How long..

FutureMrsDudley55

was your reception? Right now, ours is set at 4 hours. Is this too long, too short or just right?

anna.oskar

Ours is 5pm-9pm

danieliza1127

Ours was 4.5 hours and we also had a cocktail hour before it.  I felt like that was fine.  Four hours is pretty standard/average.  I think you'll be fine.

Kati0105

Ours is 5 hours (7-12).  What type of meal are you serving?  I think as long as you have a couple of hours for drinking and dancing you should be fine.  Will it be possible to have a casual afterparty nearby?  We're planning on joining any interested guests for drinks at the hotel lounge following our reception.

ac_in_dc

Mine was 4 hours and worked out well. I wouldn't have minded an extra hour, but we caught up with folks at the hotel bar 'til late in the evening anyway.

ac_in_dc

Oh, and it was from 3-7, with cocktail hour, meal, & dancing.

Nebb

Ours started at 6:30 or so, and we didnt leave until 1:30 and there were still people there. So... 7hrs or so

tidetravel

Ours was 4 hours - we actually included the cocktail "hour" in it, so was actually closer to 3 hours for the reception part.  I thought it was a little too short, but a lot of guests did leave before the official "end time," so I guess it was just right.

ExpatPumpkin

Including the cocktail hour, 8 hours. 4Pm-midnight. But this is normal for our circle.

janedoe1113a

Ours is set for 4 hours.  We're having a one hour cocktail hour before that.

ExpatPumpkin

For us, this was just right. The older guests started leaving around 11PM and the younger ones stayed until the end.

mandysmear

5 hours.

FutureMrsDudley55

Our caterer offers a sit-down dinner, and buffet. I think we may go the sit-down dinner route and have it begin at 6:30pm. Our reception is set to start at 6pm, so I thought that guests could do some mingling and drinking for that first half hour, then we will eat.

scoetto

We had it set up for 4-8 but people started leaving around 7ish.

FutureMrsDudley55

Hmm maybe I should start dinner at 7pm and end the reception at 11pm instead. So from 6-7 could serve as a cocktail hour and some h'ordeurves.

tenofcups4me

1st wedding: 5 hours total (1 hour cocktail hour and 4 hours dinner/dancing). That's the norm in my area and the way most of the packages were structured. 2nd wedding: Intimate ceremony and luncheon at a restaurant for 13 people so shorter (no dancing). Cocktail hour followed by ceremony followed by lunch: about 4 hours total.

jillzlee

Ours was set for 4-8 with dinner, drink, and dancing. It started thinning out at 7:30, so we left a little early. I think 4 hours is plenty long!

*BeachBride0410*

We are having a DW and not a full blown reception.  Just a cocktail hour and a 2 hour buffet dinner with music in the background. Ceremony starts at 6:30, dinner ends at 10. 

ac_in_dc

Hmm maybe I should start dinner at 7pm and end the reception at 11pm instead. So from 6-7 could serve as a cocktail hour and some h'ordeurves.Honestly I think this would be ideal. I didn't have any choice with my venue but to have a 4 hour reception. It was fine, but the extra hour would have been awesome (none of my guests had left yet when the DJ played the last song).

andyandhillary

Mine will probably be close to 6 or 7 hours.  I think 4 hours is really short but it depends on your guests.  Are you going to have a lot of young people to want to dance all night? 

Pirata13

Ours will be 5 hours.

FutureMrsDudley55

In terms of guests, I think it is about 50/50 when it comes to age difference. Maybe a few more elderly.