Wedding Etiquette Forum

What the hell am I going to do for 5 hours!?

Awhile back I posted about fls friends wedding where I was referred to as "guest" on the invite and my FMIL was b-listed. Well... This is somewhat of an update.

My mom will be watching my children this Saturday so we can go. We knew the ceremony was at 1pm and know where it is, but she wanted to know what time we will be home. Well, I lost the invite so I checked their wedding website. There is a 5 hour frickin gap!! The ceremony is almost 2 hours from our home. The website had a link for "things to do" but lo and behold the page was empty with the exception of a link to their honeymoon registry, which by the way is on every page!

I have no clue how I missed this when we first received the invite or I wouldnt have chose a dinner option and we would have gone to the Megadeth concert instead of the reception... And I hate Megadeth....

So... Ideas please? What do we do for 5 damn hours?

Re: What the hell am I going to do for 5 hours!?

  • Ditto, I'd mysteriously come down with food poisoning or something, which I'm sure half their guests also will mysteriously have that night.
    Don't make me mobilize OffensiveKitten

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  • Is the reception any closer to home than the ceremony?  I'd probably just do the reception like one PP suggested.
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  • Gaps aren't uncommon around here. We usually either skip the ceremony, hit up the hotel pool, day drink at someone's house, or find a bar.
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  • I wouldn't go either. Or, as PPs have suggested, I would just hit up the reception. These people don't seem close enough to you (as indicated by the fact that they didn't even refer to you by name on the invite) to justify driving around aimlessly trying to find somewhere to hang out for five hours. That's a ridiculous amount of time, I can't understand how anyone could think that was a good idea.
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  • PDKH said:
    Gaps aren't uncommon around here. We usually either skip the ceremony, hit up the hotel pool, day drink at someone's house, or find a bar.
    I wish I'd done this for a recent wedding. It was a 5.5 hour gap and 45 minutes away and we drove there and back twice, as we have a dog and couldn't abandon her for a whole day. We went to the reception for around an hour because we were tired and bored.

    I'd say skip either the ceremony or reception, or skip it all altogether.
  • Some hotels have day rates, especially properties located near airports. That might be an option. Check in for those five hours and have some private space where you can sleep, watch TV, swim in the pool, use the spa/fitness center or work on a laptop.

    Absent the kids, you might have some quality marital activities time.

    A five hour gap is absurd. Too bad you didn't catch it in time. I know that staying in a hotel is pricey, but if you can afford it, that sure beats driving around aimlessly. You might go in with another couple or more for a suite. That would give a bunch of people a place to "land" for those five hours.

  • zobird said:
    PDKH said:
    Gaps aren't uncommon around here. We usually either skip the ceremony, hit up the hotel pool, day drink at someone's house, or find a bar.
    I wish I'd done this for a recent wedding. It was a 5.5 hour gap and 45 minutes away and we drove there and back twice, as we have a dog and couldn't abandon her for a whole day. We went to the reception for around an hour because we were tired and bored.

    I'd say skip either the ceremony or reception, or skip it all altogether.


    Haha just hit me up next time you have a gap to burn!

    Schlafley Tap House is one of our favorite "wedding gap" haunts. We'll do Main Street a lot too - but that's all the way out in St. Charles.

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  • Well fl has been friends with the groom since highschool and won't "out of respect" miss the ceremony... Which I totally respect. We've never met his bride (no one has in these 2 years they've been together). And time away without the kids is few and far between so I was looking forward to a night out. Tough one. Although "food poisoning" would've been an awesome excuse!

    I like the idea of getting a hotel though! I'll run that past fl.

    I also like the idea of voodoo dolls ;)

    No clue how I missed this the first time around! Ugh... I wish more people checked this site before planning.
  • edited July 2013
    I'd skip the ceremony and enjoy the free booze and food at the reception only (I'm assuming they're hosting food and some kind of a bar? Maybe not based on their other faux pas). Sorry, but if a couple does a gap that large I have no guilt at all about skipping the ceremony.
  •  I like the idea of getting a hotel though! I'll run that past fl.

    Suites are sometimes not that much more expensive than a regular room. About the past five years, or so, we've been booking suites instead of rooms. We like having more space and a separate sleeping area.

    If you know others attending the wedding, getting a suite with a separate living room might be a great idea. That way most can sit in a living room with a TV and wet bar while others might be in the bedroom napping, bathing or freshening up.

    A few years ago, we got a really great suite in Charleston, SC, for $129/night. It was two separate bedrooms, a really nice large bathroom and a great sitting room between the two bedrooms. The price was fantastic. We shared it with a traveling companion.
  • Is there a movie theater near by?  I feel like that might be a good way to kill a few hours.  You could always just deduct the price of your tickets from the gift you give (I know I would).
    Don't worry guys, I have the Wedding Police AND the Whambulance on speed dial!
  • I'd skip the whole thing altogether before I'd miss the ceremony.  But I just have strong feelings against missing ceremonies and going to the reception.

    Totally agree that this couple is douchey though for having a 5 hour gap.  I don't like gaps at all... but a tiny gap is understandable.  5 freaking hours?  Even in social groups where gaps are common, I don't think they're normally 5 hours.  

    Make voodoo dolls AT the megadeath concert.

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  • Drink.  At a casino, so you can win some cash for the cash bar??  We did that once.  My winnings covered all my drinks for the evening.  But movie is actually a good idea too.  

  • PDKH said:
    zobird said:
    PDKH said:
    Gaps aren't uncommon around here. We usually either skip the ceremony, hit up the hotel pool, day drink at someone's house, or find a bar.
    I wish I'd done this for a recent wedding. It was a 5.5 hour gap and 45 minutes away and we drove there and back twice, as we have a dog and couldn't abandon her for a whole day. We went to the reception for around an hour because we were tired and bored.

    I'd say skip either the ceremony or reception, or skip it all altogether.


    Haha just hit me up next time you have a gap to burn!

    Schlafley Tap House is one of our favorite "wedding gap" haunts. We'll do Main Street a lot too - but that's all the way out in St. Charles.

    That's walking distance from my apartment! I've never been but I've been wanting to go! Only been to the brewery out in wherever that is - off of Manchester? Anyway, funny! Our paths cross!
  • I would either skip the ceremony or find some activities to do between go out to eat or go to a movie.  Almost every wedding I've attended has had a gap.  So usually FI & I will go home or we'll go hang out with friends in between...

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  • @zobird, Urban Chestnut? I think it's on Manchester. It's pretty yummy. The Tap House is a must though - good beer, good food. It's our pre-Cards game stop too. 
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