Timing Question

Re: Timing Question

• crash2729 member

  

  May 2012

  I would think 7:15 or 7:30 would be okay for dinner. 

  It's not like your starving them, you are giving them apps. 

  
  

  How long is your reception? 

  Could it be possible that the hall manager is worried about timing on her end more than she is about your guests being hungry?

  

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• TheBaney member

  

  May 2012

  That sounds like it's cutting it a little close. I think the hall manager is right, and you don't want to go much longer than an hour between the ceremony and dinner. I would try to get as many pictures taken before the ceremony as I could, and wait for the first dance afterwards. A lot of people now are doing First Look photos beforehand, to cut down in between the ceremony and reception.
  
  Of course, maybe if you have more substantial hors d'oeurves then nobody will mind waiting very much.
  
  Good luck!

  

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• Loopyseven member

  

  May 2012

  Our ceremony was Friday night, 5:30-6:10, cocktail hour 6:10 - 7:30, entrance/first dance - 7:30-7:45.  Salads served, followed by dinner 7:45-8:whatever... As long as there is food and drink at cocktail hour, a little more than an hour is fine.  I would do your best NOT to leave the venue for picgtures, even if it's only 10 minutes.  It'll take 10 minutes to jockey cars around and figure out who's riding with who, 10 minutes to get there, however long for pictures, 10 minutes to get back, then you'll want to freshen make up, go to the bathroom, etc before making the entrance (another 10-15 minutes).  We did all our pictures without H and I together before the ceremony too, and we stayed plenty busy taking pictures at the venue during our cocktail "hour" without adding any travel time.

  
  

  Also - I'm pretty sure 90% of our guests were at our ceremony/all of cocktail hour.  Plan enough chairs and food for everyone to attend both.

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• ShyDreamer00

  

  May 2012

  Thanks Ladies!
  I am hoping that the pond at the venue will save us some timing issues Our reception hall is actually a site for baseball games too (it has baseball fields in the back) because all of the proceeds from the hall go to support Youth baseball in the area. That's why I have to check out the location of the pond because I am not big on baseball fields in the pictures, LOL
  
  We do plan to have enough chairs and food for everyong during the ceremony/cocktail hour (as well as the dinner), but I've already had people tell me that they couldn't come at all due to the fact that its on a Friday (we expected that too).
  
  I don't think it is a timing issue with the hall either as our reception is 6 pm-midnight (11:30 music stops and clean-up begins).
  
  If we have to leave the venue to do pictures then we plan to have a limo for the bridal party, followed by parents and our siblings in cars to the site for pictures. It would be a max of 3 cars following us to the site for pictures-I already have that worked out and forewarned the family members who would be in the pictures
  
  So another follow-up question with the First Dance: Is it too much to do all 3 dances back-to -back after dinner (or once the bridal party is done eating). I know it can get a little bit monotonous to watch first dance, F/D dance, and M/S dance all in a row which is why I wanted to break it up slightly with doing the First dance before dinner We still would have to do the cake-cutting, bridal bouquet toss, and garter toss after dinner at some point too, LOL
  

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• LeiselEB member

  

  May 2012

  I may be the odd man out here, but most weddings in my circle don't have a true cocktail "hour" - it's more like cocktail forty minutes But if a longer cocktail hour is common amongst your friends, I don't see any reason you need to push it up. 

  
  

  To answer your question about the dances: We're doing those three back to back, but we picked a short (2 minute 30 second) first dance song, FI and his mom picked a long one that the DJ will fade out, and my dad and I picked a short one. If you want 5 minute songs each, that might be a bit much to sit through, but I'd still personally like to get those "over with" and then move on to regular dacing. 

  
  

  Another suggestion: our venue likes to have the cake ready to serve right when guests are done with dinner, so to make that possible we're entering the reception, cutting our cake as we walk in and then the cake will be taken into the kitchen for them to prepare. That's another option, and it means that you have less time between dinner and cake - thus less time between eating and dancing

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• angelsong21 member

  

  May 2012

  Our wedding is on a Friday night as well.  Ceremony at 6:30 PM and it should be brief -- 20 minutes MAX.  Our reception is at the same venue and we'll be taking the majority of our pictures prior to the ceremony, so guests will onlny be waiting 20 minutes at the very most for us to arrive. In that time, we're still going to have appetizers and drinks, especially since by 6:50 PM, the little kiddos will certainly be hungry.  We'll arrive, do our first dance, and then the buffet will open.  I think between 7-7:30 for dinner is fine if you are serving apps and beverages during the gap.

  

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• NOLAbridealmost member

  

  May 2012

  OMG! Loopy!! You're pregnant?!

  
  Fatty Blog

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• carrieloomis member

  

  May 2012

  Our ceremony is at 6, cocktail hour immediately after (ceremony and reception are in the same venue as well) around 6:30, and dinner isn't served until 7:30 as required by the venue. There will be appetizers during cocktail hour. I think an hour/ hour and a half is fine, especially if appetizers are being served.

  

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• ShyDreamer00

  

  May 2012

  Thank you Ladies-I think I will try a compromise and let her know that I would like the buffet ready for 7:15 pm. This way it gives us a little leeway in time and if we use the pond at the location we can do the dance before dinner, but if we can't use it then we will do the dance afterwards.
  I'm glad so many of you have the same sort of reception going on It helped give me some insight!
  

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