6 hour reception too much?

I mean I'm not sure if its too long...

My reception is from 6-midnight.

I don't know what to tell you. We had an evening wedding on a Saturday and our reception lasted 2 hours max. Then again, it was bad weather, so people were wanting to get home to beat the tornado warnings. I doubt people will stay 6 hours for a reception. And honestly, I couldn't wait for the reception to be over so we could get out of our formal clothes, get comfy, and spend some time with each other.

And trust me, it'll go by wayyy fast, you won't even know where all the time went..

At my venue it's

6-8 dinner

then 8-midnight is dancing.(starts with all the special dances first.)

If that 6 hours does NOT include cleanup time then yes, 6 hours for just a reception is too long. In my experience, receptions last about 4-5 hours. It really all depends on how fast you cut the cake. As soon as people eat their piece of cake, they typically skip out.

We had to kick people out at midnight and there were still some stragglers who hung out with us until 1am. if your group likes to dance and party, I don't think it's too long. Ours went by super fast.

I think a 6 hour reception is a bit much and people are more likely to get drunk...

Plus, don't you want to get to the hotel for the wedding night?

I think people would leave early and you'd miss out on the really cool exit...

I think it depends greatly on two things:

1) the details of your venue contract

2) whether or not alcohol will be served

Most venues I'm familiar with are not so strict on ending a wedding straight up at midnight, especially if alcohol is involved. Typically things round down between midnight and 2am. I'd definitely check your contract (and perhaps other customer's reviews) and see just how strict the venue is about adhering to their cut-off time.

Hmm...nice ideas...thanks guys..I'm really going to have to really think more about this b/c I know my family and friends LOVE to party and we are doing a "lite after dinner buffet" so I feel like they will have more energy to stay up and boogie; but on the other hand I'm not sure if most ppl will leave early and we paid for an extra hour for nothing...haha!!!

My reception is from 630 - midnight It really depends on the guests I've been to parties that people leave at 9 or 10 and some where its all party till 3 am If you have a good band or Dj that can keep the crowd going I think its fine I've never been to a wedding where the reception was shorter than 5 hours

No it is not..mine is going to be from 6-12..and i am sure i could still use a few more hours...if you like to party it goes by quick...

It depends on the crowd you have at your reception, mine will be a long reception we like to party

6 hours is the norm these days. FH and I went to one a few weeks ago and this is how it went: 6:00 - 7:00 Cocktail Hour 7:00-7:745, intro of the bridal party, cake cutting, toasts, 7:45 - 8:45 dinner and then a reflections show. 8:45 -9:00 First Dance, Bridal dance, Father-Bride dance, Mother Son Dance. Then they had a bunch of fast dances, garter bouquet toss, Anniversary dance..we left around 11:30 and the dance floor was PACKED!! You minght try and see about 5 hours, though. Maybe until 11:00... Good Luck!

My entire wedding is from 6 til 11pm. Ceremony/Reception both. I went to my cousin's wedding & after they did the garter/bouquet tosses it started to thin out majorly. Like 150 guests were there when the ceremony started and after they did the garter/bouquet tosses it narrowed down to under 100. And about an hr after that it was down to maybe 40 and then we left.. we were only there for from 5:15 until 8:15.

Our ceremony was at 430..reception "started" at 6 but people showed up early to mingle and I literally was asking my friends to go back to the hotel and party at 12 haha but we have a party crowd. DS's family stayed until 1130 as did mine..so I personally don't think it's too long. But it really depends on your crowd

I've seen many couples have or go to "after parties" with their close friends and family who want to continue the celebration... So I don't think 6 hours is too long, assuming you might extend your reception instead of moving the party elsewhere. If it's too much for some, then they will leave. No big deal, in my opinion.

It really depends on your time line and the number/type of activities you've included.

For example: If you're doing a typical cocktail/dinner/toasts/dance/cake/dance/bouquet&garter/dance reception, 4-5 hours should be more than enough.

If you plan to add interactive games, if most of your guests (over 80%) are young and "party animals" who will be drinking and dancing all night long, you could get away for an additional hour. The same would apply if you have a very formal meal being served (more than 3 courses), or if you have a large wedding (over 200 guests).

Its always better to plan for longer, ours was planned for 6 hours, but because of the heat and stuff people ended up leaving earlier than that, but we had time to pick up that night and get everything squared away. So it was kinda nice to let that happen....

Ours is going to be 6 hours... and we're planning an "after-party" for anyone who wants to stay up! even if a lot of people leave, i know a lot of people are going to be staying over at the hotel and they'll want to keep partying!

Ours goes from 5:30 until 1 am... if people want to bow out early they can, I wouldn't worry about 6 hours being too long for a reception.