Time between ceremony and reception

[newbride]

How much time are you supposed to leave for pictures in between the cermony and the reception? My reception is starting at 4:30pm, and the church is about 30-45 minutes away. The ceremony should be about a half hour long, give or take a few minutes.

[Sarah]

Depends on how many pictures you need to take!! :p If you have a large bridal party and/or large families, you will need to allot more time. Some couples take all the pictures except for the ones with the bride and groom together (so he doesn't see her) BEFORE the ceremony in order to cut down on the time that the guests must wait for the couple. This may not be an option for you though....I don't know what your specific logistic details are. Your photographer would be a good one to ask about how long pictures will take. Good luck!

[bjmy1975]

My best friend's reception was like 20 minutes from the church. Her invitation says that the reception follows the ceremony. We went to take pictures in a park for like a half an hour and the guests headed to the reception. Honestly I think most of them stopped back at home or their hotel for a moment.

We plan on an immediate reception also even though we are taking picutres outside on the ***pus area. That way out of town guests have somewhere to go. We will have snacks and beverages ready for them. Reception will start at like 4-4:30pm, we'll make sure we are done outside by 5pm and then spend a half an hour or so floating the room with dinner which is buffet around 5:30 or 6. Dinner music starts at 5:30 pm. then the dance starts at 7pm.

[cornhuskercat]

We did our pictures before, when everyone was "fresh" (makeup and all) I know there's the old wive's tale about not seing the groom before the wedding but our photographer staged a GREAT moment (captured on film) when hubby saw me for the first time. Also, five years later, he is STILL glad we did pics before to help him calm down... :rolleyes:

I'm going to get in a huge amount of trouble for this, but my family and I went to no less than 4 weddings in a year, at ALL of which guests were left starving while the wedding party cruised around and took photos, or just had their "limo time" with champagne. A wedding is the biggest party you will ever host, and while you MAY be the BRIDE and groom, that is no reason to act like idiots and snub your guests for the sake of photos, limo ride, champagne, etc.

Our wedding was at 4 in the afternoon, we told the reception hall to expect us at 5. Hubby and I made ONE quick stop in the limo (to see a friend who couldn't get off work to attend...three blocks from reception site). Took us 5 minutes.

So when we got to reception hall, food was NOT out, bar was NOT open...I was livid but couple we had as reception hosts were doing their best in our abscence, but once WE got there...well suffice it to say I wasn't a Bridezilla but my presence in my wedding gown got things moving.

Try doing that when you are off having pictures taken and the guests are restless...ours were such for five MINUTES imagine how it will be for an HOUR... :eek:

The BIGGEST faux pas of this kind was at my 2nd cousin's wedding in my hometown almost 20 years ago. She was a model in NY but ***e home to get married. It was your typical "Wedding Story" wedding with huge dress and all...the invites said to go to the country club for "reception immediately following". (never MIND it was the Sunday vefore July 4th and the church was EMPTY...everyone was off ***oing or whatever).

So we went to the country club where they had fruit and cheese and a chamber ensemble playing. All very hoity toity. However, my great-uncle was diabetic and my father was on a controlled low-cholesterol diet and when they needed to eat, they needed to eat (ESPECIALLY my uncle, the diabetic).

WEll,, an hour rolled by and we realized we needed to feed my great-unlce more than fruit and cheese. The mother of the bride was MORTIFIED and as we were leaving to go to Golden Corral, the bridal party rolled up...none the worse for wear after all the champagne. bride's excuse? She thought she looked so good they drove all over town taking pictures she could put in her modeling portfolio.

WE went to Golden Corral and fed the diabetics and the heart patients ( i didn't realize at the time how important food is to diabetics but my brother is one now, so I can appreciate my great-uncle needing to eat). and they opbviously had to "eat" the cost of feeding us. IMHO, WE were not rude, the bride was.

Long atory short...your wedding is the biggest party you will ever host. You can either be a gracious hostess and consider your guests, or you can be Bridezilla, "this day is all about me." :rolleyes: It might very well be all about you, but do you forever want to be remembered as a (expletive deleted)? :eek:

[cornhuskercat]

We did our pictures before, when everyone was "fresh" (makeup and all) I know there's the old wive's tale about not seing the groom before the wedding but our photographer staged a GREAT moment (captured on film) when hubby saw me for the first time. Also, five years later, he is STILL glad we did pics before to help him calm down... :rolleyes:

I'm going to get in a huge amount of trouble for this, but my family and I went to no less than 4 weddings in a year, at ALL of which guests were left starving while the wedding party cruised around and took photos, or just had their "limo time" with champagne. A wedding is the biggest party you will ever host, and while you MAY be the BRIDE and groom, that is no reason to act like idiots and snub your guests for the sake of photos, limo ride, champagne, etc.

Our wedding was at 4 in the afternoon, we told the reception hall to expect us at 5. Hubby and I made ONE quick stop in the limo (to see a friend who couldn't get off work to attend...three blocks from reception site). Took us 5 minutes.

So when we got to reception hall, food was NOT out, bar was NOT open...I was livid but couple we had as reception hosts were doing their best in our abscence, but once WE got there...well suffice it to say I wasn't a Bridezilla but my presence in my wedding gown got things moving.

Try doing that when you are off having pictures taken and the guests are restless...ours were such for five MINUTES imagine how it will be for an HOUR... :eek:

The BIGGEST faux pas of this kind was at my 2nd cousin's wedding in my hometown almost 20 years ago. She was a model in NY but ***e home to get married. It was your typical "Wedding Story" wedding with huge dress and all...the invites said to go to the country club for "reception immediately following". (never MIND it was the Sunday vefore July 4th and the church was EMPTY...everyone was off ***oing or whatever).

So we went to the country club where they had fruit and cheese and a chamber ensemble playing. All very hoity toity. However, my great-uncle was diabetic and my father was on a controlled low-cholesterol diet and when they needed to eat, they needed to eat (ESPECIALLY my uncle, the diabetic).

WEll,, an hour rolled by and we realized we needed to feed my great-unlce more than fruit and cheese. The mother of the bride was MORTIFIED and as we were leaving to go to Golden Corral, the bridal party rolled up...none the worse for wear after all the champagne. bride's excuse? She thought she looked so good they drove all over town taking pictures she could put in her modeling portfolio.

WE went to Golden Corral and fed the diabetics and the heart patients ( i didn't realize at the time how important food is to diabetics but my brother is one now, so I can appreciate my great-uncle needing to eat). and they opbviously had to "eat" the cost of feeding us. IMHO, WE were not rude, the bride was.

Long story short...your wedding is the biggest party you will ever host. You can either be a gracious hostess and consider your guests, or you can be Bridezilla, "this day is all about me." :rolleyes: It might very well be all about you, but do you forever want to be remembered as a (expletive deleted)? :eek:

I do know that in some faiths, the latest you can marry is 2 pm, which pushes your reception out a bit if you want the dinner-dance thing. This I don't mind (although it can be tedious as a guest finding something to do for two or three hours while you are all dressed up). But to burn those hours for pictures and limo time...sorry, I find it inconsiderate.