Wedding Reception Forum

The dreaded "gap"

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Re: The dreaded "gap"

  • Would it make a difference if the gap is shorter? Like 30-45 minutes? Compared to 2 hours?

  • I think it depends on how far your guests are travelling.  If it were me, and I lived more than 15 minutes away, it would be great to have a cocktail hour starting immediately regardless of hotel check in time. Some people won't go, but it's nice to have an option.  Maybe the hotel will make an exception on the check in time. 
  • Seriously people? COME ON!

    Gaps are inconsiderate to your guests! They take time to come to YOUR wedding, watch YOU say your vows, etc etc. The least you can do is properly HOST them at your reception as a THANK YOU for coming to your stupid-ass wedding!

    These ladies are not being mean, bitches, bullying, and all those other ignorant things you are saying about them. They are giving you WONDERFUL advice that you need to listen to, unless you want your friends and family talking about you behind your back about how your wedding was a piece of shit.

    If you want someone to lie to you about how you're just SOOOO special and your wedding day should be all about you, take that somewhere else. WE DON'T NEED YOU HERE!

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  • edited May 2014
  • Wow. It seems apparent to me that a lot of your families aren't close and can't talk to each other for a lousy 30-45 minutes after the receiving line while the certificate is being signed and a few final pictures are taken? Sure, anything above that is starting to get rude! But have any of you considered that some people don't make that much money and DO NOT have a lot of financial support from family? A wedding does not have to be glitz and glamour and second to second non stop entertainment! It's not a birthday party or a concert. It is about starting your life together in a way that gives you and the people who love you enough to support you happy memories and not an ulcer from trying to obtain impossible perfection! For those of you comparing a wedding to a cocktail or a dinner party... seriously? That's apples to oranges. Do you live in the same reality as most other people? While it is important to not leave people hanging, anyone who lives in this reality understands that a slight gap is not the end of the world. All of the drama queens and perfectionists out there need to chill and think before they speak.
    Actually, yes. Some families do have tensions in them. For some people, the less time they have to dick around means the less time they have to start yet another family tiff. Aren't you so freaking lucky that your family never has drama. And besides, we signed our certificate during our ceremony. It's not that freaking hard people, you start cocktail hour when guests start arriving. 30-45 minutes to accommodate travel time, not a big deal, but if you're doing an hour or more unhosted, it's not budget issues, it's poor planning issues.
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    Anniversary
  • KPBM89KPBM89 member
    First Answer First Comment 5 Love Its First Anniversary
    edited May 2014
    Wow. It seems apparent to me that a lot of your families aren't close and can't talk to each other for a lousy 30-45 minutes after the receiving line while the certificate is being signed and a few final pictures are taken? Sure, anything above that is starting to get rude! But have any of you considered that some people don't make that much money and DO NOT have a lot of financial support from family? A wedding does not have to be glitz and glamour and second to second non stop entertainment! It's not a birthday party or a concert. It is about starting your life together in a way that gives you and the people who love you enough to support you happy memories and not an ulcer from trying to obtain impossible perfection! For those of you comparing a wedding to a cocktail or a dinner party... seriously? That's apples to oranges. Do you live in the same reality as most other people? While it is important to not leave people hanging, anyone who lives in this reality understands that a slight gap is not the end of the world. All of the drama queens and perfectionists out there need to chill and think before they speak.
    Change your username.  It should never be an email address.

    And I'm sorry but how is this a money issue?  My budget was $5000 and my guests are properly hosted at a gapless event, thanks.  

    ETA: Btw that's with ZERO financial support from others in my family and I make my money on my own, selling products that I make personally, which doesn't make a lot of money.
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  • Would it be rude to have the ceremony end at 4'ish, when the cocktail hour does not start until 5? We set it up this was so that we can take pictures and leave time to socialize during the cocktail hour.
  • bmasuda22 said:
    Would it be rude to have the ceremony end at 4'ish, when the cocktail hour does not start until 5? We set it up this was so that we can take pictures and leave time to socialize during the cocktail hour.
    Is the ceremony and reception at the same place? If so it's rude. If it takes 45 minutes to an hour to travel, travel is a bit long (and some would consider that rude, but that is neither here nor there at the moment) but not rude.
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    Anniversary
  • KGold80KGold80 member
    First Comment 5 Love Its Name Dropper

    bmasuda22 said:
    Would it be rude to have the ceremony end at 4'ish, when the cocktail hour does not start until 5? We set it up this was so that we can take pictures and leave time to socialize during the cocktail hour.
    The cocktail hour is actually supposed to be used to prevent the gap from occurring while you take pictures. If you have a gap specifically because you want to socialize during cocktail hour instead of using it to host your guests while you are otherwise occupied, you are being very rude to your guests.
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  • I know that I'll probably get stomped on for saying this, but I really like having a little breathing room between the ceremony and the reception. I would like a little time to check in and freshen up before the reception. It would stress me out to know that I still needed to check in and unpack after the reception. Plus, I've devoted my afternoon/evening to the wedding, I'd rather have the time to catch up with friends and family and actually eat dinner at a normal time. It's pretty common where I live to have a bit of a gap for similar reasons (not because brides want extra photo time or are selfish horrible people) and no one bats an eye. I totally understand the need to treat people like guests and with respect, but I just don't understand the comments saying that if they have to stumble around late at night to check in, that's their problem, but asking them to deal with a gap is some sort of atrocity.
    I agree with you. A small gap really isn't a big deal. If she wants to avoid it she could have a cocktail hour. Since the reception is in the same hotel where the guests are staying it would be really easy to check in after the ceremony then make your way down to cocktail hour. A person could even use cocktail hour to freshen up, take a nap, what ever they might need. I guess I see cocktail hour as a gap anyway. It's just a gap with alcohol.
  • There is nothing wrong with a brief "gap"(hour or less) that is hosted with refreshments.
    What did you think would happen if you walked up to a group of internet strangers and told them to get shoehorned by their lady doc?~StageManager14
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  • afrye88 said:
    We are having a "gap" of sorts with ours without leaving guests to figure out what to do.  Our location has an event on the roof at 5 so they need us off the roof by 4:30.  The way we have it set up is we will do a cocktail hour from 3 to 4 on the roof.  Dinner is in the same location just downstairs in another room.  So at 4 our guests will head down to the reception room but dinner won't be served until about 5:30.  Our dinner won't be ridiculously early  this way and guests won't have to figure out what to do for a couple hours.
    What are they supposed to do for that hour and a half? Stand around and pick their noses?
    Has nobody here ever had to kill an hour or two. It's also my experience that when I'm with good friends I can spend so much time talking and catching up that that an hour and a half would fly by without even noticing.
  • KGold80KGold80 member
    First Comment 5 Love Its Name Dropper




    afrye88 said:

    We are having a "gap" of sorts with ours without leaving guests to figure out what to do.  Our location has an event on the roof at 5 so they need us off the roof by 4:30.  The way we have it set up is we will do a cocktail hour from 3 to 4 on the roof.  Dinner is in the same location just downstairs in another room.  So at 4 our guests will head down to the reception room but dinner won't be served until about 5:30.  Our dinner won't be ridiculously early  this way and guests won't have to figure out what to do for a couple hours.

    What are they supposed to do for that hour and a half? Stand around and pick their noses?

    Has nobody here ever had to kill an hour or two. It's also my experience that when I'm with good friends I can spend so much time talking and catching up that that an hour and a half would fly by without even noticing.

    And what about the people who don't know anyone else at the wedding? The SO of the groomsman or bridesmaid who has come in from out of town and has nothing to do while the member of the WP they came to the wedding with is at the lovely couple's 3 hour photo shoot? Just because your experience with gaps has been okay doesn't mean everyone's has. The "worst weddings you've ever been to" thread is an eye opener. Time and time again you will see that those worst weddings have included gaps. I've never been unlucky enough to have experienced a gap...and honestly haven't been to many weddings. But I have planned parties and events and an essential part of good hosting in any situation is not having large spans of time where guests have nothing to do. It is a waste of their time.

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  • I probably will get grilled for this but with my wedding there is going to be an hour to two hour gap. Our chuch is in one town and then the venue is 45 mins away. My church only allows weddings at 2:30 or 3:30 on a Friday and my venue only starts receptions at 7:00pm since it is at an aquarium. My guests will get a chance to go back the hotel right near the venue and check in then since most of mine will be staying there. The hotel will offer a cold spread and a deal on drinks if I want. Also 90% of my families weddings have had gaps between them. They aren't bad at all. My relatives always make sure to have something at the hotel or a restaurant in between for the guests but nothing to big to spoil the reception. It also not inconsiderate for the bride and groom to want a gap for photos. Mine just so happens to be this way because of travel time and the times the church and venue have. My guests have actually said that it is perfect the way I am planning it.
  • We are having a break between ceremony and reception, and for us it makes perfect sense. No one (including my openly-critical family members) have said anything about it. We are having an outdoor wedding, in July, in Kentucky, so even though our guests will be "sitting down for an hour," I think the situation alone will give them plenty of opportunity to "freshen up."

    Furthermore, if you have shown your guests every other possible courtesy, no one will think you are rude.
  • I actually have a very very small handful of people not staying only at most 10 people aren't staying at the hotel but the hotel said anyone can come to the conference room where the spread will be and my people who aren't staying there said they want to head straight out there because of traffic anyway and they are going to go with some of my cousins and hang out with them.
  • We are having a break between ceremony and reception, and for us it makes perfect sense. No one (including my openly-critical family members) have said anything about it. We are having an outdoor wedding, in July, in Kentucky, so even though our guests will be "sitting down for an hour," I think the situation alone will give them plenty of opportunity to "freshen up." Furthermore, if you have shown your guests every other possible courtesy, no one will think you are rude.
    I'm from an area that is very hot and humid in the summer. Most weddings are in full afternoon sun with no shade. After sitting in the sun for the ceremony I only need 5-10 minutes to "freshen up", depending on if there is a line in the ladies' room and if there is a bathroom kit to check out.

    Anniversary
  • KPBM89 said:



    Wow. It seems apparent to me that a lot of your families aren't close and can't talk to each other for a lousy 30-45 minutes after the receiving line while the certificate is being signed and a few final pictures are taken? Sure, anything above that is starting to get rude! But have any of you considered that some people don't make that much money and DO NOT have a lot of financial support from family? A wedding does not have to be glitz and glamour and second to second non stop entertainment! It's not a birthday party or a concert. It is about starting your life together in a way that gives you and the people who love you enough to support you happy memories and not an ulcer from trying to obtain impossible perfection!

    For those of you comparing a wedding to a cocktail or a dinner party... seriously? That's apples to oranges. Do you live in the same reality as most other people?

    While it is important to not leave people hanging, anyone who lives in this reality understands that a slight gap is not the end of the world. All of the drama queens and perfectionists out there need to chill and think before they speak.

    Change your username.  It should never be an email address.

    And I'm sorry but how is this a money issue?  My budget was $5000 and my guests are properly hosted at a gapless event, thanks.  

    ETA: Btw that's with ZERO financial support from others in my family and I make my money on my own, selling products that I make personally, which doesn't make a lot of money.



    It has everything to do with cost. My fiancé and I are in the same boat. Less money to work with = less options for venues (and therefore less options for event times) + little money left over to host a cocktail hour.
  • afrye88 said:
    We are having a "gap" of sorts with ours without leaving guests to figure out what to do.  Our location has an event on the roof at 5 so they need us off the roof by 4:30.  The way we have it set up is we will do a cocktail hour from 3 to 4 on the roof.  Dinner is in the same location just downstairs in another room.  So at 4 our guests will head down to the reception room but dinner won't be served until about 5:30.  Our dinner won't be ridiculously early  this way and guests won't have to figure out what to do for a couple hours.
    What are they supposed to do for that hour and a half? Stand around and pick their noses?
    Has nobody here ever had to kill an hour or two. It's also my experience that when I'm with good friends I can spend so much time talking and catching up that that an hour and a half would fly by without even noticing.
    That's assuming that you have friends attending the wedding. I was invited to a wedding with a 2.5 hour gap. My husband was invited but do to the cost of flights I attended alone. I knew the B&G and the MOH. They left to take pictures after the ceremony, which left me without any other guest I knew. All the local guests left after the ceremony. I have no idea what they did, but I did not have the time to introduce myself and invite myself to hang out with them. The reception was at a separate location. There were no pubs, restaurants, fast food places nearby. I was staying at my parents' house, which was an hour away, so I didn't have time to drive there and then back for the reception, and I didn't have a hotel to check into. I sat on a park bench in my cocktail dress and heels for 2 hours reading a book. I don't know what the local guests did. I attended the wedding despite the gap because it was a dear friend's wedding. I was not happy to have to sit around for 2 hours but I didn't say a word to the bride.

    On any other day (barring an emergency) she would not expect me to wait around 2 hours for her. I hate that the wedding day has become an excuse for poor behavior that wouldn't be polite any other day.
    I'm sorry you had a bad experience. I guess I've always been able to entertain myself. Either by introducing myself to a stranger and making a new friend, reading a book or checking email on my smart phone. I've also been invited to weddings where I've only known the bride. I didn't go because I wanted to avoid that "I don't know anyone and feel uncomfortable" situation. To each their own
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