Evening Wedding Timeline

I went to a wedding last weekend that started at 6pm on Friday. The couple skipped cocktail hour altogether, and dinner was served almost immediately after the reception at about 6:45. The couple did a first look though, so ALL of the professional pictures had been taken before the ceremony so no one had to wait on that.

I went to another wedding on Sunday where the couple did not do a first look, so they had to take pictures for about an hour after the ceremony, but they also skipped cocktail hour so people could begin eating as it was a late start time as well. The bridal party finished first so they joined the rest of us to eat, and the bride and groom ate during the speeches and picture slideshow.

Hopefully this will give you some options! We are likely skipping cocktail hour too for the same reason.

Thank you! We will definitely be doing a first look, but we won't be skipping cocktail hour. I suppose I can see the benefit in that, but I'm admittedly looking forward to all the food lol.

For my Thursday wedding my ceremony begins at 7pm. Reception begins at 8:30pm and ends at 12:30am. We want to give them time to get to the venue (Long Island like yourself).

As far as ending time, they are adults and if they don't want to stay late they can leave early.

Why begin at 6pm but the ceremony is at 6:30?

I am also confused about that cocktail hour ending 8 but dinner starting close to 9?

Don't put 30 mins earlier than actual ceremony start time. As a guest, as long as there's plenty to eat at cocktail hour, dinner can be close to 8:30. Just don't make your guest wait another hour after cocktail hour.

@gymrat Thank you. I agree, they can leave early if they need to. I'd rather have the ceremony later when it *hopefully* cools down a bit than to have it too early and the sun is still beating down.

@O&L I'm not sure if these times are accurate, just trying to figure it out before we go in today to book and discuss it with them. I may be way off. The ceremony would be at 6:30pm, that's all I know, but the bar opens at 6pm if people come in early and want drinks while they wait (I believe some light snacks would be out for them too). I have no idea how any of this works though, I'm not sure what a normal timeline looks like. Please feel free to correct anything.. if the reception starts at 8pm, would orders be taken and food come out fast enough for 8:30pm dinner? It'll be approximately 150 guests.

What if you start your ceremony at 5:30, have cocktail hour from 6-7, and then the reception/dinner starting at 7 so dinner is served closer to 8 rather than 9? Or do you have to start your ceremony at 6:30?

That was my timeline and it worked just fine. ETA: also a Friday night wedding in LI

My reception will start at 7pm. We are doing all pictures before the ceremony. Our ceremony will be around 6pm. The drive between ceremony and reception is about 25 minutes. Cocktail hour starts at 7pm. Our reception venue overlooks the beach, so we will take about 30 minutes to get beach shots while guests are having cocktail hour. I think dinner will start around 7:30-7:45. I think because there will be cocktail hour-and more importantly alcohol will be served 7:45 dinner won't be too late.

Can you do the ceremony at 630, cocktail hour from 7-745 and dinner at 8? @O &L, I think the arrival time for guests is 6pm. I put the wedding start time on my invitations, but some people put an earlier time to make sure people get there on time. Personally, I'd just put 630 if that's when the ceremony starts because people are adults and can be trusted to get there on time.

Sorry! To clarify, kimmyinjapan is correct: the ceremony would be 6:30pm, which will be what's on the invitation.. 6pm is more for our knowledge that people will be hosted if they arrive early. Thanks for all the input!

Our ceremony starts at 7. Cocktail hour from 730-830. Dinner starts at 830. I know it's late, but our venue doesn't allow weddings to start before 7.

Guests are going to order tableside? I think for such a late start-time, it would be better to have guests choose their meal prior to the wedding.

Thanks for clarifying! I think late start is preferable because it is a Friday wedding. 6:30 ceremony, 7-8 cocktails hours and dinner officially start at 8-8:15?

If the guests pre-ordered, the caterer can serve 150 in less than 30 mins. If they are taking orders after the guest seated, I see your concern about some guests not getting the food until after 9pm

I don't have a solution.

My wedding is Friday at 4pm but it's a small affair so everyone is taking off work that day. We will have cocktail hour, first look so we're doing most photos prior to ceremony, and dinner should be 6ish.

Are you serving multiple courses? Like can salad be served immediately upon the reception starting, maybe 8:10? That way dinner has been started even if the main course isn't served until 8:45 or so.

I'm also having a Friday wedding. We are starting the ceremony at 4. Cocktail hour from 5-6 and dinner around 6:30.

CMC, that's a very good point... I hadn't even thought of that. Yes, we will be serving multiple choices: either a first and second course (small appetizer, such as a fruit plate, and salad) followed by entree, or a combo course (app and salad together) followed by the entree. I hadn't even thought of that.. I bet that's served as soon as people come in so that people don't go hungry while waiting for the entree. Thank you! That put my mind at ease

I had a Friday wedding and had the ceremony start at 5 cocktail hour 6-7 and dinner started at 7. Yes some people couldn't make it to the ceremony but out VIPs were there

For me, the Ceremony is at 7pm, with the Cocktail hour from 730pm til 830pm and dinner being at 830pm. We are not doing a first look though.

That sounds a lot like mine. Can you send your timeline? how did it all work out?