Guests leaving early?

I agree with Olivia. A lot of factors can play into them leaving early.

Cash bar? Silly games? Boring DJ? No dancing? Dollar dance? Heavy apps as an excuse for no dinner? Endless speeches? Too late on a week night? Gross fondant cake? Drunk disgusting guests? These are all factors. I've seen' em all.

I like fondant cakes.... There's bakeries here that flavor the fondant.. hell i've flavored the fondant when i'm using it.

Unaware is right, a good DJ really can help!!

I only leave early if I don't know anyone there and/or I have to be at work Sunday morning at 6am

The only two weddings that I left early from were both cash bar weddings. One was an hour and change away from home (couldn't afford a hotel) and the other was in a social club where the cash bar was in a different room.

Most older people will stay till 8 or 9 and leave. Also people with kiddos at home will leave early. The younger crowd will stay and dance.

For example, my dad has hearing loss in one ear and the dance music is always too loud for him. He doesn't like staying around that because it is irritating. Grandparents cannot hear someone talking to them or being in the dark puts them at a higher risk for falling and hurting themselves. This has happened at every wedding I have been to.

The younger crowd will stay until the end and party. Don't plan snacks for your whole crowd. Plan for half.

We left after the cake once. It was a Sunday wedding (we had an early flight the next day) and it was cash bar.

It's not uncommon for some to thin out an hour or so after dinner break. A good DJ or band, plenty of dancing and open bar is what keeps the best guest retention.

I imagine people will leave my reception early since it's on a Sunday

I think it's common for older people, people with kids, and people that don't really know anyone to leave early. I'm counting on a lot of guests leaving early but hopefully plenty will stick around. I think providing alcohol helps people stick around

The only wedding I left early was because it was 1) Sunday night 2) a dry wedding 3) they were doing one game after another. We didn't even stay for cake.

In regards to the food planning, we are doing a late night pizza bar. Our venue only makes enough for half of the attending guests (their rules) because you will have some people that won't eat any or some that have left. You can take that into consideration when you're planning how much!

Those people are probably people with cash bars or bad DJs. The day of the week will also obviously affect this. We are definitely prepared for some of our older guests to leave shortly after dinner because our reception is on the later side and we have about 10 guests that are over 80.

The only wedding I left early was on a Friday night. I had worked all day, couldn't go home in between due to time restraints, had to change in the bathroom at work, and my DH had to meet me there so we had 2 cars. He had also worked that day too. We felt rushed all day and were completely worn out. Any other time, we're among the last to leave.

Out of town guests leave early too

I read on here once that right after the cake cutting is when an early wave of people might leave; that it serves as a signal that dinner is over. Anticipating this, we are doing a full band set between the end of dinner and cake cutting. But people that stay will definitely appreciate the snack I bet!

I've only left one wedding super early. It was in a church basement that was self catered with only beer. The reception was also at 3 or 4 so I was bored to death with a migraine. Sadly it was an OOT wedding, FH and I ordered a pizza and enjoyed the hotel.

The only wedding I've left early was a friend's Sunday wedding when we decided to drive 2 hours each way to attend rather than getting a hotel. We were having a good time, but the food wasn't great and we knew we had a long drive ahead of us, so we left around 9pm.

We're doing a late night snack (chicken and waffles), and the caterer is thinking 25% will leave by the time they serve it at 9.

One of my two times I left a wedding early was exactly like @Audrey's: it was for a college friend, on a Sunday night, and our carpool group had to leave early to make it back to the city at a reasonable hour.

The other time my parents and I left early because my mom got stung not once, but twice, during the outdoor ceremony. Also taken into consideration for leaving before the reception: the officiant was some frothing-at-the-mouth Evangelical minister who managed to alienate the Catholics in attendance (the groom's entire family); the toilet facility was an unlit outhouse; and the catering was a self-catered taco bar.