How many hours is your ceremony and reception?

Our ceremony is starting at 4pm and the reception follows at the same location. We have our DJ and bartenders until 11pm, so 7 hours! I hate going to weddings that end early and my family was on the dance floor until the very last minute at my sister's wedding so I wanted to have at least 4 hours for dancing after all the formalities. I only will have my photographer until about 9:30 but the rest is for party time lol! If people don't want to stay the whole time they don't have to! I'd say it depends on your crowd and the cost (if it costs more for it to be longer but you predict people won't stay I'd weigh it out).

Our ceremony starts at 4:30, cocktail hour at 5, first portions of dinner out by 6:30, and following dinner we were going to have dancing til 11 (but have since changed plans and are wrapping up around 9).

Our ceremony starts at 5, cocktail hour should start at 5:35, grand entrance at 6:45, dinner served at 7, and our grand exit is at 10:45

Our ceremony started at 4:30, cocktail hour was immediately following, and the grand entrance was at 6:15. Our reception ended at 10 then we had an after party. Everything was that the same venue just in didn't parts of the venue.

View Quoted Comment So roughly 5 hours I spoke with a dj that made me rethink my hours. He telling me my hours are extremely long for a wedding. Thanks for your help.

View Quoted Comment This makes me feel better. When we get together we party!!! A dj had me rethinking my hours☹️.

7 hours is perfectly fine. Many couples say they wish the party lasted longer, and have an afterparty elsewhere so why not save money by extending the party at one venue from the standard 4 hrs? In some cultures, they're still in party mode when others are calling it a night. Do what works best for you and your crowd.


In my family the majority of receptions last 3 hrs max which we decided was not going to happen since it's not cheap and everyone is traveling. Plus we are the first to serve dinner instead of just cake.
There's no right or wrong but may as well get your money's worth.

My reception was 5 hours and ceremony was half an hour long.

Normally its like 30 minutes for ceremony, one hour for cocktail hour, and four hours for reception. So yes seven hours is too long

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Yeah I felt a little worried mine was too long because I've been to so many that ended by 9 or 10 recently but I felt so disappointed at those ones and like they ended right when the party was picking up. My sister's wedding ceremony was at 2, cocktail hour started at 4:45 at a different location and people were still going nuts at 11:15!! all about the crowd and what you want, don't let anyone sway you!

View Quoted Comment Thank you...I didn’t feel it was to long and you guys have been reassuring me that it’s actually great timing. Sticking with my hours I already planned.

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I think she's talking from ceremony to end of reception! mine is about a 30 min ceremony, 1hr cocktail hour, 1 hour dinner, then reception runs till 11pm latest (so about 4.5 hours). So we are only talking an hour/hour and a half difference here

View Quoted Comment Thanks Sarah I appreciate I’m not changing my hours. My family actually doesn’t think it’s long enough 😂😂

View Quoted Comment I wouldnt want to attend a nearly 6 hour long reception. I guess people can leave whenever they want but no thanks lol

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That's the beauty of it, no one is required to stay. I just have a ton of family and friends that will and for us, we have the flexibility to cut it short if needed since there isn't a designated end time on our invite, plus it isn't costing us any extra. So to each their own

View Quoted Comment You are welcome! We had the option to make our hours longer, but I honestly didn’t want to having to wake up earlier then needed 😂😅

I was wondering the same thing I was planning for about a 6-7 hour event from ceremony-end of reception but looking at DJ quotes they all stay around 4-5 hours, so I am not sure what we will end up doing.

Our ceremony will be at 4, cocktail hour about 5/530 and then the reception from 6-10. All in all our event will be 6 hours long...unless we end up paying to extend it.

View Quoted Comment Many will happily stay longer for a small hourly fee past the 4 hr mark..or get a quote for the time you need them.

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Oh yes I seen where they will stay past that for added on fees and that is no problem I just didn't realize that standard was 5 hours.