How do I politely tell people to leave.

The Bride and Groom can not wait to see you at the reception, and ask that you do not linger at the ceremony, so that they can get the family pictures taken, and get to the reception hall that much sooner.

I was thinking some like this in the programs????

I would say just designate a person to shoo people out of the picture area, not necessarily full on kick people out of the entire ceremony site.

You can also just have the pastor mention at the end that the bridal party and family will be staying behind to take pictures and that they will meet everyone at the reception so that people don't think they are supposed to stick around to give you their greetings and well wishes.

Ok, how about

The bride and groom can not wait to see you at the reception, and will accept your greetings and well wishes there.

does that sound better, and is that the correct there???

I agree definitely have the pastor mention that the family and bridal party will be taking photos after the ceremony and they will meet everyone at the reception. Also putting it in the program will help too.

From what my coordinator at the venue has told me is that no one will remember what you told them in the program/invitation/website. Whatever you want them to do or remember, the best thing is to have the pastor tell them right before they are dismissed. I can believe after how many questions people have asked and the information was right on the invitation... people didn't even bother reading to the end!

So, I think it sounds great the way you have it worded for the pastor to say at the end, but I don't think they will remember what the program says.

I agree.....don't even put it in the program. Have the officiant tell them at the end and/or have someone designated to move people along.

I have never seen there be a porblem getting people out of the ceremony space, usually if they want to socialize they do it in the hall or outside. Most weddings I have been to have had the ushers dismiss people row by row. What kind of ceremony location are you having to be concerned about this?

I agree have the Pastor say something. IDK how many people will read the whole progam

Any wedding I have been to or in it's the photographer that does the honors - and they have never been nice about it. "Listen up ya'll get the *&%$ out so I can take pictures!" Nobody ever seems to mind though.

At my first wedding, we simply had the priests at the end of the ceremony announce that the bride and groom would be receiving their guests at the reception hall. Please make your way there for cocktails while photos are being taken. Something to that effect. Worked quite nicely.

I wouldn't put anything on the programs or invites.

At our wedding, the officiant announced "everyone except the immediately family please proceed upstairs at the Atlantic Ocean Grille and the bride and groom will see you there shortly; immediately family, please stay here for the taking of the family photos". Everyone left except those who needed to stay and when those pics were done, they all went upstairs. We had no issues of lingerers, even though it was a beautiful beach day!

Our ceremony is at a gazebo at a park, its pretty small, and the reception will not be until 5pm.. Our ceremony is at 3pm and should be completed by 330. I put the gap in there because FH and I want to go downtown to get pictures taken by the lake. Some people will have to go back to the hotel to get ready for the reception, and catch the shuttle that will be bringing them to the reception. I think I will leave it out of the program, and just have our officiant announce something. Thanks ladies!

I agree with having a person in charge of keeping the photography area clear

Your officiant will be happy to take care of this. I do it all the time.

As someone who has been to many (and I do mean many) wedding, I have knowtist that when the ceremony is done, you have walked down the aisle with your new husband and the receiving line is done, most people leave the ceremony site. People just automaticly know (and I'm talking about 95% of people, not the 5% of overbearing Aunts, mothers and mother-in-laws) that the Bride and Groom have their photo shoots and other verious activities between the ceremony and reception. Most of the time there's atleast one friend or family member who hosts a "pre-reception" party while waiting for the Bride and Groom to make their grand enterance.