Community› Wedding Discussion Boards› Wedding Cakes & Food Forum
Wedding Cakes & Food Forum
New Discussion

How Early is too Early.....

donjoe2448donjoe2448 member
First Comment
in Wedding Cakes & Food Forum
To serve a dinner?  We are getting married at a local park.  It is beautiful, there is a gazebo for the ceremony and then a renovated barn for the reception.  I was thinking of having the ceremony at something like 4PM, the FI and his brother think 2PM.  Since we dont have a travel time to get from one spot to the other, I am worried this is a little early to have it! The park closes at 11PM so that would be when it would end and I dont want people to leave early...... The FBIL thinks that since there is a sandy spot that people swim on that people will want to go swimming (August 17th is the date)  but honestly..... it is a wedding.  People arent going to want to go swimming and then come in and have a wedding reception.  I am just looking for opinions on whether having it at 2 is too early..... we are having a semi-pro photographer in the form of my brother so we will need time for pictures but that would only put us at 3PM at the latest!!  HELP!
Report Reply to Post

Re: How Early is too Early.....

  • jessicabessicajessicabessica member
    100 Love Its Third Anniversary First Comment Combo Breaker
    I think snippet's timeline is fine (I agree that it's fine to eat early), but it will be too early if you want people to stay until 11 pm.  I think it's unlikely that people will stay nearly 10 hours, and you would definitely need to have more food later on if people were dancing for that long.  And I agree with you that they are not going to swim in the middle of a wedding.  

    Also, what are you going to do when you want to take family photos that include your brother?  Are you having a second shooter?  I would hesitate to use a member of my immediate family as the photographer because I'd want them to enjoy the wedding.  Also, it can be risky to mix friends/family with work, because any kind of professional issues will be harder to handle.  
    Report Reply
  • donjoe2448donjoe2448 member
    First Comment
    In Response to Re: How Early is too Early.....:
    [QUOTE]I think snippet's timeline is fine (I agree that it's fine to eat early), but it will be too early if you want people to stay until 11 pm.  I think it's unlikely that people will stay nearly 10 hours, and you would definitely need to have more food later on if people were dancing for that long.  And I agree with you that they are not going to swim in the middle of a wedding.   Also, what are you going to do when you want to take family photos that include your brother?  Are you having a second shooter?  I would hesitate to use a member of my immediate family as the photographer because I'd want them to enjoy the wedding.  Also, it can be risky to mix friends/family with work, because any kind of professional issues will be harder to handle.  
    Posted by jessicabessica[/QUOTE]

    Well, it is a very casual wedding that we are planning.  As it goes with the food, I was thinkin about a cocktail hour type of time, we are paying for everything ourselves so I am trying to trim the cost as much as possible.  I was thinking that for cocktail hour, we would serve things like bacon wrapped franks, a cheese platter...... and after that I am out of ideas.  Dinner is going to consist of chicken (done over a fire on a rotisserie) a variety of pasta and potato salad, mixed fruit and a green salad with a few different dressings.  Oh and some type of roll with butter.  We are having a cake and I was thinking of later on in the night, setting out a dessert table with cookies, brownies and mini cheesecakes. 
    Report Reply
  • MrsGandthebeagMrsGandthebeag member
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker First Comment 5 Love Its
    I would go with your time, starting the ceremony at 4.  I went to a wedding where the bride and groom told the guests to bring bathing suits.  I thought it was kind of nutty and didn't bring mine, but my dh and many other guests did take a dip afterwards.  
    Report Reply
  • Maggie0829Maggie0829 member
    Eighth Anniversary 25 Answers 10000 Comments 500 Love Its
    I recently went to a 1:30pm wedding.  The ceremony lasted about a half hour and then they had a cocktail hour.  Everything was at the same location.  So they served a huge buffet at 3pm.

    Would it have been weird to eat a huge meal that early on a normal day?  Sure.  But since it was a wedding no one even blinked an eye that a big meal was being served at 3pm. 

    Report Reply
  • jessicabessicajessicabessica member
    100 Love Its Third Anniversary First Comment Combo Breaker
    In Response to Re: How Early is too Early.....:
    [QUOTE]I recently went to a 1:30pm wedding.  The ceremony lasted about a half hour and then they had a cocktail hour.  Everything was at the same location.  So they served a huge buffet at 3pm. Would it have been weird to eat a huge meal that early on a normal day?  Sure.  But since it was a wedding no one even blinked an eye that a big meal was being served at 3pm. 
    Posted by Maggie0829[/QUOTE]

    I think the issue is more that OP seems to want guests to stay until 11 pm.  I agree that it's never a bad time for a huge meal at a wedding.  
    Report Reply
  • Maggie0829Maggie0829 member
    Eighth Anniversary 25 Answers 10000 Comments 500 Love Its
    In Response to Re: How Early is too Early.....:
    [QUOTE]In Response to Re: How Early is too Early..... : I think the issue is more that OP seems to want guests to stay until 11 pm.  I agree that it's never a bad time for a huge meal at a wedding.  
    Posted by jessicabessica[/QUOTE]

    Oh.  Her OP was hard to follow.

    Report Reply
This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards