Ceremony/Reception

On the tables have cards with questions about the couple with answer on the back. Or do a slid show with old and new pictures of yall . Maybe

Hi, Belle --

I don`t mean to be offensive, but this time-table really screws your guests, as you seem to realize.

*Must* there be this gap of 4 hours, particularly since so many of your guests are from out-of-town, & since you own very small town may offer so few sights & entertainments?

You ask: "Also how do I word that on our invitations. Any ideas???"

Well, first, your DJ info doesn`t play a part & isn`t even relevant. Your focus needs to stay on the 4-hour interval.

Second, I don`t think there`s a way of wording this except by ignoring your own faux pas in the planning. The invitations themselves ought simply to note the times & places.

Third, create a wedding website &/or mailing that notes local restaurants, sites of interests, museums, etc. For locals as well as visitors.

Regards,
Bonnie

Well my orginal idea was to go to a different community center about 15 miles away, but this community just opened and i figured since it is so close for a lot of people and a lot of my friends can just bring a tent and camp out in my back yard ( i have a huge backyard). We are having alchol, this way was much safer and cheaper also.
The reason i asked about the invitation wording is becuase i was wondering wether i should put recpetion following ceremony or just say a certain time for the reception. I have seen both on invitations.
My family is big on golf and we thought we would have a golf cart for every couple in the wedding party and we drive around town for a little bit and then go back to the reception.
I love the slide show idea!! THANKS

To put "reception following ceremony" would mean that everyone goes straight to the reception after the ceremony. This isn`t the case for your wedding. Do a separate reception card with the time and place.

Hi
At the community center do they run a bingo? Have a special bingo during those 2 hours for your favorite charity. Have 5-8 games during that time that relates to your wedding. Your guest will buy a package of 5-8 cards. Play during the time they have to wait. Who knows someone could walk away a winner.

Also.
The reason i said about the DJ thing is becuase when they play backup music 7-8, it is meant for backup music for when we eat and give speeches. I do believe that it is relevant in this case. The reason I am asking is because everything was set and now i am changing my reception site.
I figured I would have an hour before we eat for people to mingle. It is common around here for the bride and groom and the weddig party to go out and have fun for an hour and a half in a limo, etc before the meal.
I am not having al imo but we are going to do the golf cart idea and drive around town and stop at the local resturant/bar (friends of mine own it) and sit and have a drink or two with them (the whole wedding party) and then go back to the reception to meet all my guests, then we will eat, and have the dance.
Thanks for all of the advance.

Also.
The reason i said about the DJ thing is becuase when they play backup music 7-8, it is meant for backup music for when we eat and give speeches. I do believe that it is relevant in this case. The reason I am asking is because everything was set and now i am changing my reception site.
I figured I would have an hour before we eat for people to mingle. It is common around here for the bride and groom and the weddig party to go out and have fun for an hour and a half in a limo, etc before the meal.
I am not having al imo but we are going to do the golf cart idea and drive around town and stop at the local resturant/bar (friends of mine own it) and sit and have a drink or two with them (the whole wedding party) and then go back to the reception to meet all my guests, then we will eat, and have the dance.
Thanks for all of the advance.

Is there a possibility that you can change the time of your ceremony? I`d recommend you try to change the time to 4:00 pm so that your wedding day flows better for your guests as you indicated many are from out of town. They could then go easily from the ceremony to the reception -- chat and have a drink for an hour -- then eat dinner -- then start the dance -- if the ceremony was later in the day. Also, you could then arrange to have all photos taken before the ceremony and get that part out of the way. Certainly some couples are not comfortable seeing eachother before the ceremony so this would be something you`ll need to think about and perhaps compromise.

I`ve heard of the `tradition` you refer to in your post about having the bride/groom/wedding party go out after the ceremony. However, I find this practice to be rude and inconsiderate of guests; especially when many guests are from out of town. Although it`s `your` day, you should also keep in mind that it`s an event that you are hosting for your guests. Thus, it`s expected to keep your guests comfort in mind when planning the day. These people are traveling, and incurring often a signifcant expense, to attend the wedding so it would be nice if you would think of them in the planning.

Remember, the day isn`t simply about you and your groom -- it`s about your guests too.

I also think it`s rude to go running around drinking in bars while your guests wait around bored for you for an hour and a half. If you are really going to do that, then you should do a cocktail hour for them. Make it no more than an hour and you should provide cocktails and hors d`s for them.

I also find it very rude to be out traveling around while guests are somewhere else.Plus did you think about people drinking and driving? Change your time and keep it short and sweet

WOW, i did not expect those kind of comments!
Talk about rude.
Before i say anything i i didn`t come here to be insulted i came to get ideas.
First of all- were not going out to a bunch of bars and getting drunk. Were going to a friends resturant/bar and and having a drink. Like i said its common around where i live for the wedding party to go out for an hour in a limo then make a big entrance to the reception to meet the guests. I guess we don`t find it rude for the guests to wait an hour for the wedding party to come. Thats when most people get to mingle before the food and the music..
Second of all- The main reason we changed the reception area is becuase that way most people can just bring a tent and camp out in our back yard and there is a huge camp grounds near by everybody can go to. We have already discussed that part with most friends of our and they plan on camping out.
We talked to our priest that is marrying us and he has a regular mass at 4:00 so therefore we have to have it at 2. If we could have it at 4:00 that would solve a lot of this.
One idea my mom thought of is Kareoke for the guests to kill time. That would be great, if people would do it.
For the ones who gave ideas, THANK YOU,
Anymore ideas would be great.

No one was trying to be rude you asked for our opions and that what you got. Good luck

Belle, nobody was rude to you. If you don`t like the advice or suggestions, that`s fine, but that doesn`t mean the suggestions were rude.

Bottom line is that you still have a problem and it`s not solved. Your guests will be sitting at your ceremony for 45 minutes and then you want them to "mingle" for another hour while you go enjoy a drink at a bar with your friends. It`s not right to expect your guests to go almost two hours without offering at least something to drink. You must serve them something. Preferably you would do a traditional cocktail hour with drinks and hors d`oeuvres, since dinner won`t be served until six. If you don`t want to serve cocktails, then at least provide sodas.

If you won`t do this, then my next suggestion would be to move your recpetion time down to 4 pm instead of 6 pm. Serving dinner at 4 o`clock would solve your problem.

Belle do you realize that from the time your ceremony starts to the time the dancing begins your guests will have already been at your wedding for six hours??? I don`t think you should even be considering what to do to fill more waiting around time, I have to agree with the last post and say that you should start your reception at 4.

Well, thats why i was wondering if i should just have on the invitation the reception starts at 5:30. When i say out of town. Most people are 20 minutes away to a different town, so maybe they can go home change into something comfortable and tehn come back on 5:30. Becuase from after the wedding to the reception that is a total of 2 1/2 hours.
Sorry if some of you were not trying to be rude, but from the way i took it, when you guys say that my ideas or the way we do it around where i live is being RUDE. I take that as an insult.
Sorry, and thanks again

I would have to say that people are being kind of rude. Just rememmber that this is your day and if that is what you want then that is what you should get. I am also from a small town and we do the same things. I am getting mairred at 1:30 and dinner is being served at 6:00P.M. We are having a cocktail hour from 5 to 6. People will find something to do they can go to the hall or BAR HOPPING!!! I think everything will work out just fine.

Thanks Shannon.
I`m glad someone understands what i`m talking about.
There are many different "customs` or "tradition" that everybody has.

I know what you mean that is the way it has alway been in my town everyone is used to that. Also if you do have a lot of out of town maybe you have a aunt or grandmother that could host them for a while at your hosue so it is not far from anything or at there house. That would just be something that would be word of mouth I would not put anything like that in your invite.

Were is it that you are from that has 6hrs wedding? If you think we are being rude then you dont want help at all you are just trying to justify you wedding. Do what you by all means but dont get offensive geez chic

Belle, I`m not finding fault with an hour between your ceremony and reception time. Many weddings are like that - mine was! Although I didn`t go out to a bar during that hour (we had pictures taken), that is up to you. All I`m saying is that you have to provide something during that time. You can`t expect people to just hang around and mingle without food or drink waiting for you. You do have an obligation to your guests to be hospitable and gracious and not leave them hanging.

Another good point was made that they will have been at your wedding for already six hours before the dancing is even scheduled to begin. So you`re looking at at least another two hours of dancing (if not more). Most receptions (from dinner until the last dance) last about 4 or 5 hours on average. I don`t know that people will want to stay at your reception that long, because it`s already been a long day (six hours) before any dancing even begins.

I also had no clue that when you mentioned out of town guests you meant they lived twenty minutes away. Those are actually local guests. Not that it makes a whole lot of difference in the timing of anything, but they can technically go home during the time between your ceremony and reception.

I do have a question though, instead of racking your brain to find activities for your guests to fill the four hour void before dinner, why not just have the reception earlier? Is there a reason that we`re all missing? I don`t understand it. It would surely make things a lot easier on both you and your guests to do that.

Actually, where I live we usually have our weddings at 2-3pm, then the supper is usually at 5-6pm and then the dance starts after the supper 7-8pm or so. And usually the guest stay till 11pm or so. Could you possibly have some sort of stereo that you could play light music, and maybe you could have some trays of cheese, fruit, meats, crackers at the reception hall. That way while your guests wait they can mingle and have some snacks as well.

I agree that the time difference will be a huge inconvienience to your guests. By the time the dinner and dancing comes around, most will be bored out of their minds. As a gracious host, you need to prepare something for them to do. I think karaoke is a great idea. I would also consider having a treasure hunt prepared or some sort of games or something. You need to allow your guests time to have some fun while they wait so that the time doesn`t seem as long to them as what it`s going to be if they have nothing to do.