transition from ceremony to reception

Re: transition from ceremony to reception

• manateehugger member

  

  October 2013 edited October 2013

  Are they sitting at their tables for the ceremony? I wouldn't worry overmuch about a transition. Your exit at the end and the opening of the buffet will work naturally as a transition. 

  
  

  Can you schedule your formal photos to end 20-30 minutes before your ceremony start time?

  
  

  ETA: Having your band start up some livelier music could also help signal a change of tone after the ceremony. 

  

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• JoanE2012 member

  

  October 2013

  Cgelske said:

  I am having a really hard time planning the day of-
      but right now, at this very moment, I am wandering about the transition from ceremony to reception considering they are going to be in the same place. We will be married on the patio of the lodge and inside will be the food and drinks, buffet style. There will be a band out back. Any ideas?
  Also we are having the formal photos taken before the wedding but I wouldn't want people showing up and sitting down before the wedding and see us having the pictures done. I want to make the most out of every minute of the day and I am not sure how to schedule that either. So if anyone knows any great scheduling tool for day of planning you can share that too. Thanks!

  Have you talked to your venue about the transition from ceremony to reception?  Surely you aren't the first bride to have this situation.

  
  

  As for formal photos before the ceremony, you'll probably have to start early.  We did first look at 3pm followed by bridal party and immediate family photos.  We were done by 4:30 and I went into hiding until the 6pm ceremony.  We actually had some guests show up an hour early (!).....we were thankful we planned the photos early.

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• BlueBirdMB member

  

  October 2013

  We took some pictures at our venue before and we made sure we were done an hour before the start of the ceremony.

  
  

  We also had our ceremony and reception in the same place.  We exited the ceremony and stationed ourself in the entrance to the ballroom for a receiving line.  It took about 15 minutes to finish the receiving line with 118 people and then... we just walked into the ballroom and had cocktails and apps with everyone else.  There wasn't much to it.

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• Cgelske member

  

  October 2013

  Our wedding is not a wedding venue. It's all DIY. 

  
  

  
  

  
  

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• Cgelske member

  

  October 2013

  BlueBirdMB said:

  We took some pictures at our venue before and we made sure we were done an hour before the start of the ceremony.

  
  

  We also had our ceremony and reception in the same place.  We exited the ceremony and stationed ourself in the entrance to the ballroom for a receiving line.  It took about 15 minutes to finish the receiving line with 118 people and then... we just walked into the ballroom and had cocktails and apps with everyone else.  There wasn't much to it.

  I really like the exit with the receiving line entrance. That sounds really smooth flowing to me and it would be easy for us to finish off our little piece with everyone telling them where to go to get their food drinks and seating.

  
  

  
  

  
  

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• emmyg65 member

  

  October 2013

  Our ceremony and reception were in the same big open space (backyard). After the ceremony, we had an informal receiving line where we just stood at the front of the ceremony space and people came up to hug us and stuff. Then we all walked over to the reception area. You don't really need a formal transition or anything. We also did all our formal photos before the ceremony and made sure to be finished and in hiding half an hour before the ceremony started.

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