Ceremony Time?

sssdee · June 2012

Hiya Ladies!

Happy Monday!

I'm finally booking the church next week (The Reverend who is marrying us had her husband suddenly pass away in March a day before our scheduled meeting so I told her to take all the time she needs and contact me when she is back. Super sad.)

I know they offer a couple ceremony times but I'm not sure which to go with. I've been trying to come up with a rough timeline for the day of but every time I move something up or down then I need to book more time for the photographer or limo LOL I know I want a solid 2 hours of photo time in between the ceremony and reception and the doors open for cocktails at 5pm at our venue, so I'm thinking maybe a later ceremony?

What are/have you guys chosen for a ceremony time and why? (If any reason)

anastassiiat · June 2012

Our ceremony is at 4:30, but it's a short one (about half an hour) and at the same location as the reception (the reception starts right after at 5). We are lucky that our photographer will be with us for the whole day, so FI and I will take separate pictures before the ceremony (I don't want him to see my dress prior to it) and than we will do our pictures together during cocktail hour.

What time was your ceremony planned for originally?

ashbeth06 · June 2012

Our ceremony was originally 2 pm. We then decided to do a traditional Catholic Mass with our vows, so we have moved it up to 1:30 since it will take approx. 1 hr and 15min. (I still need to email the liturgical minister about the time change! EEK!)

After the ceremony we're greeting/releasing guests pew by pew to send them out. My cousin's took 45 min and we have to be out of the church by 4 for evening mass. I still wanted a half hour to take some photos in the church if we didn't get all of them done before the ceremony.

We are also starting our reception at 5 with social hour. My plan is for the bridal party to arrive at 5:30, 5:45 at the latest so people start eating at 6.

bar10521 · June 2012

I'm in a similar boat as anastassiiat. We're having a pretty short ceremony (not more than 25 minutes) at the same place as our reception. We've planned for a 5:30 ceremony start time, guests can arrive starting at 5 and it will be over by 6. From 6-7 will be picture time for us and cocktail hour for everyone else. FI and I don't want to see each other before the ceremony so we'll do some individual picture before but none together. We've planned it later so our reception will go until 11pm, we wanted to have a lot of partying after the ceremony so later worked better for us.

sssdee · June 2012

anastassiiat, We haven't chosen a time yet but thought I would gather feedback from you ladies in hopes of figuring out a time lol (I don't want to change it and/or need to change it and can't so here is to hoping choosing right the first time - And yes, I stress about tiny insignificant things like this LOL)

I'm hoping for a short ceremony as well. The longer it goes the more likely my ADD will kick in and I'll get distracted and do something silly

Our cocktail hour starts at 5pm and goes until 6:30 I believe. So I was thinking to have the bridal party and us show up at 6pm so we can do the receiving line into the room (they have a seperate lounge for the cocktail time)

FI and I also arent seeing each other prior to the ceremony but we will have photos snapping photos of each of us at our locations getting ready and whatnot. And we'll be doing our family photos as well as to be determined location photos in between the ceremony and venue which I'd like to give 2 hours to (including travel time)

So doing the math backwards:
Arrival at venue before dinner: 6pm
(Minus 2 hours for travel and photos) 4pm Beginning of photos

So that means we'll be leaving the church around 3:30ish so maybe a 2:30-3pm start if they offer it? I just don't want a huge gap for the guests between the ceremony and reception... Well I guess since many of them will be checking into the hotels they could use the time between it to check in if they wanted?

Ok, new question (hehe) How much time do you plan on having between the ceremony and reception? I want to see what seems to be the norm.

cnf2013 · June 2012

Our ceremony is also at 4:30 and only half an hour. Our reception is in the same location so our cocktails start at 5 and our entrances will start around 6. We picked our time based on the time that out of towners coming in do of would arrive, check into our hotel/venue and have time to settle in and get ready. If you're doing a mass wedding and your cocktails start at 5 I would suggest the mass start at, or close to, 2pm. That would give you an hour ceremony and two hours inbetween it ending and cocktails starting. If you plan on doing a recieving line maybe more like 1:30.

cnf2013 · June 2012

Ignore my last post, it was way off, haha. We only have an hour in between ceremony and reception since it's all one location. We're not going to do a recieving line so our hour will be all photo time. The normal time guest should have to linger is an hour, though an additional half an hour is usually okay for most people. Just make sure there are places to sit.

The last wedding I went to there was a three hour gap between the ceremony and the reception. FI and I ended up skipping the reception because we had closed on our house the day before and were supposed to have appliance delivered and the three hour gap plus hour drive back was just not doable for us. That's somewhat extreme, but had there only been an hour gap we would have gone to the reception for at least an hour or two.

cnf2013 · June 2012

OH! My other suggestion, I'd say XP this to the chit chat/gossip board. They're more of a general questions board really and timeline related questions com up all the time there. They'll be able to give some good advice.

bar10521 · June 2012

Since everything is in one place we'll only have the 1 hour cocktail hour between the end of the ceremony and the start of the reception. A friend of mine is getting married in October and I'm a BM she's doing a full Catholic mass and has something like a 2-3 hour gap between the end of the ceremony and the start of the cocktail hour. I told FI not to even come to the ceremony and just come down for the reception since it's about an hour & 1/2 from our house and he doesn't know any of the other guests. I think the most I could handle would be about an hour or so, I'd check into the hotel and maybe have a drink or 2 or go explore the area.

anastassiiat · June 2012

Sssdee, if you end up having an hour or two in between the ceremony and the reception I don't think it's that big of a deal. As a suggestion, maybe on your website (if you have one) you can include information on a couple bars/lounges near the reception venue so that the guests don't have to try to figure out how to kill time in between? I know you've mentioned some of them will be checking in in the hotel, so there is probably some sort of bar area there. right? I'm just thinking from a guest's point of you and I'd appreciate it if the couple gave me a heads up on where I can go hang out prior to the reception.

cnf2013 · June 2012

I agree with Anastassiia, Definitely provide places for them to kill time. The wedding I went to with the three hour gap didn't offer any time killing suggestions. Porbably because it was the smallest, most nonexitent place ever and had no ways to kill time. It was pretty annoying. FI and I complained a lot on the drive home, haha.

sssdee · June 2012

Oh yeah definitely, I'm always thinking of our guests since all of them will be coming from other areas. We were thinking of listing a couple lounges/restaurants to visit as well as a couple other small attractions in the area should they wish to arrive earlier or to visit on the Sunday. And I believe the hotel has a bar so thats also something they can kill time with.

I'll also be making some hotel guest bags for our OOT guests as an additional thank you thing that will include the info (as you know everyone won't visit the website lol)

I've only ever been to weddings where there has been a large gap of 2-3 hours between ceremony and reception so I thought it was the 'norm' until coming onto here and hearing otherwise LOL For the most part, it's always been a welcome break for us since we've checked into Hotel rooms, grabbed a quick bite to eat, relaxed and changed etc so I never had an issue with it so I was interested to hear others opinions.

stumpie3 · June 2012

we were just trying to figure this out the other day! we can't reserve our ceremony site till exactly a year to the day and it's a lottery if more than 1 person is there to reserve it at 8am the day of (which totally terrifies me!) we don't have to know exactly but they like to know around what time when you reserve the site. I think we are going to have a 4:30 ceremony - super short FI's only rule! HAHA then have a receiving line. our cocktail hour is going to start at 5:30...the reception site is literally a block away from the ceremony site but we figure by the time everyone says hi to us and stops chatting enough to walk over there it might be closer to 5:30 than 5.

ygymnast1 · June 2012

Sssdee, everyone around my area does a huge break inbetween their ceremony and reception. I am having a short ceremony and it is not at the same place as my reception. Right now I think I want to do a 3:30 ceremony and am deciding whether to start cocktail hour at 5 or 5:30. I figure if I am providing alcohol and food the guests don't need to go to a bar and spend money there. I want as short of break as possible with time to take pictures inbetween because we are not seeing each other before the ceremony.

Meghannsix · June 2012

Our ceremony and reception are at the same venue. We have to be out by 10:30, and no alcohol can be served after 9:30, so my tentative plan is for:
ceremony 4-4:30
cocktails for guests/pics for us: 4:30-5:30
dinner, reception, etc: 5:30-9:30

Ceremony Time?

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