Guests eat while we take pics??

cmay1890 · May 2013

Hello everyone!

I have been trying very hard to figure out a schedule that will allow enough time for everything plus time for dancing. We only have 6 hours for the reception venue. Those 6 hours have to include breakdown time (an hour) and also an hour for set up for the caterer. So really we only have 4 hours...and if you take away hour for dinner, then 3 hours. Our reception and ceremony are in the same location so after the ceremony guests can walk right over to the reception venue. We have about 150 people coming and we are doing buffet. I was wondering if it would be okay to have the guests start eating immediatly after the ceremony while we take pictures to save some time. Then after pictures the bridal party can eat, which shouldn't take very long. It's only a one-course meal type dinner.

Would it be okay to have them eat right away? Thanks..

-Courtney

LDubHawksFan · May 2013

In Response to Guests eat while we take pics??:
[QUOTE]Hello everyone!

I have been trying very hard to figure out a schedule that will allow enough time for everything plus time for dancing. We only have 6 hours for the reception venue. Those 6 hours have to include breakdown time (an hour) and also an hour for set up for the caterer. So really we only have 4 hours...and if you take away hour for dinner, then 3 hours. Our reception and ceremony are in the same location so after the ceremony guests can walk right over to the reception venue. We have about 150 people coming and we are doing buffet. I was wondering if it would be okay to have the guests start eating immediatly after the ceremony while we take pictures to save some time. Then after pictures the bridal party can eat, which shouldn't take very long. It's only a one-course meal type dinner. Would it be okay to have them eat right away? Thanks.. -Courtney
Posted by cmay1890[/QUOTE]

I've never seen anything like this. We were able to have a cocktail hr in between since ours was at the same location too. People won't want to sit down for dinner right away, and won't want to eat before the B&G. I would suggest trying to do as many pics before, and let the guests mingle while you are taking pictures after. We had dinner, but our DJ had times for guests to dance after our spotlights and in between salad and dinner. We had open dancing for only about the last 2 hours, and it was fine.

QueerFemme · May 2013

Can you talk to the venue and pay for another hour or two?

kmmssg · May 2013

Agree - can you buy another hour or two? You really need it since your allotted time includes set up and tear down.

OliveOilsMom · May 2013

Would you be willing to have a first look so that you can get ALL of your photos done first? Then you can all go right into dinner. I think guests will feel weird eating before/without the B&G. I don't think there is anything wrong with going right into dinner from your ceremony, but only if you have all your pics done first.

semay23 · May 2013

Honestly this will probably be an unpopular opinion, but that's what we did. We weren't on a time crunch, but since we didn't have it in the budget for cocktail hour, we decided that having our guests go ahead and eat was a better option. No one complained, but a couple people actually thanked us for not making them wait. Our ceremony started at 430 I believe, with dinner served immediately afterwards This might be a regional thing, but most of the weddings where I'm from don't have any alcohol at all, and the guests are stuck waiting with no booze or apps while the bride and groom take 1000s of pics. This annoys everyone.

Peledreamsofrain · May 2013

We did something similar to this. Our ceremony venue and dinner venue was two outdoor gardens.

Immediately after the ceremony, I gave our caterers instructions to serve everyone their appetizers, salads, and breads. The bridal party and my groom and I had quick formal pictures in the next garden over (maybe 20 minutes).

As soon as we came in and sat down, regular dinner was served to the guests, and we started on apps. It all caught up in the end.

Then, because it was later in the year, we moved the reception indoors for more finger foods and drinks. My H and I stayed behind and took the rest of the pictures with just the two of us.

It worked out perfectly, with minimal disruption to guests for the pics.

NYCMercedes · May 2013

I think your idea is fine. It's a buffet, so everyone will be up and down anyway. As Oliveoil suggested, try to get some pics done first so you join dinner as soon as you can. Btw, takedown shouldn't need an hour for most weddings.

attymeg · May 2013

The coordinator at our venue told us that they recently had a couple do this, and I loved the idea and we're doing it. I am somebody who doesn't like a long drawn out dinner at weddings, I want to get to partying, and this allows us to do so. Saving on cocktail hour is an added bonus.

kmmssg · May 2013

My nephew and his wife didn't have a cocktail hour BUT - they did every single picture prior to the ceremony and they were the first ones to arrive at the reception venue. They served beer and wine so everyone got drinks and mingled for a few minutes until the buffet was ready to go. It was very nice.

Could you do that so you could be there for the meal also?

[Deleted User] · May 2013

I was in a wedding where WE ate first.

That isn't helpful to you, really, but what if you did that, then left while the rest of the guests ate (because it will take longer for 150 to get through a line than your wedding party)? You'd have maybe 30 minutes, and after dinner, you can be introduced?

It might be weird. I'm trying to come up with options.

cmay1890 · June 2013

Thanks for your help everyone! We are going to have the guests eat first!

cwaggoner07 · June 2013

This sounds exactly like our setup. We did a first look, so we took care of a LOT of the pictures beforehand. This was our schedule (with 150 guests)

5:00-6:30 First look, bride and groom pics, wedding party pics, immediate family pics

7:00-7:15 Ceremony

7:15-7:30 Extended family pics, everyone else walks to the reception room and the bar and buffet is open.

7:30-7:50 More bride and groom pics. We would have skipped this, except a storm started rolling in and we got some rainbows and crashing waves we didn't want to miss. (see below) During this time everyone else is eating and drinking.

7:50-8:00 We ate privately in the bridal suite. Our DOC had set up plates and drinks for us. It was way better getting some quiet time together to eat quickly so we could enjoy talking to our guests when we got to the reception.

8:00 We were introduced and did our first dance. The reception lasted until midnight.

Due to having a four hour reception, we lost a lot of guests and our exit was small. I didn't mind at all, but my DOC pulled me aside around 11 to let me know that people had begun to leave and if I wanted a bigger exit we may want to wrap it up, but I decided to stay even if it meant a smaller exit.

nextrightthing · June 2013

I think it can work if someone at the reception venue is directing the guests to eat. I went to a wedding recently where the guests were supposed to eat while waiting for the B&G, but no one really did because we didn't feel like we should and no one told us to.

Guests eat while we take pics??

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