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How Early is too Early.....

donjoe2448donjoe2448 member
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in Wedding Cakes & Food Forum
To serve a dinner?  We are getting married at a local park.  It is beautiful, there is a gazebo for the ceremony and then a renovated barn for the reception.  I was thinking of having the ceremony at something like 4PM, the FI and his brother think 2PM.  Since we dont have a travel time to get from one spot to the other, I am worried this is a little early to have it! The park closes at 11PM so that would be when it would end and I dont want people to leave early...... The FBIL thinks that since there is a sandy spot that people swim on that people will want to go swimming (August 17th is the date)  but honestly..... it is a wedding.  People arent going to want to go swimming and then come in and have a wedding reception.  I am just looking for opinions on whether having it at 2 is too early..... we are having a semi-pro photographer in the form of my brother so we will need time for pictures but that would only put us at 3PM at the latest!!  HELP!
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Re: How Early is too Early.....

  • jessicabessicajessicabessica member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    I think snippet's timeline is fine (I agree that it's fine to eat early), but it will be too early if you want people to stay until 11 pm.  I think it's unlikely that people will stay nearly 10 hours, and you would definitely need to have more food later on if people were dancing for that long.  And I agree with you that they are not going to swim in the middle of a wedding.  

    Also, what are you going to do when you want to take family photos that include your brother?  Are you having a second shooter?  I would hesitate to use a member of my immediate family as the photographer because I'd want them to enjoy the wedding.  Also, it can be risky to mix friends/family with work, because any kind of professional issues will be harder to handle.  
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  • donjoe2448donjoe2448 member
    First Comment
    In Response to Re: How Early is too Early.....:
    [QUOTE]I think snippet's timeline is fine (I agree that it's fine to eat early), but it will be too early if you want people to stay until 11 pm.  I think it's unlikely that people will stay nearly 10 hours, and you would definitely need to have more food later on if people were dancing for that long.  And I agree with you that they are not going to swim in the middle of a wedding.   Also, what are you going to do when you want to take family photos that include your brother?  Are you having a second shooter?  I would hesitate to use a member of my immediate family as the photographer because I'd want them to enjoy the wedding.  Also, it can be risky to mix friends/family with work, because any kind of professional issues will be harder to handle.  
    Posted by jessicabessica[/QUOTE]

    Well, it is a very casual wedding that we are planning.  As it goes with the food, I was thinkin about a cocktail hour type of time, we are paying for everything ourselves so I am trying to trim the cost as much as possible.  I was thinking that for cocktail hour, we would serve things like bacon wrapped franks, a cheese platter...... and after that I am out of ideas.  Dinner is going to consist of chicken (done over a fire on a rotisserie) a variety of pasta and potato salad, mixed fruit and a green salad with a few different dressings.  Oh and some type of roll with butter.  We are having a cake and I was thinking of later on in the night, setting out a dessert table with cookies, brownies and mini cheesecakes. 
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  • MrsGandthebeagMrsGandthebeag member
    5 Love Its Combo Breaker First Comment First Anniversary
    I would go with your time, starting the ceremony at 4.  I went to a wedding where the bride and groom told the guests to bring bathing suits.  I thought it was kind of nutty and didn't bring mine, but my dh and many other guests did take a dip afterwards.  
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  • Maggie0829Maggie0829 member
    First Anniversary First Answer First Comment 5 Love Its
    I recently went to a 1:30pm wedding.  The ceremony lasted about a half hour and then they had a cocktail hour.  Everything was at the same location.  So they served a huge buffet at 3pm.

    Would it have been weird to eat a huge meal that early on a normal day?  Sure.  But since it was a wedding no one even blinked an eye that a big meal was being served at 3pm. 

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  • jessicabessicajessicabessica member
    First Anniversary 5 Love Its Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    In Response to Re: How Early is too Early.....:
    [QUOTE]I recently went to a 1:30pm wedding.  The ceremony lasted about a half hour and then they had a cocktail hour.  Everything was at the same location.  So they served a huge buffet at 3pm. Would it have been weird to eat a huge meal that early on a normal day?  Sure.  But since it was a wedding no one even blinked an eye that a big meal was being served at 3pm. 
    Posted by Maggie0829[/QUOTE]

    I think the issue is more that OP seems to want guests to stay until 11 pm.  I agree that it's never a bad time for a huge meal at a wedding.  
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  • Maggie0829Maggie0829 member
    First Anniversary First Answer First Comment 5 Love Its
    In Response to Re: How Early is too Early.....:
    [QUOTE]In Response to Re: How Early is too Early..... : I think the issue is more that OP seems to want guests to stay until 11 pm.  I agree that it's never a bad time for a huge meal at a wedding.  
    Posted by jessicabessica[/QUOTE]

    Oh.  Her OP was hard to follow.

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