Timing of wedding? Dancing and beer at an afternoon wedding?

Question

My fiance and I are trying to decide the time of day to get married. Our wedding date is September 12, 2009. We want to get married while there is daylight (our church has beautiful windows). We were originally thinking 4pm with ~5pm reception, but now that we are looking at the cost of food, we are starting to think about just doing appetizers and having a1pm wedding and 2pm reception. If we have the earlier reception, could we still have beer (fiance's major request) and a DJ with dancing (my hope)? When and how should we expect guests to start leaving if we do the earlier time?

We want to keep the wedding and reception close together in time because we live in a small town, and half of the guests will drive half an hour between hotel/house and reception location (unavoidable). The earlier time might mean some guests don't need a hotel.

I have never been to an afternoon wedding, so the more detailed information and timeline, the more it will help me. Thanks for answering!

Answer 1

Yay - that's my birthday!  There are a few options on what you can do - but either way beer and dancing can happen at any time so you don't have a problem there.

My time-line went as followed... obviously yours will be different but this should give you an idea of what takes how long!

4pm - Ceremony

4.30 - Ceremony ends, photos with guests

5.15 - Guests leave ceremony site and head to reception site (15 min drive) where they have nibbles and drinks on arrival - bridal party still having pictures at ceremony site

5.45 - Bridal party leave ceremony site after pictures have been taken

6.00 - Bridal Party arrives at reception and has nibbles outside while guests are seated - then bridal party enter the main dining room

6.30 - Dinner is served

7.00 - Speaches (by father of bride, bride & groom, groomsman, and father of groom)

7.30 - Dessert is served

7.45 - Cake is cut

8.00 - First dance by bride and groom

Dancing and mingling followed for the next while

10.30 - Bouquet Toss

Dancing and mingling still...

11.00 - Leaving circle where the bride and groom went around and one-by-one thanked the guests for being there and said goodbye

11.30 - Bride and Groom left

12.00 - Guests were all required to leave

Hopefully that gives you some idea of the timings of certain things...

I realise that the food costs a lot of money - but just remember that your guests will still be hungry.  If you could make the appetizers/hors douvers quite substantial and enough of them then it should be fine.  If they aren't fed enough and you started the reception at 2pm then I would suggest that your guests would be likely to stay until maybe only 5pm-6pm.  If they were fed really well you would be looking at them leaving at around 7-8pm instead.

Answer 2

u shouldnt be timite everyone is lik dat its normal u should do 4-5pm rec.

Answer 3

Traditionally wedding receptions begin with a 1 hour cocktail hour with appetizers followed by a reception of 3 or 4 hours (usually 4).  Any way you look at it, your day will encompass a meal time and it's unfair to expect people to stay around if you're not going to feed them adequately.

What you might consider is a late Sunday morning wedding followed by a brunch.  You'll have the light through the windows, the food at brunch is less expensive than dinner and you'll be able to serve beer (and hopefully at least wine and soft drinks for the non beer drinkers).  You can have a champagne cocktail called a mimosa which is orange juice and champagne and can be made with cheaper champagne and bloody marys which are traditional brunch cocktails.

The only problem is that most people just aren't into dancing that early in the day.

Answer 4

I would definitely say yes to both those questions.  I am doing the exact same thing (except we are serving a meal)  but our reception is starting at 2.  We won't be serving alcohol (personal preference) but we are having a DJ with dancing and all the normal expected things at a wedding.  Who cares what time its at- it's your wedding do what you want to!

Answer 5

My wife and I got married at 2pm

Then guest could start appearing at the reception at 3:30pm (since the wedding got out at 3pm)

While the wedding party was driving around in the stretch navigator. The guest stood around and waiters and waiteresses passed around appetizers and drinks be it alcoholic and non alchololic. At 4pm guest were seated. At 4:45pm the wedding party arrived and got introduced. At 530pm they started serving the 7 course meal. At 630pm they should pictures of us and the family members and friends. At 7pm the music started and dj. It was open bar and there were waiters and waiteresses walking around asking people if they needed a drink. The end time was 10pm it was fun. We spent a lot on our wedding but money wasn't a problem. I would do it in the afternoon. if I were you.

Answer 6

We had a morning wedding at 10 am with the reception starting at 11 am.  We did offer alcohol, but only beer, wine, bloody marys and screwdrivers.  So I think it's perfectly fine to have it at 2 pm - there will be plenty of people who are more than happy to have an afternoon drink!

And you know your guests better than us - are they the type of crowd to want to get up and party at 2 pm?  Even if they're typically not, if you and your new husband are out on the floor, I'm pretty sure others will come and join you!

As far as the appetizers, I would make sure that they are heavy apps that would be filling for your guests, especially if you will be serving alcohol and that you include it on the invite so your guests know they won't be getting a full meal.  You can just say after the main invite part "Hors devours reception to follow".

I would give at least 3-4 hours for the reception.  This gives you time for eating, dancing, any bouquet/garter toss you want to do and the cake cutting.  When you guys are ready to wrap up, you can just have the DJ announce something like "Please come to the front to help send off the bride and groom!"

And good for you for wanting to keep the ceremony and reception timing close - much more convenient for your guests!

Answer 7

you should be fine and with the time change in the fall the ealier the better ;) serving the beer will be good too! its a wedding celebration!! everyone will not even think of it as an issue!! people might leave about 6 or so.

Answer 8

My wife and I had an afternoon wedding at 1pm. Reception was at 2 with appetizers, stuff to make little sandwiches, fresh fruit etc. and yes we had beer and wine plus champagne. I hope this helps.

Answer 9

Yes, you can serve beer then, but it may be a better idea to have   simple cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages.  For a c***s and apps reception, I'd say it should last only a couple of hours. Longer than that, and people will expect a meal.  Make sure you let people know that there will only be hors d'oeuvres at the reception on the invitation.  Congratulations!