In between ceremony and reception time

MadHops21 · November 2013

What is a good amount of time between the ceremony and reception? I'm thinking of having first look photos done so it cuts down on timing between the two, but what's a normal about of time? I've only been to my cousin's wedding, so I have no clue when it comes to this kind of stuff!

huskypuppy14 · November 2013

It's ideal to have no gap between ceremony and reception. The reception venue should be prepared to accommodate guests as soon as the first one arrives. If your reception is 20 minutes away from your ceremony, your cocktail hour should start 20 minutes after your ceremony ends.

MadHops21 · November 2013

If it's ideal to have no gap, then when are pictures taken? What do people do if they do not have a first look? I'm just really curious because my cousin had a cocktail hour, which was nice, while the BP took pictures around the town.

huskypuppy14 · November 2013

I'm not counting a cocktail hour as a gap. It's hosted, so it's fine. Most people do pictures during cocktail hour, and brides and grooms do not go to the majority of their own cocktail hour. Then the reception starts after cocktail hour.

I'm having a first look too, because our ceremony and reception is at the same place. As soon as our ceremony is over, guests can get a drink and have some apps as we get the rest of the pictures done.

ETA: All the weddings I've ever been to have had cocktail hours. I presume people that do not have cocktail hours, must have had a first look, or do pictures at some other time. It's rude to have an unhosted gap between the ceremony and reception where the guests have nothing to do.

MadHops21 · November 2013

This wedding had a 4 hour gap, so my family and I went to a Mexican restaurant. The bride and groom wanted to take pictures in one town, and the reception was held in another town an hour away. Even the groom's family went back to their hotel room after the ceremony for those 4 hours because cocktail didn't start for another 3 hours!

ETA I can't spell

huskypuppy14 · November 2013

Kelcita21 said:

This wedding had a 4 hour gap, so my family and I went to a Mexican restaurant. The bride and groom wanted to take pictures in one town, and the reception was held in another town an hour away. Even the groom's family went back to their hotel room after the ceremony for those 4 hours because cocktail didn't start for another 3 hours!

ETA I can't spell

This is extremely rude! Don't follow what your cousin did.

AddieCake · November 2013

If you take your pictures after the ceremony, then you provide refreshments for guests as a social or cocktail hour until the reception officially starts.

emmyg65 · November 2013

Just for a different perspective, we didn't have a cocktail hour because we did all our pictures before the ceremony. So we just went straight from the ceremony into dinner.

JoanE2012 · November 2013

Kelcita21 said:

This wedding had a 4 hour gap, so my family and I went to a Mexican restaurant. The bride and groom wanted to take pictures in one town, and the reception was held in another town an hour away. Even the groom's family went back to their hotel room after the ceremony for those 4 hours because cocktail didn't start for another 3 hours!

ETA I can't spell

That gap is rude! You shouldn't have to fill time eating at a restaurant before you eat at the reception.

Go from ceremony immediately to hosted cocktail immediately to reception. The cocktail hour is plenty of time to take photos. If you want more, you can do a first look or, at the very least, get some of the bridal party photos done.

alithebride · November 2013

ideally your guests will go from your ceremony to the coctail hour (or 90 mins) of your reception if you want to take photos during that time.

we did all of our photos before, first look, bridal party etc.. and then had our ceremony, the guests went right to the venue (just down the street) adn started the cocktail hour. we took some photos at the church then at the reception venue then had about 30-40 mintues with our guests at cocktail hour.

s-aries8990 · November 2013

It should go ceremony ends -> drive time -> fully hosted cocktail hour/90 minutes with beverages and plenty of apps-> reception.

If the drive time is 10 minutes, the cocktail hour should start within 10 minutes of your ceremony ending.
If 20 minutes, 20 minutes after the ceremony.

From what I've heard, if you can get the individual photos done beforehand (bride with party, groom with party), the other photos shouldn't take much more than that hour-90 minutes. Also, if you can, do your photos with Family and BP before photos with your husband; it's easier to cut down on the number of people as you go than add on.

southernbelle0915 · November 2013

Kelcita21 said:

If it's ideal to have no gap, then when are pictures taken? What do people do if they do not have a first look? I'm just really curious because my cousin had a cocktail hour, which was nice, while the BP took pictures around the town.

We didn't do a first look. DH didn't want to see me before the ceremony started. We hosted a cocktail hour (only one hour) while we took photos. It was plenty of time. 4 hours of photos would make me want to jump off a bridge and it's SUPER rude to guests. If you want that much time for photos, do it prior to the ceremony. Period.

Before the ceremony, I took all my photos with my BMs/family and he took all his with his GMs/family. So when the ceremony ended, we did a few family portraits, then they left to join the other guests at cocktail hour. Then we did whole WP photos, then they left to join cocktail hour, then we did a few with just us. Then when we joined cocktail hour, that's when we were announced. The transition to dinner was easy.

MyNameIsNot · November 2013

An hour for cocktail hour while you do photos plus drive time is typical for an evening wedding. For shorter cake and punch style receptions, 30 minutes is more typical.

MadHops21 · November 2013

Thanks all. I thought that a 4 hour gap was ridiculous, just wanted to confirm it. I was thinking that a First Look with WP would leave enough time for an hour cocktail after the ceremony for the rest of the photos needed. Family isn't big, so that should be quick to join the guests for cocktail hour. Cocktail hour always has the best finger food!

In between ceremony and reception time

Re: In between ceremony and reception time

Choose Another Board

Search Boards