new girl with a question!

Re: new girl with a question!

• RamsKR01 member

  

  April 2011 edited December 2011

  Congratulations and best of luck with the planning!
  
  As far as your questions - No, I don't think it's rude to do that - it's very common to have an hour or two in between the two events.  A couple things to keep in mind - will there be a lot of people not from the area?  Then, you may want to make some suggestions for things to do, but keep in mind they may not have TOO much time to do stuff.
  
  Are you blocking rooms at a hotel?  If so, are you providing transportation for your guests?  Most weddings that I have gone to when I am not from the area and stay at a hotel  - I got to the church, then check in and settle in at the hotel and by the time that happens, maybe grab a drank at the hotel bar and head to the reception.  I'm ok with that!  If it has been near my house I've gone back to my house (or a friend's house in the area) between the two.  I wouldn't stress over it....4:00 church and 6 or 6:30 reception is completely normal/acceptable by my standards.  I think it is good that you are keeping your guests in your thoughts with planning, but make sure your first concern is that you and your fiance enjoy your day.

  

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• raxxx17

  

  April 2011 edited December 2011

  Ty Rams!
  
  We will be doing the hotel thing and that was my original idea - figured guests could even bring their cars THERE to park and hopefully have a shuttle over to the reception (and back to the hotel later of course). We won't be having too many older people, the majority of the guests will be our friends and my parents friends (so like late 50s, early 60s), so I dont feel that they will be totally put out by the whole thing. My lovely mama, however, thinks that it's totally awful and inconvenient. I think she just doesnt want people to wind up at her house in between, lol! (they live close by). Good to know i am not as crazy as she's making me feel.
  

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• kristen8040 member

  

  April 2011 edited December 2011

  You will have a lot of different opinions on "gaps."  Some people hate them, others don't mind.  Just make sure you have a good understanding of your guests as to whether they live in the area and can go home, or they can go to the hotel.  If they're kind of far away but not staying the night, then it can get crappy for them.  I'm having a 3:00 Mass, cocktail hour starts at 6:00.  

  

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• raxxx17

  

  April 2011 edited December 2011

  kristen,
  
  I am realizing that everyone has different opinions on EVERYTHING! as i said, the knot seems daunting but i think its great to be able to chat with girls who are actually planning weddings of their own at the same time as me!
  

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• kellybee83 member

  

  April 2011 edited December 2011

  Welcome to the board and congrats on your engagement! 
  Our mass is at 4:00pm and cocktail hour starts at 7:00pm.  We decided not to see each other until after our ceremony, and our photographer would like about two hours for pictures. 
  Some of our guests live locally.  Many others will be staying at a hotel down the road from our reception venue and will probably go and check in after the ceremony.
  
  If you would like to include information on what your guests can do to kill time between the ceremony and reception consider on putting it in the welcome letter in your oot bags and/or on your website.
  
  Good luck with everything!!

  

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• raxxx17

  

  April 2011 edited December 2011

  thanks kelly.... don't laugh but what is an oot bag?
  

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• kellybee83 member

  

  April 2011 edited December 2011

  Sorry!  That just made me laugh!  Not at all because you didn't know, but because I HATED all the abbreviations when I first discovered this board.  (Basically I had no idea what anyone was ever talking about!)  I guess I've come full circle!  Please don't be ashamed to ask questions!!
  
  OOT bags are out of town bags, that your guests receive upon checking into a hotel at which you've set up a room block.

  

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• raxxx17

  

  April 2011 edited December 2011

  lol thank you kelly! i guess anyone who is from out of town will have the opp to hit the hotel, which has a nice bar, in between. other guests who aren't staying can also join them.
  
  another thing... I am not certain how much time to allot for photos - i dont have a photographer yet... i was thinking an hour, as i want to have less posed and more photojournalistic/candids. does that seem right? one hr delay vs 2 hr delay makes a difference, dont you think?

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• kasabby

  

  April 2011 edited December 2011

  Congrats and Welcome to the board!

  
  

  I am with Kristen--you are going to have tons of people who hate the gaps and tons of people who will be okay with it. As a guest, I don't love a huge gap but I can deal with it. As long as your guests are aware, they will be able to deal with it.

  

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• DeniseH33 member

  

  April 2011 edited December 2011

  congrats and I am a newbie also to the knot. wedding sept 15,2012

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• Juliet212 member

  

  April 2011 edited December 2011

  Welcome!!
  
  I think an hour gap is fine. Just remember that you will also be getting a send-off from your church (or receiving line, if you wish). So even though mass ends at 4:45, but the time that everyone gets out of church, etc, etc. If your reception starts at 6:00, it really won't be a huge gap, at all.  

  

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• andreapnyc member

  

  April 2011 edited December 2011

  my photog said 1 hour is sufficient. get a a photog that has been and is familiar w ur venue, so he/she knows where to go to take pic's.   it really depends. and i dont want a big gap so im fine w 1 hr, and i dont want to miss any of my cocktail hour . 2 hrs seems like a lot to me. 

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• raxxx17

  

  April 2011 edited December 2011

  thank you all for your responses ladies!

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• NMH2011

  

  April 2011 edited December 2011

  My ceremony is at 4:00 and my cocktail hour is starting at 6:30.  The church and hall are about 3 miles apart.  There isn't much you can do, but here's one small suggestion.  Check out the guestbooks at www.guestbookstore.com. I'm planning to ask my venue to put the pages out on a table with pens so my guests can fill them out while they are waiting.
  
  Good luck!

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