the end of the ceremony and the start of the apps hour roughly.  It's like a 2 minute walk between the places, but maybe longer if you're in heels and socializing.

2) How are you guys handling transportation from the ceremony site to the reception venue? Getting into your own decorated car with a lovely "Just Married" posted on the back window? Limo? Horse-drawn carriage (Which seems WICKED cool to me)?

The ceremony and reception are on the same grounds.  I just plan on walking!

3) What about ceremony music?

My friend is going to play solo cello as her gift to us.  I will find her a cello locally and drive it to my wedding as she will be flying in (she'd have to buy a whole extra seat if she brought her cello!)  She's a freelance cellist in San Fran so she's pretty good!  I don't think there will be any precessional (when the bridal party walks) because I won't have a bridal party.

ginadog

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-club-boards_july-2012-weddings_ceremony-questions?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20Club%20BoardsForum:066005ef-215f-48b1-8655-328b41e07c52Discussion:ab67d5f4-267b-48fb-8d89-12b2c06b8c65Post:0a2164ea-f986-40f9-bf40-44e058a2d5f4">Re: Ceremony Questions</a>:
[QUOTE]1) Ceremony will be at 6:15 (weird time, I know) and cocktail hour will start at 7, people will need to drive 2-3 miles. 2) The wedding party will take off in a trolley (so excited!) and make a short detour for pictures 3) Music? I have no idea haha. We'll just let someone pick it out- doesn't matter to us since we are deaf. I guess we should start looking at lyrics.
Posted by mekiakoo[/QUOTE]

Mekiakoo - will your officiant be signing and have a spoken interpreter or other way around?  I'm curious!

mekiakoo

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-club-boards_july-2012-weddings_ceremony-questions?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding Club BoardsForum:066005ef-215f-48b1-8655-328b41e07c52Discussion:ab67d5f4-267b-48fb-8d89-12b2c06b8c65Post:1d717f4a-652a-4298-ac3a-50e9deceec79">Re: Ceremony Questions</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Ceremony Questions : Mekiakoo - will your officiant be slinging and have a spoken interpreter or other way around?  I'm curious!
Posted by ginadog[/QUOTE]

We were considering having a deaf officiant but then decided that it'd be a bit weird and we don't really know anyone. So we're going to have 3 interpreters while the officiant talks. One interpreter will be right next to the officiant and the other 2 will be on the sides for our deaf guests.

mekiakoo

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-club-boards_july-2012-weddings_ceremony-questions?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding Club BoardsForum:066005ef-215f-48b1-8655-328b41e07c52Discussion:ab67d5f4-267b-48fb-8d89-12b2c06b8c65Post:9ebcba63-352b-47a1-84e3-7ddd9e7a19bb">Re: Ceremony Questions</a>:
[QUOTE]For those of you paying for ceremony musicians, approximately how much is that costing?
Posted by BrightFirefly[/QUOTE]

My dad wanted a violinst so he got one for maybe $200? Quite expensive I think! We are also having a family friend sing during the unity- people say she has a very beautiful voice and she can bring people to tears. Not sure what we'll pay her or what gift to get her though.

BrightFirefly

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-club-boards_july-2012-weddings_ceremony-questions?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding Club BoardsForum:066005ef-215f-48b1-8655-328b41e07c52Discussion:ab67d5f4-267b-48fb-8d89-12b2c06b8c65Post:92172c2c-809f-4624-9749-c247f53affb0">Re: Ceremony Questions</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Ceremony Questions : My dad wanted a violinst so he got one for maybe $200? Quite expensive I think! We are also having a family friend sing during the unity- people say she has a very beautiful voice and she can bring people to tears. Not sure what we'll pay her or what gift to get her though.
Posted by mekiakoo[/QUOTE]

See - I sort of wanted someone to play a guitar..but..sheesh..it's like $300 dollars for them to play..-_- I mean..they'll play while people are walking in, play while I walk down the aisle, and play as we leave...

cmhutchison22

Our reception is at a picnic area right next to the beach our ceremony is at.  It is a five minute walk down the beach or a five minute walk back up the boardwalk and across the hotel parking lot. 

As for getting there, we are going back up the boardwalk and getting into a red bug motor car(electric car rental company on the island we are getting married on)  with a sign that says just married.  We will be driving around the island in it for about ten minutes doing pictures.  So we will probably have a ten to fifteen minute gap between the ceremony and reception. 

FI's neice plays flute and is providing our music. She is also doing my hair and makeup.  We are paying her, but I am also getting her a tote bag with the same stuff in it as my MOH tote.

littlemoments324

1) How much time are you allowing between ceremony and reception? How far apart are your two venues?  We're having everything all in the same place.  But there will be a cocktail hour from 5-6pm then dinner.  However, if we were having a church wedding or a wedding at a separate location, we would allow probably a 2 hr time frame just to have enough time for pictures.

2) How are you guys handling transportation from the ceremony site to the reception venue? Yes, it comes with our package for blocking rooms at the hotel affiliated with the venue.  But the transportation is only for hotel guests...If we were having it somewhere else, we wouldn't provide transporation.  Getting into your own decorated car with a lovely "Just Married" posted on the back window? Limo? Horse-drawn carriage (Which seems WICKED cool to me)?  no decorated car, limo anything!  I would love to have my dad finish his little MG for pictures, but its not going to happen! =(

3) What about ceremony music?  We're having a cello quartet.  FI & I love Apocolyptica and we're having them play one of our favorite songs, All I Ask of You from Phantom of the Opera and whatever else they want to play...Canon in D for the mom's...

ginadog

Spellchecker fail!  Signing not slinging.  LOL 



I am a non-professional musician (meaning it isn't my livelihood, but most of us has music degrees) and my flute quartet charges $175 for the first hour, $150 for every hour after that.  I would imagine $200-300 for a professional for one hour is average.

If you have a college near you, maybe they have a music department.  A student duet/trio/quartet would be cheaper!

BrightFirefly

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-club-boards_july-2012-weddings_ceremony-questions?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding Club BoardsForum:066005ef-215f-48b1-8655-328b41e07c52Discussion:ab67d5f4-267b-48fb-8d89-12b2c06b8c65Post:350945ad-aa1a-4322-85f3-b23bfbb624a2">Re: Ceremony Questions</a>:
[QUOTE]Spellchecker fail!  Signing not slinging.  LOL  I am a non-professional musician (meaning it isn't my livelihood, but most of us has music degrees) and my flute quartet charges $175 for the first hour, $150 for every hour after that.  I would imagine $200-300 for a professional for one hour is average. If you have a college near you, maybe they have a music department.  A student duet/trio/quartet would be cheaper!
Posted by ginadog[/QUOTE]

We actually have the college conservatory of music at UC - so maybe someone will still be in town during the summer term - that's a great idea actually.

We're just looking for something that sounds nice - and someone who will show up on time. :p

MeaganR12

1. Ceremony and reception are at the same place and there is no break in between. 

2. No transportation since they are at the same place.

3. Our DJ is playing vitamin string quartet music like this: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrZsU7x1aFk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Avl1xMiSM74&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17BytPwp3H4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGvmtYjbNNc

BeachLover2885

1) How much time are you allowing between ceremony and reception? How far apart are your two venues?

Our ceremony will be at the same place as the reception. Our ceremony is at 6 and the cocktail hour will start at 7.

2) How are you guys handling transportation from the ceremony site to the reception venue? Getting into your own decorated car with a lovely "Just Married" posted on the back window? Limo? Horse-drawn carriage (Which seems WICKED cool to me)?

We will be taking a limo from the hotel we are getting ready at to a nearby park (weather permitting!!) to take pictures. We still need to book transportation, but we have 12 people in our bridal party so we'll need to get a pretty big limo to fit everyone. 

3) What about ceremony music?

I love love Pachibel's Canon in D.  Our band is going to do the ceremony music as well.  We have the keyboard, classical guitar and flute.  I would love to have a violin but I don't think it's worth the extra money, especially for such a small portion of the whole evening. 

Elinetrouwt

Our ceremony will be in the same place as the reception. So no transportation needed. There will be a few hours cocktail time in between ceremony and reception, as is our local custom.

I don't think we'll be hiring any live musicians for during the ceremony. I'd love to have someone play the cello, but I'd rather spend my money elsewhere. I'm not sure if we'll opt for classical music or something different. I kind of like a song by Feist, 'The circle married the line', but I'm not sure if the lyrics are appropriate or not. It sounds pretty ceremonial though. As a recessional, I was thinking of 'You've got the love', but maybe that's too much of a religious vibe for a secular ceremony? Idk.

Madisonpenny

Our ceremony and our reception is on the same property.  Right after the ceremony our guests go to the cocktail hour and approx. 1-1/5 hrs. they'll head to the dinner.  So no need for transportant in between the 2.
As far as ceremony music, we haven't even though that far ahead yet.

brandeeteer

Our ceremony is private and will only be for our families (my FI is too nervous to have that many people there). The ceremony is at 1:30 and should be about 25 minutes. The reception starts at 3:00 with no cocktail hour since people don't have to waste time between the two except our families.

We are taking a towncar (or mini limo as my FI calls it) from the ceremony to the reception and stopping off for pictures along the way. Since my kids are the RB and FG they will be riding in the towncar with us.

I have a friend from church that plays the piano so she will be playing during the ceremony.