Reception Ideas

[KendraDianne]

We are having our wedding on a Friday night, 7 p.m. to be exact. We can't decide if we would like a "sit-down dinner reception" or just eat cake and leave. We would really prefer just cake but, I worry our guests may be expecting a dinner on the account of the time. So we wanted to see others' opinions on the matter.

[Ndia]

Most people should have already eaten by this time.I would let them know you will just be serving desserts (maybe on the reception card). Maybe to be a little bit more special then just the wedding cake you should have a variety of different desserts.

[edamanskis]

I agree... if you put on the invitation that it's a "cake and champagne" reception (or "cake and punch" or "cake and coffee/tea" if there's no liquor)...they will know that they need to eat dinner before they arrive.

Having other desserts besides cake is a great idea too.

[huskerkitties]

A wedding ceremony at 7 pm does not require dinner. Seven o'clock was the magic hour in my family, whereas you didn't need to serve dinner.

My brother was maried in a 7 pm ceremony and the reception included cake and champagne and keg beer. They also had a dance, so there were sandwiches put out around 11 pm.

My husband and I were married at 4 pm and thus we had a full buffet dinner at 6 pm. Do not feel you have to feed people after a 7 pm ceremony because, depending on the religion and whether you are having a receiving line, most people won't get to the reception until around 8 pm. Which is too late for dinner in a lot of the country.

[staceyj]

Our ceremony is at 6:30pm. Since we are having our wedding out of town the hotel check-in is at 4pm. We are having our pictures done first and our ceremony is very short. Food which is a BBQ will follow shortly after so we will advise people to snack in the daytime so they won't be too hungry when we eat around 7:30.

[Lynne]

My wedding is at 7pm as well. We pushed it back to this time, so we wouldn't have to serve dinner.
Instead, we are having a "dessert" reception, or as it is written on the invites "Dessert and Dance Reception"

[baconsmom]

We are having our wedding on a Friday night, 7 p.m. to be exact. We can't decide if we would like a "sit-down dinner reception" or just eat cake and leave. We would really prefer just cake but, I worry our guests may be expecting a dinner on the account of the time. So we wanted to see others' opinions on the matter.
If you have your reception at a dinner hour (or have the wedding at such, followed immediately by the reception), you must provide your guests with a meal - or at least with a heavy-appetizer buffet. If you want to have a cake-and-punch reception, you must make it earlier in the day - say, in the afternoon, around 3 or 4.

[SOM Z28]

I agree that for a 7 pm ceremony, a dessert reception is acceptable. You figure that if your ceremony starts on time and last 30 minutes, you're done at 730. Then you'll take pictures for at least 30 minutes, so you won't join the reception until 8 pm at the earliest. And dinner isn't traditionally served the minute you walk in, so you may not eat until 830 or later. And that's probably a little late for most people. And then all of the other traditional stuff, you won't even be done until 1130 or 12 midnight.

So, I suggest considering your guests. Do you have a large number of older guests that may leave early because they go to bed early? Yes, they may stay up for this special ocasion, or they may not? Are you inviting children? Once it's gets close to or past their bedtime, they'll get cranky and annoying.

I suggest a light hor doeurves (sp) set up for guests to nibble on while you take pictures. Then you can join them and have cake and champagne and enjoy your evening.

[nmb082005]

I would have to agree with all of the others, at 7 there is no need to serve dinner. Cake and drinks of some sort or even some appetizers would be the most appropriate choices for that late in the evening.

[reecey]

If you have your reception at a dinner hour (or have the wedding at such, followed immediately by the reception), you must provide your guests with a meal - or at least with a heavy-appetizer buffet. If you want to have a cake-and-punch reception, you must make it earlier in the day - say, in the afternoon, around 3 or 4.

7pm isn't dinner time, and the reception won't start until probably 8 if the wedding is at 7. Most will have eaten by that time and a clue that a meal won't be served will be given on the reception card.

[nle5]

If you have your reception at a dinner hour (or have the wedding at such, followed immediately by the reception), you must provide your guests with a meal - or at least with a heavy-appetizer buffet. If you want to have a cake-and-punch reception, you must make it earlier in the day - say, in the afternoon, around 3 or 4.

Seven o'clock is NOT in the dinner hour. It is ok to have a 7 o'clock wedding and then have a dessert reception. The wedding will get over between 7:30 and 8:00. Pictures will take about 30 minutes and then the reception can start between 8:00 and 8:30.

Oh yeah another old post. Please, baconsmom STOP posting to messages older than six months to a year. Most of the time people come to post one or two messages and leave the forums.