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Break Between Wedding & Reception

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MrsMcCain Posts : 581 Registered: 10/24/07
Re: Break Between Wedding & Reception
Posted: Nov 13, 2008 12:13 PM Go to message in response to: ginmal

Gin- I guess things like that just don't bother me. I try to make the best out of situations like that. If I was the OP I would probably contact my guests and asked them how they felt about it personally. If all of here guests were for some reason upset then maybe she should do something differently. I haven't ever been to a reception where there was more than an hour gap- and I could see how some people would be annoyed about it, but I am not one of those people. I really do think most people would be understanding about her situation.

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ginmal Posts : 396 Registered: 1/11/08
Re: Break Between Wedding & Reception
Posted: Nov 13, 2008 1:09 PM Go to message in response to: MrsMcCain

Not that I woul dget up in a huff andmake a scene MrsMcCain....LOL. I am a very laid back person... I just (when I was a bride) was more accomadating to my guests...and didn't do the whole "its my day I do what I want regardless of what my guests think or feel"...

Like I said I PERSONALLY don't like any more than a 30-45 minute gap in between events, but that is NOT to say that I wouldn't attend a wedding for a friend or family memeber if they DID have a huge gap in between...I'd just go to the venue bar or something like that. It wouldn't be the end of the world, nor would it ruin my time....

I just think as a bride (as in me being  abride) it's rude to have a ceremony at 1pm and then have your reception start at 6 and run for another few hours is rude. To expect tto take up SO MUCH time of others...that CONCEPT I don't get.

Yes you only get married once (well for the most part) and yes a wedding is important, but that dosen't make anyones TIME any less important just becasue bride and groom are getting married is all.

Really if a wedding ceremony is at 1pm...that means you are getting ready for and driving to the wedding as early as an hour and a half before....so 11:30 you are doing "wedding related" things...then you attend the ceremony which is another 1.5 hours....ok so you are already at 3.5 hours...but the reception dosen't start till 6pm and runs until midnight...ok so from basically 3:30 till 5:30 you are twiddling you thumbs waiting fot he reception, unless you get undressed and run your errands etc.....then you get dressed again and go to the reception...so basically you are at the mercy of the bride and groom (time wise) for over TWELVE hours. That is alot, I think.

I just (again) personally could never do that to my guests......but thats why I didn't have a big gap. Rather I had no gap in giving the guests things to do.

But, again, I wouldn't nt attend a weddin gor reception over it either.

 


Bless your own day, leave mine alone!Innocent

 

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cyadi83 Posts : 68 Registered: 7/18/08
Re: Break Between Wedding & Reception
Posted: Nov 14, 2008 2:35 AM Go to message in response to: ginmal

I totally understand what you're saying ginmal

I think it's a matter of what people are used to.

My mom went to her boss's daughter's wedding a few months back. The ceremony was at 11:30 and the reception ran from 12:30 to 2:30. When she got home around 3:30 we were all surprised to see her so early. We thought the reception hadn't even started yet! lol.

In our culture, weddings are an all day event. But, of course, others might think of a wedding as an event that will take only a portion of their day.

It's all a matter of who your guests are and what they're used to.

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PinkHippo Posts : 53 Registered: 11/2/08
Re: Break Between Wedding & Reception
Posted: Nov 14, 2008 4:49 AM Go to message in response to: MrsW2009

I have been to weddings both ways.  My fiances friend got married on Lake Michigan in the middle of summer at what was supposted to start at 9am but didnt really start until 10:30am.  Then the reception was not until 6pm that evening.  WAY TOO LONG A BREAK! 

I think a small break though is common.  A few hours is normal to me.  Most weddings we have attended have had about a two to three hour break.  You do have to take pictures at some point. 

We personally are not having a break.  We are getting marreid outside at a hotel by a lake and then moving guests inside/onto the deck for cocktails right after the ceremony.  Then about an hour later we are having dinner.  So my fiance and I will dissapear for pictures during that time but hopeuflly it won't seam to long because eveyone will be mingeling and having a good time they won't notice. 

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CyclistLover Posts : 1,184 Registered: 7/9/07
Re: Break Between Wedding & Reception
Posted: Nov 14, 2008 8:53 AM Go to message in response to: PinkHippo

So to summarize - people will attend your wedding AND reception if they really want to whether you have a time gap or not.  They may think the time gap sucks but they will attend anyways and sit in the bar, socialize, drink and whine about it. 

Just for the record - I have no memory of how long a person's time gap was for their wedding.  The wedding items I remember have to do with food - being the last table to go to the buffet and the food is gone.  Another wedding food was all the wrong temperatures - cold food was warm, hot food was cold.  Still another wedding - air conditioning was pretty much non-existent - hot as hell in the hall BUT food was really good!! 

OH and time gaps can be used to grab a little bit to eat as EVEN if the reception is immediately following the wedding, you know your not eating for a while!!


Happiness is your doggy meeting you at the door!

I hope you don't get hit by a city bus Cool

 

 

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lulling Posts : 10 Registered: 7/9/09
Re: Break Between Wedding & Reception
Posted: Jul 9, 2009 1:00 AM Go to message in response to: MrsW2009

I recently attended a wedding as an out of town guest and had about a two hour wait in between the ceremony and reception. My partner was a groomsman. I was with my friend and her partner was also a groomsman. They were off taking pictures. We were going to go back to the hotel but were in dresses and realized that we were hungry and that dinner would not be served for about 3 more hours. We ended up sitting at an Applebee's and having appetizers for two hours. It was awful. Additionally, some of the other guests that had the same two hour wait had taken it upon themselves to use that time for sitting at the bar because they were bored. They arrived pretty well sauced. (I think I wished that I was in there shoes more than my own.)
Please do not do this to people. The last time my mother went to one of these weddings she ended up spending hours with my grandmother in a flea market!! In her dress. Yuck!

I am sorry I did not provide any constuctive information. Think of adding receiving line if you do not have one. That will take up a little time. If you do not have a cocktail hour add one. And if you have a cocktail "hour" try to make it an hour and a half (with food provided of course). See what you can do to stretch the time in between without making people do "activities".

Edited by: lulling on Jul 9, 2009 1:01 AM

ohio , october_2009 , august_2009
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NuggetBrain Posts : 10 Registered: 3/25/09
Re: Break Between Wedding & Reception
Posted: Jul 10, 2009 9:52 AM Go to message in response to: MrsW2009

Our ceremony is at 4:30 on a Friday, and the cocktail hour (and a half) starts at 5:30, reception at 7. So we only have an hour gap between the two (they are at two separate locations, about 20 minutes apart). I went to a wedding two years ago where my fiance was a groomsman. There was a two and a half hour gap between the wedding and cocktail hour, and he went to take pictures with the wedding party which left me heading home. By the time the reception rolled around I didn't want to get back off the couch. I think you might run the risk of a few people not coming back to the reception (that's what happened at this wedding) or not coming to the ceremony (once again, what happened at this wedding) because they don't like hanging around between the two. If your immediate family and friends and the people you really want to go to both don't seem to have an issue with it, however, I wouldn't stress too much.

may_2010 , august_2009 , minnesota
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WinthropEstate Posts : 1 Registered: 7/24/09
Re: Break Between Wedding & Reception
Posted: Jul 24, 2009 12:58 PM Go to message in response to: BenjaminsWife

I agree, you really would need to plan something for the guests. However, if it's a destination wedding (like the type we offer), it would be very relaxing and wonderful.

The Winthrop Estate

Weddings in the Berkshires :)

berkshires_western_massachusetts
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auntofthebride Posts : 9,357 Registered: 4/2/06
Re: Break Between Wedding & Reception
Posted: Jul 24, 2009 1:11 PM Go to message in response to: WinthropEstate

Ladies,

Another old thread with a new response from a vendor.

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secrets Posts : 13 Registered: 6/22/07
Re: Break Between Wedding & Reception
Posted: Jul 24, 2009 1:30 PM Go to message in response to: MrsW2009

This may seem a bit untraditional, but as a mother of 3. If children are going to be in attendence you might want to see if the venue could arrange a "movie". A children's movie on t big screen tv with some popcorn and sprite (so parent can see their children somewhat clean a little longer). Or a game room with a few tv sets and a couple of video games and a movie going. If people have come from out of town but close enough to drive they may be in need of a break. Giving people a place to relax would be really nice.

You could also an afternoon tea with hors d'oeuvres, to help keep people sober until cocktail hour. You could do both of these to help keep people from getting bored.

I've never been to a wedding that wasn't immediatly followed by the reception...in town or out of town, I would be irritated if there wasn't something for us to do.

Good luck!

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secrets Posts : 13 Registered: 6/22/07
Re: Break Between Wedding & Reception
Posted: Jul 24, 2009 1:30 PM Go to message in response to: MrsW2009

This may seem a bit untraditional, but as a mother of 3. If children are going to be in attendence you might want to see if the venue could arrange a "movie". A children's movie on t big screen tv with some popcorn and sprite (so parent can see their children somewhat clean a little longer). Or a game room with a few tv sets and a couple of video games and a movie going. If people have come from out of town but close enough to drive they may be in need of a break. Giving people a place to relax would be really nice.

You could also an afternoon tea with hors d'oeuvres, to help keep people sober until cocktail hour. You could do both of these to help keep people from getting bored.

I've never been to a wedding that wasn't immediatly followed by the reception...in town or out of town, I would be irritated if there wasn't something for us to do.

Good luck!

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sillymonkey Posts : 48 Registered: 4/6/08
Re: Break Between Wedding & Reception
Posted: Jul 24, 2009 1:51 PM Go to message in response to: MrsW2009

What do you know we are getting married the same day. I am having a 2 hour break in between for pictures and to visit my mother in the nursing home. My personal feeling is the guests will have to get over it, it is the bride and grooms day and they are asking you to join in their day as a guest. So it would be inpolite to be upset about it. However I do understand all the arguements behind it b/c it does leave a lot of time for people to sit and do nothing especially if they don't know the area. We are lucky enough that our reception hall has a game room and bar, etc so they can amuze themselves for awhile and in the end everyone will understand. I would try to accomodate as much as possible but you're never going to make everyone happy! Best of luck on your day.

michigan , august_2009
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