Reception Before The Wedding

qieronb07 · July 2012

well, my fiancee and I havebern thinking condense our wedding ceremony without maiing our guests feel rushed. This is the problem. Our dream honeymoon is a cruise to the western caribbean, but the cruise coincides with the day we planned for our wedding. The cruises leaves at 4:00pm, so we both feel like having the reception and the wedding on the same day would rush everything. We also feel like not having a reception would be rude to our guests. So the options were having a brunch before the wedding or having the reception the night before our wedding. Both are unconventional but we want our guests to have as good of a time as possible. Any advice?

Avion22 · July 2012

I would not recommend trying to rush through a ceremony and reception then then leave to catch a cruise that sales the same day. And it doesn't make sense to have the reception before the ceremony (as the reception is a way to thank your guests for coming to the ceremony, and celebrates the marriage, so it doesn't make sense to do it before).

Most of those cruises leave every week on the same itinerary. Couldn't you just wait until the week after your wedding to leave for your honeymoon? Or find another similar cruise that leaves the day after? There are literally a bazillion Caribbean cruises with very similar itineraries, and I have trouble believing that you couldn't find something suitable that doesn't sail on your wedding day.

tiny speck · July 2012

I agree that it would be best to move up your wedding day, or have a morning ceremony with a simple brunch reception that could be over and done with by early afternoon. Just try and look into as many options as you can.

kmmssg · July 2012

Choose a different date for the cruise! Your wedding isn't until next Spring. You have plenty of time to redo this and schedule everything properly. I do not think it is at all appropriate to have the reception prior to the wedding. You don't have to do the honeymoon directly after the wedding.

You could do the brunch wedding/reception and be fine, but they need to be on the same day one following the other.

Gabrielle76 · July 2012

As a guest I would be annoyed if it was on two seperate days unless the venues were litterally 10 minutes from me. If you have out of town guests, that could mean staying in their hotel much longer than they would for a traditional wedding (expensive), or for more nearby guests, driving back and forth twice.

Either have a morning/brunch wedding, so youm can have a ceremony and full brunch reception, or don't leave for your cruise on the day of. There are so many cruises, there has GOT to be another one you like that doesn't leave the day of your wedding.

MairePoppy · July 2012

The ceremony and the reception should be on the same day, for the convenience of the guests.

If the ship leaves at 4:00, you will have to board between 2 and 3, depending on the cruise line. Add in travel time, unforeseen delays and possible long, last minute lines at the cruise terminal. It would be very stressful, IMO, to get married on the same day that you are leaving on a cruise.

HobokensFury · July 2012

None of the above. Change the wedding or cruise date.

RebeccaB88 · July 2012

Does the cruise leave on a Saturday? Why not get married Friday evening?

KBSK12 · July 2012

Your profile says you aren't getting married until next year. Have you booked your venue yet? Is there time to move the wedding day? I wouldn't rush it, and I wouldn't make your guests attend two events on different days.

NOLAbridealmost · July 2012

Do ANYTHING that doesn't involve a gap between your wedding and reception. It's rude whether it's 2 hours, 2 days, or 2 weeks.

littleluckypenny · July 2012

DH and I took a cruise for the honeymoon. There was one leaving the Sunday following our Saturday wedding. As there were LOTS of people who travelled to see our ceremony, we felt it would be rude to not spend the Sunday with them, and opted to take the cruise leaving a week later with the exact same itinerary.

I suggest taking the cruise a week later or moving your wedding date a week prior.

helleb · July 2012

I say have a Friday wedding. Ceremony at 6, dinner at 7, & dancing etc til 11 or 12. This way you have the whole morning before your cruise. It used to be very common for the B&G to leave before the reception was over to go on their honeymoon but its considered more "rude" than anything these days. I agree w/ a PP that said trying to fit it all in on one day would be super stressful. I say avoid that at all costs.

PLUS if you have a Friday night wedding, a lot of vendors will give you discounts because Saturday is their big wedding day.

ootmother2 · July 2012

I have attended a noon wedding when the couple was leaving at 5 on their HM cruise and it was a great time. But half the guests were going on the cruise as well (unusual circumstance)

noahark1 · July 2012

I would recommend either having the ceremony with reception the night before or the weekend before.

It may be possible to smush it all in with a sat. morning ceremony followed by a brunch, but I wouldn't want to rush a most special day nor would I want the stress of worrying whether everything was going to work out just perfectly schedule-wise (or end up clock-watching throughout my wedding) knowing the consequences may be missing the boat if there is any delay.

What I would not do is have the reception first

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