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Just Said Yes July 2020

Exiting for photos - return or not?

Mariam, on June 30, 2020 at 1:08 AM Posted in Wedding Reception 0 7

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Hi everyone,
Our 50 person wedding is on 7/11 at 5pm. The timeline so far is as follows:
Pre-ceremony formal portraits of the couple plus our families5pm ceremony immediately followed by speeches/toasts6pm dinner7pm cake cutting
Now our photographer suggested we take photos at a location within a short driving distance around 8:15pm, which is “golden hr.” The question is, should we make this our “exit”, say goodbye and signal to guests that the party is over? Or should we say “the bride and groom are going to take sunset photos now, if you would like to take a photo feel free to do so now before they go, otherwise they will be back in about 45 min”?
The thing is, I would love to spend more time with my guests. But our parents are at-risk for COVID-19 and I know they would probably be more comfortable with an early end to the wedding. And frankly I am worried about dragging on the party too long considering the pandemic. Would it be poor etiquette for our parents to leave before the wedding technically “ends” if we choose the second option? Or could they leave if they liked any time after the cake? They are hosting (kindly paying for) the wedding but most of the guests are our friends since the older guests were understandably not comfortable attending.
I’m also not sure if an 8:15 exit is fine considering the pandemic, or if it will seem “too early”/cut short.
I would love to hear your input. Thank you!

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7 Comments

Latest activity by Jana, on August 19, 2020 at 2:16 PM

Master July 2018
Mcskipper · on June 30, 2020 at 2:20 AM
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I think 45 minutes is too long to be gone at that hour of the party, so if you’re going to leave for that long, I’d wrap things up . It does feel like a short / tight timeline, but the crowd is small, so if everything fits in , that’s fine. If you want more time with guests you could always do an after party of sorts.

Personally though , I felt like my wedding flew by too quickly, so, I would not want to leave and would rather stay and party and dance (but if that’s not your vibe , maybe you’ll have had enough already!) after only 3 hours, and kind of feel re: covid , if you’ve already been together 3 hrs, what’s a 4th going to do? But I think it really all comes down to party style. If it’s not a dance party and just dancing and mingling, time passes differently. For what it’s worth, parents can leave whenever they want to and that is a-okay!
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Master July 2018
Mcskipper · on June 30, 2020 at 2:21 AM
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Should be “just *eating* and mingling” where I was saying “if not a dance party” lol 🤦🏻‍♀️
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Master August 2019
Rebecca · on June 30, 2020 at 4:01 AM
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I think it's a bit weird to be gone for that long from your own party. Is it possible to take those pictures just outside the venue?
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Master October 2021
Mrs.a · on June 30, 2020 at 7:56 AM
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If you love the location I say do it! You only get to live this moment once. What time do you have your venue/reception scheduled to?
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VIP January 2019
Maggie · on June 30, 2020 at 12:14 PM
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If you leave at that point in your reception, that will absolutely signal the end of the party. That's fine and your choice, but I wouldn't expect anyone to stick around and wait for you to come back.
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VIP June 2019
Hanna · on June 30, 2020 at 12:22 PM
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Can't the two of you just step outside for 10 minutes and have the photographer take sunset photos at your venue? Leaving the venue will mean that the reception is over. I wouldn't count on anyone to stick around
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Master October 2022
Jana · on August 19, 2020 at 2:16 PM
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A 10 minute photo shoot outdoors at the same location would be fine. Any longer and guests will feel like party is over unless you stay.
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