Poll: Times?

Lacey36

I wanted to know if you attended a catholic wedding ceremony and reception what time would you like ot have the ceremony and reception start? I ask because I can do ours at 2:00 pm for an 45 mins ceremony or at 6:00 pm but I would do the shorter ceremony. Do you think it would be to late to start cocktail hour at 7:00pm and dinner starts at 8:00 going until midnight?

I'll take your opinions and advice if you've been to one or not.

twinkle82576

I'm not doing a Catholic ceremony, but I've been to them, and I think that if you do a 2PM ceremony, and cocktail hour doesn't start until 5:30PM, you're going to have a good number of people that skip the ceremony and go straight to the reception.

I just think a lot of people wouldn't want to just hang around or have to find something to do, or go back home or whatever while they wait for the reception.

That's just me though. In the end, you need to do whatever is right for you. It is your day afterall.

GL!

jennej24

I went to a wedding with a long wait between the ceremony and wedding and it was annoying. It wasn't close enough to our house to go back home, so we ended up spending the afternoon all dressed up hanging out at a local bar....

kford_princess

I'm sorry I read the poll wrong, I voted for the 2:00 but I didn't notice the long wait between cermony and cocktail hour. I'm doing a 2pm ceremony because that's the lastest our Church will do.

I think it would be better to do the ceremony at 6 because a 3 hour wait between ceremony and cocktail is really long.

GL!

millenia98

As a guest, I'd hate to have to wait in between.

Def. 7pm ceremony

millenia98

oops I meant 6pm ceremony

TheJennius

It'd be really hard for those out of town guests, not knowing what to do with 3 hours in their hands.

zobo410

Definitely skip the wait if at all possible. We are doing cocktail hour first, then ceremony at like 7:15pm so reception won't start til about 8pm. That is fine!

Lacey36

Thanks ladies for your opinions It truly opened my eyes as to how people would feel. i know the Gardens Mall is right down the street and there would be a 2 hour wait time until cocktail hour. So i guess they could of hung out there but not sure if anyone wants to go to the mall. lol.

I was in two weddings like that with the wait it didnt bother me b/c i was in them and another one i wasnt and just went home in between so thats why i thought it wouldnt be a problem.

Im seriously thinking of doing the later ceremony time and all.

How do the short ceremonies work?

TtotheG

Ok, here's the deal:

Where is your venue in relation to your church? Is it far? Near? What's the story?

Personally, our church is 20 minutes from our venue, which leaves up with a 4pm ceremony. The ceremony is 4-5:00/5:30pm and the cocktail hour starts at 7pm. If you are having a nup. mass, there is no way the ceremony is only going to be 20-30 minutes

Look at ALL the variable before you weigh your options. 

Tiffayqp12

Lacey we are doing a full mass for our ceremony which will start at 6p.m.  Full Mass is an hour (could go longer if you pick longer readings).  We are starting cocktail hour at 7:30 is because the ceremony is in downtown Miami and the reception is in Coral Gables, so we are giving about 30 minutes drive time.  Reception starts at 8:30p.m.  At first I felt so bad because dinner is being served so late, but that's the only option we had because if we didn't do the 6pm mass it was a 2pm mass.

Lacey36

Tess-The church is 5 mins down the road from the reception. Its St. Patricks Catholic Church off of Donald Ross and Properity Farms, and Frenchman's Reserve is the reception place, off of A1A Between Donald Ross and PGA Blvd.

We only have the option of 2:00 pm or 6:00 pm ceremonies. What do you mean about nup mass? Sorry I didnt understand lol. How long should it last? If we did a full ceremony with readings and bread and all church said it would be like 50 mins.

If we did the 6:00 pm ceremony cocktail hour would start at 7 and dinner reception at 8 going to midnight. Otherwise if we did the earlier mass at 2 it would go to about 3 and cocktail hour at 5:30 with reception at 6:30-10:30.

Tiffany-thats exactly what church has for times. Do you think 8:30 is too late or no? I guess if its the only options they i can understand where you are coming from.

Tiffayqp12

I don't think 8:30 is too late, but I am  biased because that is what we are doing.  Besides I figured out a while ago that life in Miami is different than everywhere else and nobody eats dinner till 9 anyways. If you are having hors d'ouvres at your cocktail hour they should be fine.  It's a party--people will stay late.  Our reception ends at 12:30---really that is just when the bar closes, but we are allowed to stay as long as we want.