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xp - After Ceremony Timing

simplykaylasimplykayla member
100 Love Its 100 Comments Third Anniversary First Answer
in October 2013 Weddings
So I posted this over on Etiquette the other day, but didn't get much of a response, so I figured I'd try here.

Our ceremony and reception will both be taking place in the same small garden, with the guests already seated at their tables for the ceremony. Our ceremony is set to begin at 4:30pm, and will last about 30 minutes, ending at 5:00pm. Once the ceremony ends, FI and I will walk back down the isle and into a private room to have a few minutes alone before reentering the garden for pictures (We're hoping to get as many pictures as we can done before the ceremony, but FI and I are not doing a first look so we'll need to do at least those after the ceremony). We would like to spend about half an hour taking pictures and then start dinner at 5:30pm.

I’m trying to figure out how to manage the timeline in between the ceremony and dinner. The ceremony ends, FI and I leave for a few minutes, but what should the guests do at that point? It’s a dry wedding so there will be ice tea/lemonade/water, but no alcohol. We’re considering appetizers but I just wanted to make sure that was appropriate, since there will just be half an hour between the ceremony ending and dinner starting. And we’ll be taking pictures in the same space, so I feel like our guests would just be waiting around watching us take pictures. What else could they do? FI suggested the MC do an interactive game with the guests, but I wasn’t really so sure about that idea.

I’m just looking for the best way to work all of this, so I’m open to any suggestions! If there’s anything else I can clarify about everything let me know.


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Re: xp - After Ceremony Timing

  • hardlyhannahhardlyhannah member
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    Could you maybe have games on the tables for them - if they want - like cards or trivia, simple stuff like that?
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  • Clpapke83Clpapke83 member
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    appetizers would be nice.
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  • schellzinatorschellzinator member
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    I definitely think appetizers is a good idea.  As for an interactive game with the emcee - I'd enjoy that - BUT my guess is not all of the guests will enjoy that.  I might get pounced on for this - but if you have refreshments and apps - a half an hour isn't a ridiculous amount of time. I actually think that guests might enjoy mingling then. Also - since there are enough seats for everyone - I think you are OK.
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  • rustytammyrustytammy member
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    If I was invited to a wedding like this I would use this time to go to the restroom and then mingle with the other guests.  I wouldn't expect apps as dinner would be served very shortly; however, if you know that it will be longer than that 30 minutes then apps would probably be a good idea.  
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  • simplykaylasimplykayla member
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    @prettybirdy27 - Thankfully the space is divided into two sections, the lawn and the garden. Guests are not allowed in the actual garden portion (although we can take B&G pictures there) so there will be a rope blocking off that section so we won't be disturbed. The guests can still see us, but they can't come bug us lol.

    @hardlyhannah - That is a good idea! I actually went to a wedding recently where they had some crossword puzzles, word searches, etc. out for the guests at the reception and I thought it was a neat idea. Thank you!

    @schellzinator - Yeah I was afraid that most of our guests wouldn't care for that either. I think they're the kind of people that need to be drinking for something like that, and the wedding will be dry so that won't work! lol. But I'm glad that you think that the half hour is okay and that guests will just mingle, that's kind of what I was hoping for!

    @rustytammy - We hadn't planned on doing apps at first because, like you, I wouldn't have expected it as a guest with dinner following so shortly. However, after lurking on these boards a lot I started to rethink that decision! lol.

    Would something like a fruit/veggie/cheese/crackers thing suffice in this situation? It's light enough that people can't get full on it by dinner, but it's still something to tide them over for that half an hour. What do you think?
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  • schellzinatorschellzinator member
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    That would be enough for me!
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  • jessafaith15jessafaith15 member
    Fourth Anniversary 10 Comments Name Dropper
    We are doing both the ceremony and the reception in the same room.  We won't have the chairs at the tables so my friends/family will actually be "flipping" the room.  We are getting married in a train depot but there is a nice sized platform outside.  After the ceremony everyone will be directed to go out on the platform for drinks (non-alcoholic) and appetizers.  For the apps I will do something simple: cheese cubes, pepperoni, crackers.  Then once the tables are setup everyone will bring their drinks back inside and we will do first dance (while others are setting up the real food/dinner) and then we will eat.  At least this is all how I have it planned in my head...I hope it works, lol. As for pictures I have NO idea when that will happen or where for that matter. I think our pictures will just be "posed" pictures during the reception, but I haven't completely decided yet.
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  • simplykaylasimplykayla member
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    alisonmarie658 said:
    jessafaith15 said:
    We are doing both the ceremony and the reception in the same room.  We won't have the chairs at the tables so my friends/family will actually be "flipping" the room.  We are getting married in a train depot but there is a nice sized platform outside.  After the ceremony everyone will be directed to go out on the platform for drinks (non-alcoholic) and appetizers.  For the apps I will do something simple: cheese cubes, pepperoni, crackers.  Then once the tables are setup everyone will bring their drinks back inside and we will do first dance (while others are setting up the real food/dinner) and then we will eat.  At least this is all how I have it planned in my head...I hope it works, lol. As for pictures I have NO idea when that will happen or where for that matter. I think our pictures will just be "posed" pictures during the reception, but I haven't completely decided yet.
    This is terribly rude. Your guests are not a free grunt labor team.
    I agree - I haaate it when weddings make the guests work/move chairs, anything like that. Don't make your bridal party do it either. Find someone at your venue who can "flip" the room while everyone is on the platform for cocktail hour.

    For instance, my other option at this venue was to have the chairs set up for ceremony seating with the tables (without chairs) off to the side. Then once the ceremony ended we could have everyone move their chairs over to the tables. FI and I agreed that it was totally tacky, which is why we decided to just have everyone already at their tables for the ceremony.

    But as for your comment about doing pictures @jessafaith15 . We were in this dilemma too. At first I thought we would just try to get posed shots during the reception as well, but I was too afraid we would run out of time and wouldn't get all the ones we wanted, which is why we've decided to add in a half hour of picture time between the ceremony and the reception. So I would just be careful if you don't have a designated time for pictures, you run the risk of not getting all the ones you want done during the reception.
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  • jessafaith15jessafaith15 member
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    @alisonmarie658 I'm sorry that you think that is rude, I wasn't asking for an opinion merely mentioning what I will be doing.  My bridal party and my family are delighted to help me in any way I need and it was actually their idea :)

    @ simplykayla pictures aren't really a big deal for me, which is why I don't have anything formal planned for them.  Honestly the only reason I am even having a photographer is because she is so cheap, so I'm not worried about not getting certain shots.

     

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  • thejucheideathejucheidea member
    Tenth Anniversary 2500 Comments 500 Love Its First Answer
    @simplykayla : Yay for having a dry wedding!! We're having one too because we don't drink, our friends don't care one way or another, and his family doesn't drink for religious reasons. I never want to bring up the fact we're having a dry wedding on here because so many people act like it's a huge affront to all of our guests and that they'd never want to hang around a dry wedding, and that upsets me :|.

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  • simplykaylasimplykayla member
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    thejucheidea said:
    @simplykayla : Yay for having a dry wedding!! We're having one too because we don't drink, our friends don't care one way or another, and his family doesn't drink for religious reasons. I never want to bring up the fact we're having a dry wedding on here because so many people act like it's a huge affront to all of our guests and that they'd never want to hang around a dry wedding, and that upsets me :|.
    I feel the exact same way!
    FI and I went back and forth on it a lot in the beginning. Most of our family doesn't drink much, and we would have struggled to afford the alcohol with such a small budget. And then the venue we wanted didn't allow alcohol, so that made our decision for us!
    Plus, that's not really the atmosphere we wanted for our wedding. There will be lots of kids there, and we wanted it to be more laid back and less like a party I guess. I've been to too many weddings where an open bar just led to some embarrassingly wasted family members, and we didn't want to have to deal with that! Lol.
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  • vainemeraldvainemerald member
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    Maybe there is a way to do a slideshow of pictures during waiting period? We are having a photo booth during cocktail hour so our guests can be entertained with that. Depending on how long you want to be with the photographer it might not be a big deal but if you are planning on taking an hour or so it might be kind of long time to wait around for the guests of honor to arrive. Also do you have anything planned for the kids? I read something recently about having a craft table or coloring books or something to keep the kids entertained and that their parents would also thank you for this.

     

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