Between the Ceremony and the Reception
A sunset on the beach, a morning mass, an afternoon in a temple… followed by the reception. But what time does the ceremony start? And what time does the reception start? Where do guests go between?
Planning a wedding ceremony and reception requires some time coordination. As Mrs. Radish of the WeddingBee reported sometimes the time that you can book the ceremony site and reception site may not align, leaving your guests wondering what to do in between.
If you end up with a large gap in time between the ceremony and reception, here are a few suggestions:
- Give your guests a list of local things to see and a map. If you’re in a big city, perhaps a tourist attraction they can drive or walk to easily. If you’re in a smaller town, maybe direct them to a nearby park.
- Suggest a nearby coffee shop, bar, or restaurant where guests can hang out for awhile. Make sure that it is either close to either the ceremony site or the reception site, though! You don’t want your guests to have to go too far out of their way.
- If the ceremony and reception are at the same place, see if you can find a space for guests to casually hang out and get a glass of water.
Make sure you should provide these suggestions with the invitation, so that guests are prepared for the time gap. You don’t want guests arriving at the reception site only to be surprised that they have several hours to kill before the festivities begin! The more your guests can plan in advance, the better.
~Natasha
Carol
natasha
Elaine
ed
Jenny
Also keep in mind that they’ll be in their formal wear during that break – it can limit the options for things to do.
True, Justin C! Without options, it could be worse. At one wedding I went to, my friend and I had no idea what to do in between and ended up sitting in a Quiznos in our formal attire, waiting for time to pass. We felt (and looked) ridiculous! It would have been nice to have options for somewhere less… divey… to go.