Timeline of the day

Krembodious

I've heard some mixed opinions on our timeline for the day of our wedding, so I was wondering what you guys think:2:00-3:00ish ceremony5:00- cocktails5:30- receiving line6:00 - introduction of bridal party/cake cutting6:15 - salads served6:30- dinner served8:00- danceWe're still a little bit out from the wedding, so we don't have all the specifics planned (like when to do toasts, etc), but that's our general outline right now.  We can't move the ceremony later b/c of mass happening at the church..Thoughts? 

CubsGirl05

What are guests going to do for two hours between the ceremony and reception?  

whitsy

Seems fine to me, except for the 2 hour gap, but I've learned on this board that it's the norm in a lot of places.

georgia_bride09

What is happening from 3:00ish until 5:00?

Krembodious

Okay, thanks - I'm not a fan of the gap btwn the ceremony and reception, but I really don't think much can be done about it.   

georgia_bride09

I love that your ceremony is in a church and your reception is at a casino. That made me chuckle. I think that's fine since your guests can totally hang out at the casino for a couple hours. You just better hope they don't gamble your gift money away!

CubsGirl05

Is there a way to provide a few brochures on the casino, so the guests who don't want/like/are comfortable with gambling can find something else to do?

ootmother2

Can you do the receiving line after the ceremony and before cocktails?That takes up some of the gap time and makes the cocktail time longer

TheSaltyPeanut

Why would you have a receiving line after the ceremony? I guess I've never heard of that. Even if the "intent" is to do the receiving line at 5:30, you surely would get past all of your guests in order to leave. You will be cornered with "oh it was so lovely!" and "look at your dress!" etc. I think it would be rude to just bolt from the ceremony to pictures.

weddnovice

I've never heard of a receiving line that wasn't right after the ceremony.  Usually you're greeted after the guests are piling out of the church or ceremony site.How would you even get everyone to line up like that after they're enjoying cocktails?  Why wouldn't you have the timeline be:2:00-2:30 - ceremony2:30 - 3pm - receiving line3:30- 4pm - Family portraits4:30 - 5pm - Bridal party portraits>>>  5pm - Cocktails  <<<<<5pm - 5:30pm Bride & Groom portraits6:00 - introduction of bridal party/cake cutting6:15 - salads served6:30- dinner served8:00- dance

TiDa2009

I agree about having the receiving line after the ceremony.  Especially since you're having a gap.  That way, you don't leave them hanging.

ootmother2

wednovice, that's good but a Catholic wedding with a mass will take longer than 30 minutes.  More like an hour

weddnovice

Oh I missed that it was Catholic & a full mass.  If it's full mass then yes it's an hour ceremony.  However, even if they are Catholic she can ask for just a ceremony and skip the communion (if she wants).

ootmother2

sorry novice,The full mass is totally required to get over the sinning in the casino later!

weddnovice

LOL - good point OOT!!!!!

banana468

Ditto OOT.  If you can do a receiving line at the church that will add a half hour or so with mingling.How long of a drive is it to the reception?If it's at all possible to start the cocktail hour earlier I'd do that - and do your pictures during the cocktail hour.If you can't do that, is it possible to open the venue earlier?

Krembodious

Wow- thanks for all the responses guys!  As far as the receiving line after the ceremony, the reason we can't do that is because we need to be out of the church completely by 3:30 (there is confession and then mass after that), so if we want to have any pics done in the church that include both my fiance and I, we have to do them from 3:00-3:30 (It is a full Catholic mass, so it'll last about an hour).  I'm surprised so many haven't heard of doing the receiving line at the beginning of the reception - It must a regional thing b/c I've been to a few weddings that have done this *shrug*   It takes about half an hour (by regular car, so possibly more by limo) to get from the ceremony to the reception site.  We thought about doing an hour for cocktails, but the idea of people having that long to just drink seems kind of weird, at least before the dance, haha!Does an hour and a half sound like too long for the sit-down dinner?  We figure that even if it gets done before then, we can just start the dance a little early or table hop a bit and mingle...Again, I appreciate all the input/thoughts! 

banana468

Can you and your FI do some photos before?  I know you don't want to see one another but it would help if you want the church photos in advance and then do a receiving line in the front of the church following the ceremony.If you can't do that then I'd forgo the receiving line or do it at the very beginning of the reception before cocktails so you greet guests as they arrive.  Then do table visits instead of the receiving line.

wdc*bride

We're doing our receiving line during cocktail hour.  I've never seen it done before, but I think it makes loads of sense because then people can mingle and eat and drink, then tag onto the line when it's not too long, rather than all hang out in the pews of the church waiting for their turn with nothing to do.  Gaps are totally normal in my world, so I think it looks good.  Though I doubt you need 6:30-8:00 for just entree.  Are you doing numerous courses there?

kristypacelli

We are somewhat in the same boat - we are having a Catholic Mass on Saturday (so we need to be out of the church by 3:30 for 4pm Mass) but our reception does not start until 6pm.We are planning on "spreading the word" ahead of time for our guests to congregate at a pub near the reception hall.  I am sending one of my close friends who is not part of the WP with some cash to "buy a round" on us.And no, I am not too worried about people showing up drunk - we are also going to buy some munchies for people at the bar and we have an obscene amount of appetizers at the reception when people show up.  (We're Italian - we have to feed people!!)

Krembodious

We're having about 150 (we think/hope) so we think the receiving line will be about half an hour (my fiance's brother had a receiving line for his wedding with about the same number of guests and it was about half an hour.  I'm glad to hear that there are some other people with the same kind of timeline...I'm hoping people will be understanding.

kris_123

To me everything looks fine except I don't get why you would vut the cake right away?  Wouldn't you do that after dinner?  That's the only thing that stands out as weird to me.  Honestly we only had the precice timeline about 1-2 weeks before the wedding.  I thought the timeline was the hardest thing to do!  Good luck!

militiger

the hour and a half for pictures is very long.  My caterer said to not to do more than 45 minutes.my fiance and I aren't seeing eachother before had, so we are making lists of all the the pictures we want and figuring out which ones we aren't both in ex: bride and bridesmaids, flower girls, bide and parents...and doing those before the ceremony to save time with the waiting.i've never heard of doing the cake cutting before dinner, normal that is right before dessert.  you might want to consider getting a sheet cake that is the same flavor as the wedding cake, then it can be cut and ready to serve right after the cake cutting.  it also saves money if you are having a larger wedding.  you can get a tiered cake to serve 50 and make up the difference with the sheet cake, it all tastes the same

lulupetal627

Goodness, I do not understand the obsession with the gap between the ceremony and the reception.  We had our ceremony at 2pm (Catholic), and after the drive to get to the reception site, my guests had about two hours in between.  I gave some suggestions of what to do, but many of my guests napped, went swimming, explored the area, went to local parks, etc.,. It's totally fine.  They will survive, and my friends had a blast exploring.  Your DJ/reception site should have ideas on when to do what.  After being introduced, we did our first dance, then had our toasts.  We cut the cake between the salad and dinner course, and did our parent dances after cake was served.  It was awesome.

ashleyandjerry2010

My wedding's at a catholichurch but since fiance's family isn't catholic, we aren't having the communion portion. For the recieving line- we're skipping it totally... instead after the bridal party walks out and we walk out as husband and wife, we're going to re-enter the church and "release" our guests (for lack of better terminology) pew by pew together. this way as they are walking out of their pew we can do our talking and the oh your beautiful, etc. we saw this in a program the church gave us (a previous couple did this as their recieving line also, and it worked nicely) It's just a thought about doing something a little different, then having everyone standing waiting for you then after we let our family go, we'll follow back out for the bubbles and to take our pictures.

mizu22

i would try to push the cocktail hour up to 4. or make sure guests have something else to do.

Mrs.EliK

I don't think an hour and half it too long to take pictures.  I would leave the cocktail hour to an hour because you may get there late.  After the ceremony it's not as easy to just leave and get right to pictures.  Guest will find things to do in between, I know I always have when I've gone to weddings.  If you don't do the receiving line after the ceremony, then I would just make sure you eat dinner and go to each table to say thanks for coming.  I got married a couple of months ago and not everyone goes to the receiving line but I really was happy that we made the point to go to each table while people were eating to see how the meal was and say hello.  JMO

shamicnic

It sounds good to me.  I think it is okay to have a gap between ceremony and reception.  People can relax or nap or something in between.  Sometimes they like to change into other outfits as well for the reception.