Friday Wedding Itinerary

(continued from previous)

330-4: ceremony

4-415: recieving line etc

430-6: photos (cocktail hour for guests)

6-7: dinner

730-1130: dance

thoughts on this schedule? While I do realize that it moght be a bit early for some, i feel like people who have to talk 1/2 day off work anyway could easily make it withoug having to take a whole day.

I don't think that that is asking too much. Most people get off around 4 or 5 anyway... if your ceremony is at 3:30, they might want to leave at 2pm to go home, freshen up, and have time to drive (for people who live and work local to your wedding). This seems more than fine to me. Anyone with major issue, you don't need on your day anyway. The important people will be there for you. This sounds fine. Good luck!

In all honesty, if you weren't immediate family or a VERY close friend, I would skip the ceremony and go to the reception. If that's okay with you, then I would make sure to put on the invitations that the reception will start at 6, and where it is located. This would be a good idea, anyway, because of the amount of time in between the ceremony and reception. We're only having 1 hour in between our ceremony and reception, and we're serving appetizers then, but we're still telling people when the reception starts in case they want to freshen up, forgot something, need to take care of children, ect.

I have to agree with wowjunkie.....if I worked until 4 or 5 and were invited to everything (ceremony, cocktails, dinner, dance), I'd simply make sure I was there for the dinner/dance. If you're set on this early schedule, I would send save the dates and include the ceremony time on these. That way people can anticipate possibly taking off of work early.

I am so happy you asked this question! Our wedding is also on a Friday and our ceremony starts at 330pm (we wanted later, but we have to get in before the couple that is getting married on the Saturday has their rehearsal.)

A few tips for you...

~Send out save the dates! I sent mine out in my Christmas cards but it gave all of my out of town guests a heads up that it is on a Friday. Most of them are coming for the week now because they had enough notice so that is nice.

~Take some photos before the ceremony. The guys will get ready while we are getting our hair done. Then they will get the photos taken while we are getting dressed. Then they will go get lunch while we are getting our photos done. That way between the ceremony and reception we only have to do photos of us and the entire wedding party. Plus it gives the guys a time line so no one is getting their pants on 5minutes before walking down the aisle!!! If things get misplaced there is plenty of time to play catch up.

I agree witht the PP. I know you think pictures before wont be able to be done but you could get all the "girls" photos done and if there is a second photographer the second can take the "guys" at the same time and then all you have to do after is the combined shots. That is what I plan to do to cut down on photo time. That and Im creating a must have, would like to have and if you can get it, lists. Im sitting aside half and hour or so for pics after the ceremony and then we can get the rest later. Your time schedule looks good though but if you wanted to cut back a bit on the pictures for lighting, see if the above would work.

As a photographer:

1:00-2:00 Pics Of Ladies together at preparation location.

2:00-3:00 Pics of Guys together at Ceremony location

30 Minutes for pics with family and bridal party at the alter immediately following Ceremony

1 hour of outdoor pics with bridal party after that.

The receiving line is going to eat up more time than you expect. I would not advise doing it before you finish pictures. It will also make assembling people for photography much more time consuming. I have seen this scenerio play out many times. I hope this is helpful.

I am having a Friday Wedding in less than 30 days. It is at 7:00pm.

Most of my friends and family are taking off work or leaving early.

My photographer is coming at 4pm to start taking pictures of me getting dressed. He will tke indvidual shots of each person in the bridal party also. I am taking pictures with my girls and he is taking pictures with his guys before the ceremony. We have chosen not to take pictures all together before the ceremony. We are not having a recieving line because it would take up too much time.

Happy Planning and Good luck!

Thanks everyone. Just wondering if anone out there has any personally had (or is having soon) a Friday wedding - any tips on Thursday rehearsal / Friday timeline? Thanks all!