Cousin's wedding Update in comments!

2 hour gap?! I would go home.

Last year, I went to a wedding, then drove 30 min to the reception to find out we were the first people there. LITERALLY, no one (food, dj, decor) was there. Finally guests and the wedding party started showing up and the photographer kept trying to keep guests busy with pictures until the reception area was ready. My friend and I waited an hour and then left.

I hope she did not invite people to the reception and not the ceremony

@Kate that's true, I didn't think of that. I know a lot of their guests worked with both the brides (they both work at the same place) and probably couldn't all get off at the same time.

@OliviaP I'm fine with the Stillwater boat cruise! My beef was that said WW poster was having her guests pay their way onto the boat.

Also adding that since there were no chairs for the majority of us the officiant never told people to sit down after the brides walked down the aisle, so my grandparents ended up standing through like half the ceremony and then awkwardly sitting down after awhile!

Per the boat cruise: I was on one once - went from 6 to 10, many people were from Duluth (2.5 hour drive from the cities, cruise was on Lake Minnetonka), too loud, no drinking, late September, rainy and cool. People from Duluth wanted to leave to get back to Duluth and not spring for a hotel. But oh well - I am sure if I was on one in July or August it would be good! And to pay your way onto a boat? Yikes

OP - I am glad the day went well! Interesting about more people at the reception though......

One of the number one rules... Have a chair for every butt! At least the reception was okay.

Regarding more people at the reception than ceremony - I'm noticing at more and more weddings that guests are skipping the ceremony and only showing up at the reception. I know that they've been invited to the ceremony. I guess they skip the important part and show up for the free food and drink.

@Goingtothechapel Growing up Catholic in the 80s and 90s, I knew a lot of extended family members who would skip the ceremony to avoid the so-called Catholic gap...

@bluevelvet: Guests wanted to drive back to Duluth from Lake Minnetonka at 10 pm after a four-hour dinner cruise? smh

@Danielle - no they did not want to drive back. They wanted to dock, get off and leave by 7:30 or so. The bride, knowing half her guests were from Duluth, really should have had her wedding from 2-6 to help accommodate these guests. However it was her wedding, guests knew this, they could have skipped or spring for a hotel. But this bride was hell bent on an evening cruise. And that is what she wanted - she got it!

(I had to look up smh....lol!)

@bluevelvet I think a 10 pm end time for a reception is reasonable. The Duluth crew was being cheap by not wanting to stay overnight.

@going; there is no such thing as 'free food and drink' when one is a wedding guest. A recent article estimated clothing, baby/dog sitting, travel and gifts at an average of 700.00 per guest.

Fortunately for me, I have to marry couples in dock (licensing issues) so I'm off before it starts. One notable exception was an elopement on a water taxi; we did the vows at the South Street Seaport in NYC, and then took the water taxi (with four guests) to idle in front of the Statue of Liberty. It was fabulous. And short.

And honestly, I'd rather have guests blatantly skip the ceremony than wander in way late because they didn't feel like being on time. If you're going to be dismissive of the ceremony, just be flat out dismissive about it.

I don't get it, how does anyone consider not having enough chairs for people. Honestly, in my mind that is not even a question. Weird. I have been in the 2 hrs before cocktail hour situation, that stinks so bad. I was an out of town guest too and all dressed up with no where to go. Sat in our car for hours and drove around. Yeah, that I remember, couldn't tell you what we ate for dinner.