Timeline

akbrown19

I'm going to narrow this down to one specific timeline question. I have it pretty well hashed out how much time we need for pictures and getting ready and everything else.

Background: ceremony and reception/hotel block are 30 minutes apart. Hotel is 5 minutes from reception and we're offering a shuttle.

How long do we need between ceremony and reception? We are trying to balance 1) enough time for hotel check-in/getting on shuttle (hotel cannot guarantee check-in before ceremony) and 2) short enough for those who go straight to cocktail hour. I don't know if 1 hour or 1.5 hours down time would work better. Either way we'll have enough time for pics, I'm just concerned about my guests in this case.

As it stands:
3:30 PM - Ceremony begins
4:15 PM - Ceremony ends
4:30 PM - Everyone has left, our pictures begin
5:30 PM - Cocktail hour
6:30 PM - Arrival, introductions, etc.

Is this enough time (1 hour)? The alternative is ending the ceremony at 4 but keep cocktail hour at 5:30. Thoughts? Suggestions? Thanks!!

mamameech

I think an hour is fine and gives them time to just chill. They aren't rushed to do anything and don't have a major delay.

abcollins08

Will 15 minutes be enough time for the guests to leave after the ceremony?  Some may want to hang around and chit chat with people they haven't seen in a while.  That's the only thing I'd be worried about.  If that doesn't bother you then I think you're good!

QueerFemme

It seems like two hours is a lot between the end of the ceremony and when you arrive.   I know you said the reception is about 30 minutes away... but, still, that seems like a long time to me.

Also, unless you are having a very formal/religious ceremony, I would think your ceremony would be over in about 20-30 minutes, not 45.  The only ceremony I've ever been to that lasted even close to that, was a ceremony that included a catholic mass.

Maybe have the ceremony at 4, which would probably end about 4:30, and cocktail hour beginning at 5 - 5:15ish until 6:15 or 6:30, which is when you would arrive.

I guess, you arriving 3 hours after your ceremony begins just seems like a really long time to me.

akbrown19

Our ceremony will be more like 45 minutes as we will be having a formal religious ceremony that includes (at the very least) the processional, statement of intent, 2 readings, a unity candle, a sermon, communion and a recessional. Without communion, it's more like 25-30 minutes. In general, we are considering between the ceremony and a receiving line as well as people lingering around that everything will take about 1 hour.

The cocktail hour will include food and drinks, and we are estimating that a lot of people probably won't even make it to cocktail hour right on time. I was assuming that if they had an open bar and some appetizer plates as well as plenty of other guests to chit chat with that arriving 45 minutes to an hour after cocktail hour begins isn't too long of a wait.

Anybody else feel differently?

QueerFemme

Ok, that ceremony timeframe makes more sense then.  I still feel like arriving 3 hours after the beginning of your ceremony seems like a long time.  But, maybe its because the travel time between the locations is lengthy.

Also, I would also expect that most folks will go directly to the reception, and probably would have checked in at the hotel prior to going to the ceremony.  they probably would have checked in, and freshened up before heading to your ceremony.   

I don't think 45 minutes is an overly long time to wait for you to arrive either, but, I imagine many (even if its just half) of your guests arrive at the cocktail hour at 5, they will be waiting an hour and a half for your arrival, after have just driven for 30 minutes.

If a lot of your guests will know each other though, and you think this will be more of a reunion of sorts and they won't mind hanging out with each other for about 90 minutes or so, then, I think it will work. I guess it depends on your guests.