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Savvy September 2020

Friday Wedding Timeline

Gnomi28, on July 16, 2020 at 7:59 AM Posted in Etiquette and Advice 0 7

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What is the proper etiquette for a Friday wedding? We only have our venue until 7 pm, so the ceremony and reception have to be done no later than 6 so we can take everything down. Future mother in law says we should have wedding at 3 pm because people will have to work before then. But that gives us only 3 hours for ceremony, photos, and reception, and I think that's a waste of the DJ we hired for 6 hours. I'd rather have the ceremony at 12 or 1 pm, but I know it's a weekday and people have to work. We originally planned on getting married in Las Vegas on the same day with about 30 guests, and we had to change it to a local wedding due to the pandemic. In my opinion, everyone who was meant to go to Vegas should already have the day off, and in all honesty, those are the only people I actually care to be at the wedding. We are now inviting an extra 70 or so just because we are allowed to have 100 people, and it was better than cutting our original reception guest list from 180 to 10 people. What should my timeline be for a wedding on a weekday? Is it rude to have it in the afternoon?

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7 Comments

Latest activity by Gnomi28, on July 16, 2020 at 1:29 PM

Champion July 2019
Veronica · on July 16, 2020 at 8:09 AM
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I would expect a rather high decline rate if you plan on having it on a Friday afternoon. Generally for a Friday wedding, you would have it later in the day so that guests can attend after work..
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Legend July 2022
Lisa · on July 16, 2020 at 8:12 AM
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I don't think it's rude to have the ceremony in the afternoon - though expect that there will be people won't be able to make it because they have to work. Since you only have the venue until 7pm, I think a 12 or 1pm ceremony start time is a good idea!
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Master October 2020
Yasmine · on July 16, 2020 at 8:23 AM
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I don't think it's rude, but I do agree that I think the decline rate will be a little high.
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Legend November 2019
Caytlyn · on July 16, 2020 at 8:29 AM
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It's definitely not ideal, but it doesn't sound like you have any other option. I would send save the dates and also be okay with more declines than usual.
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Legend June 2019
Melle · on July 16, 2020 at 10:51 AM
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I agree with pp that it makes sense to have it at lunch time to give you more time overall but a lot of people would probably decline than you expect
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Expert May 2010
Theresa · on July 16, 2020 at 1:24 PM
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Sorry to say, but I think the DJ is waste of money for a reception ending at 6pm. Maybe it's just me, but I would expect an afternoon wedding to be lower key. I wouldn't show up intending on dancing the day away. I would have that expectation for an evening reception.
And I agree with PPs about higher declines for an early wedding. I would add that the same could happen for a weekend wedding. There are a lot of people out there who do not work M-F 9-5.
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Savvy September 2020
Gnomi28 · on July 16, 2020 at 1:29 PM
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We already had the DJ booked for a reception only on a different day. But since our old venue has a limit of 10 people inside right now, we had to completely change the venue, time, and date. We are now having everything on the same day in a public park, but didn't want to lose the deposit on the DJ we already hired.
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