4:00 Wedding....dinner expected?

lyds28 · December 2011

Hey y'all!!

My wedding is at 4:00 P.M. It will only last about 30 min. I know the tradition for evening type weddings is to have a nice dinner but I am on a budget and can't afford a nice catered type affair. My wedding is at my church and I was planning on have a reception downstairs afterwards with finger foods and crossiant sandwhiches ect.... Will that be acceptable? Any ideas on how to make it a more nice affair but on a budget?

fluttaby32 · December 2011

ditto

jemmini6 · December 2011

Yes, that's a meal time (not 4pm, but if your wedding lasts 30 min, then you have a cocktail hour, that puts your reception starting at about 5:30, which definitely is meal time).

My wedding was at 4pm, I served a full plated meal. If you can't afford this, you really need to move the time of your wedding to about 1 or 2pm, or later around 8pm and have a dessert reception.

emilyinchile · December 2011

I'd expect dinner at a 4pm wedding. Personally I don't usually eat until much later, but if I saw 4 I'd imagine the ceremony going til at least 4:30, then an hour cocktail hour, and dinner beginning at 5:30, which is a normal early dinner time. I've been to one wedding that started at 4, and that was more or less their timeline.

I'd move it to 3 or 3:30 in order to serve what you're planning on, if you can. If that's impossible, I'd make some mention of "light refreshments to follow" on the invitation so that people know you're not doing dinner.

specialk84 · December 2011

I would expect dinner. If that's not in your budget, move your ceremony up to 1 or 2.

Calypso1977 · December 2011

why not do an earlier wedding with a nice luncheon? much cheaper than an evening affair. while sandwiches do constitute a meal, i dont think they are appropriate meal choice for an evening affair.

Calypso1977 · December 2011

why not do an earlier wedding with a nice luncheon? much cheaper than an evening affair. while sandwiches do constitute a meal, i dont think they are appropriate meal choice for an evening affair.

emilykathleen511 · December 2011

I would expect dinner at that time. Either move the ceremony up to 1 or 2pm or back to 8pm or later as pps said.

rebarobert2012 · December 2011

If you don't want to provide a full meal, it would probably be better not to have your wedding ceremony around the dinner hour. At the very least, it would be a good idea to have heavy appetizers.

dumdumfroggie · December 2011

I would expect dinner for a wedding at that time, or at the very least HEAVY appetizers.

Milsey32 · December 2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_400-weddingdinner-expected?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:a77665f7-0117-42da-a1e8-2a29bbbc0f87Post:da65376c-59ba-4932-97c9-d68f36e75d52">Re: 4:00 Wedding....dinner expected?</a>:
[QUOTE]If you don't want to provide a full meal, it would probably be better not to have your wedding ceremony around the dinner hour. At the very least, it would be a good idea to have <strong>heavy appetizers.</strong>
Posted by rebarobert2012[/QUOTE]

<div>
</div><div>Heavy apps means it must be equal to a meal. However, that can be pricey/as much as a meal. Look into all options. Have you viewed multiple caterers? Have you considered buffet instead of plated? </div><div>
</div><div>If it is strictly out of your budget, I would also move the ceremony time. </div>

MyNameIsNot · December 2011

If there is no meal, everyone is going to be leaving by 6 in search of dinner. That's really short.

Move the ceremony up to 2:00 and you'll be fine.

achiduck · December 2011

I would definitely be expecting a meal for a 4 pm ceremony. If you don't want to feed your guests a full meal have an early afternoon ceremony or later evening.

MyUserName1 · December 2011

We're getting married at 3:00 PM and providing a full dinner.

Ceremony ends at 3:30, Cocktail hour and a half, salad course begins just after 5:00.

We wanted to make sure people would stay and dance, which wouldn't happen on an empty stomach!

tenofcups4me · December 2011

I'd expect a full dinner.

kroot87 · December 2011

Ditto PPs, full dinner or move the time. There are lots of really inexpensive dinner options that most people wouldn't balk at. When my cousin got married, he hired a guy to do a pig roast and served corn on the cob, potato/macaroni salads, etc. It's casual, yes, but the point is to provide a complete meal to your guests.

raes19 · December 2011

Our ceremony was at 4pm as well. It ended just after 4:30, then we did our receiving line as everyone was leaving the church. Our reception was about 20 mins away, so the cocktail hour was from 5:30 - 6:30. Then was the wedding party entrance and our first dance, followed by a full plated meal with the first course served at 7. Our reception didn't start to wrap up until after 11, so if you expect people to stick around, they need to be fed in order to last that long.

chrmun · December 2011

I'm w/ MilkDuds. I didn't get the impression that it was going to be a long reception. So, I think it's OK to do it at 4, but to make sure that the invites state "light refreshments" so people don't get buttsore. Or hungry.

One time I went to a party on a boat out on the bay. The invite said "heavy appetizers", so I didn't eat a meal first. Seriously, they served cheese and crackers. AND it was on a boat, so I couldn't go get a burger! I almost ate the host.

lyndausvi · December 2011

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_400-weddingdinner-expected?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:a77665f7-0117-42da-a1e8-2a29bbbc0f87Post:a3f7d84f-c969-4917-ae22-7e5ee968b29e">Re: 4:00 Wedding....dinner expected?</a>:
[QUOTE]<div>The invite said "heavy appetizers", so I didn't eat a meal first. Seriously, they served cheese and crackers.
Posted by chrmun[/QUOTE]

</div><div>
</div><div>I would hate see what 'light appetizers' would look like. A mint?</div>

ElisabethJoanne · December 2011

I agree with those pointing out that church basement receptions are on the shorter (and lighter) side. I don't think guests should expect dinner at a church reception following a 4pm ceremony.

Suggestions: Skip post-ceremony pictures. This way, you're with your guests just after 4:30, and you can spend 3 hours with them until people leave to get dinner. Maybe take the pictures after the reception if there's pictures you don't want to take before the ceremony. [Sure, not the way things are done now, but it's the way things were done just a generation ago, when guests and budgets were more important than photos]

Serve sandwiches. They aren't expensive, and they can make up a whole meal for many people.

RaptorSLH · December 2011

[QUOTE]This way, you're with your guests just after 4:30, and you can spend 3 hours with them until people leave to get dinner.
Posted by ElisabethJoanne[/QUOTE]

<div>I'm sorry, but waiting until 7:30-8 o'clock for dinner is way too late, especially for your older and younger guests. Either move it earlier or serve dinner.</div>

DramaGeek · December 2011

For a 4 oclock ceremony, I would expect dinner. I get that the reception is in the church basement and likely to be shorter, but if I didn't get a meal for a 4:30 reception, we'd be leaving by 5:30 for dinner, and that's really short. Our reception was at 5 and we served a full meal in the church fellowship hall. Our reception went until 9.

mica178 · December 2011

I would expect dinner.

Our ceremony was at 3pm, and we served dinner to our guests.

mari0225 · December 2011

I would expect dinner, you can move the wedding a couple hours if that's not in your budget. Our wedding begins at 5 so we are serving a plated meal, bbq! yum!

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