Gaps and Activities between Reception and Ceremony: Fun or foul?

As a guest I would vastly prefer the smallest possible gap. I went to a wedding that had like 3 hours in between ceremony and reception and we had no idea what we were supposed to do lol. While the museum seems like a nice idea, maybe include it as a weekend activity suggestion on your website or in your welcome bags, etc. but don't make it a scheduled activity.

Personally I would not want to tour anything dressed in wedding attire. If you want to offer it to your guests, maybe the day after or just a suggested activity on your website.

ETA: the smallest possible gap (i.e. none if possible) between ceremony and reception is preferable to me.

No gap. Please don't invite me to your ceremony then tell me to fend for myself for a few hours. You're literally inviting people to a party, telling them to leave, then telling them to come back.

No gap, or as minimal as possible. Even an organized activity like a tour is out of place

I am for a small gap but nothing too long. How long is the drive between the ceremony site and Mt Vernon? Btw I have been there, great venue choice!

Like the PPs I would suggest it as a weekend activity on a wedding website but wouldn't want to do the tour in heels.

Personally, I like to take my time touring/ museum so I would hate it as a scheduled activity. Also your guests will be all dress up and some of them might not be into museum/ tour type. As PP suggested, weekend activity suggestion sounds better. Normally you host cocktails hours at the reception venue in the gap but 1-1.5 hours only.

The drive between ceremony and reception is about 20 minutes, but incredibly easy and accessible; luckily, it is basically a straight line, lol.

EDIT: Also, I am all for a slightly more casual occasion. So, ya know, business casual is cool with me. If that makes a difference, lol. I'm not at all expecting people to show up in black tie formal wear to a tour. But yeah, heels and tours, no thanks. So, good point.

No gap. I was in a wedding this weekend with a 3 hour gap. We were done with bridal party pictures after one hour and still had two hours to kill. Everyone split up while the bride and groom took couple photos so I ended up sitting in my hotel room watching tv with my husband because I didn't want to mess up my hair and makeup if we tried to go anywhere. Not fun.

Wow, so many replies, so fast! Thanks for all the input! I brought up the hair and makeup point to my fiance already, Minders. Great minds think alike, lol.

Yep, gaps are rude. Photos should be taken during the cocktail hour.

My wedding will be a 1-1.5 hour gap but that's only because the ceremony and reception sites are 10 minutes away from each other and people are going to want to take pics with FH and I after the ceremony. I would take the smallest gap as possible.

Both of my cousins had 3-4 hour gaps. I was a bridesmaid for both of them (they live in the suburbs in the Vancouver area). They are a part of a specific church (Iglesia ni Cristo, a Filipino religion) and had to get married at that church, which is in Burnaby and is 20 minutes away from their reception sites in Vancouver. A lot of the guests who were a part of that church (family and friends) weren't phased by it though because that's what they had to do. After the ceremony, the wedding party had to take photos for a couple of hours.

Could you have a cocktail hour around the museum so people could tour a small section of it, but there would be drinks and appetizers for people to munch on while they walked around.

I am definitely not a fan of any type of gap between the ceremony and reception, other than the amount needed to travel. It tends to lead to guests being late to the reception because they find things to do to occupy themselves...haha possibly pre gaming at a bar.

No gap (save cocktail hour and drive time) and no activity. The wedding is my chosen activity of the day.

Also, is your FH thinking people need to unwind after a ceremony or is HE feeling like he will need a break? You may want him to rest up well before.

I also agree with the no gap consensus. It can definitely be awkward period of time and really breaks up the celebratory feeling if you have a random few hours between.

I wouldn't want to do a tour in my dress, heels and makeup as a guest. I don't really like gaps in general at a wedding besides the cocktail hour where you are eating and drinking and mingling so it goes by fast and isn't bad

I hate gaps. It's awful. The last wedding I went to I was with FH- who was a groomsman- and I was in a state- far away- I didn't know anyone- or where to go- I wound up at a fucking Subway in my dress having dinner because I didn't know when we were going to be able to eat.

Then we had cocktail hour while they continued to take pictures. I was fucking MISERABLE.

No Gap- or as little as possible. It's such a pain in the ass.

Another vote for no gap. My brother's getting married later this year with a gap and everyone's already cranky about it. It's an even bigger pain when you're from out of town, which it sounds like most of your guests are. Even with a paid museum tour, only some people will be interested in it, and it really just makes the whole day drag for guests.

Not a fan of gaps. Just have the reception after. Easy peasy.

Any kind of gap is rude. Your FH is wrong. If I was going to your wedding, I'd be annoyed that you planned a gap just because with a tour to keep my occupied. I'd likely just go home or back to the hotel. Ceremony --> reception. That's the way it works. As for photos, either do it before the ceremony or during cocktail hour, but it's rude to make your guests wait so you can do photos.