IS 2 hours too long between the ceremony and cocktail hour?

I would think that it is a huge time difference. What are people to do?

If most of your guests are from OOT its going to be hard for them to find things to do.

But if they're out of town, they'll probably have hotels they can go back to right? Idk, I chose to do photos beforehand for this very reason, but it's what I'd have to do if we were doing photos in between.. Make sure you let them know of any parks or anything they can go to while they're waiting. You can also miss your cocktail hr and then only have an hour wait between the two.

I think 2 hours is way too long between the ceremony and cocktail hour, especially if the majority of guests are going to be from OOT. What will they do during this time except go back to their hotels and sit in their nice outfits and wait. Usually the cocktail hour is to entertain guests while you are getting pictures taken. Is there a reason that you need two hours to take pictures?

Can you find activities for them to do in between? can you take as many family/bridal party photos before so then you have a full hour during cocktail hour? can you extend your cocktail to hour and half?

Michelle, you can make sure you have most of your pictures done beforehand - all the pictures of just the girls and you and all the pictures of just the guys and the groom. Then, after the ceremony it will be just pictures of you all together. Don't go to your cocktail hour and let the guests wait there.

Gaps are really inconvenient. I think people are understanding of them when the couple has a Catholic mass that has to occur earlier in the day and they still want an evening reception. But if it's just for the sake of photos I think people would be really annoyed. I would.

Take as many photos of you with your respective WP sides as you possibly can before the ceremony. Then finish up your family/couple photos during cocktail hour and get to the reception at dinnertime. It's totally doable.

Just talk with your photographer about the timeframe, give them a shot list, and they will help you figure out how to make the most of your time.

That's too long. However, one of the points of the cocktail hour is for guests to have something to do and for the couple to take pictures. So a schedule like what Alina suggested would work.

Also, could you please change your avatar to something other than shakers?

2 hours is too long. However, if it is necessary, you can provide your guests with an itinerary of things to do in the area near the cocktail hour.

Thanks so much for the help guys!! I'm going to make it work so we don't have this gap. I completely understand how inconvenient it is and I really appreciate your help! I knew that 2 hours was wayyyy too long, I guess I just needed to hear other people's opinions on it. THANK YOU!!!!

Unless you really want to be at the cocktail hour, maybe move that up so at least your guests can have something to do and snack on while you have pictures taken. As others have said, you can still have many pictures taken before, but just not with each other, if you don't want to see each other before the wedding. I can tell you that seeing each other does not ruin anything and it gives you a little time to yourselves beforehand, which is very nice. If you are getting a wedding video too, make sure you discuss your timeline with both the photographer and videographer and they can tell you what they need to give you the best product.

Too long. You got some great advice here. Most of the time, when people ask me about stuff like this, I ask them how they would feel....

I went to a wedding last year where there was a two hour break between the ceremony and the reception. My friend and I ended up going to a reastaurant and had drinks a food because we were starving. So to make a long story short two hours is way to long. I'm having a cocktail hour between the ceremony and reception with drinks and appetizers served. This will hold my guests until dinner. As the ladies have already said think how you would feel if you were the guest. Try to have as many pics taken with out you and your FH together as possible. After an hour of pics you will be ready to "get your party started" ;0) good luck!

I think that is a bit too long a hour before cocktail hour would be better but i am also taking pics after my ceremony but the break is like a hour and a half but i think my break is tooo long but i do not want to see him before so that is just the way it will be

I agree with everyone else, 2 hours is a long time when they are already traveling to be there. Some reception activities could start without you to give them something to do during.

Too long!! were doing one hour/during cocktail service and i actually told my photographer that after the ceremony to do bridal party and husband and wife pictures... after i'll do pictures with family and friends once they announce us and start serving dinner we will probably eat 30mins late but dinner is an hour long....