Is a three hour reception too short?

Are you having a DJ or just dinner? Cocktail hour?

We will be having a DJ and dinner.

Yes, I think 3hrs is too short and yes, I think if you want to leave that early you should provide a way for your guest to stay to enjoy themselves especially if you already have the venue for longer.

I've thought about a 3 hour reception too. We eventually decuded to do 4 hours just because our time line with 3 hours doesn't leave much room for oics with the family and friends but if you really want 3 hours do it! It's your wedding. Just draw out a time libe of events and add extra time for error such as taking pics, using the bathroom, greeting and answering questions etc.

I went to a 3 hour reception recently and felt way too short. Like I got all dressed up for this? Once dinner was over it was special dances/cake/bouquet toss all one after another. There was regular dancing for maybe 30 minutes and it was a cash bar. I didn’t dance, to say the least, and I love dancing. Once the DJ called last song I was not happy.

Yeah that’s too short if you expect dancing. Dinner alone typically lasts over an hour, and you’ll already be into the first hour before your ceremony is over. If you add the walk from the ceremony area to the reception, you’re probably closer to 6:30 before everyone is seated.

I agree with PPs that this is too short. You could try to source a cleanup crew and leave early, but I’m worried you might regret this. People always go on about how quickly the wedding goes by. You should revel in it, rather than pay thousands for something that will feel like it’s over in the blink of an eye.

As a guest, I would feel like this was too short. As a bride, I'm not sure you'd even have a chance to see and talk to all of your guests.

View Quoted Comment The wedding is for FH. I have actually never met the majority of the guest list. If rather go to the courthouse and get it done and over with but he wants the big wedding he wants to invite a good portion of his family so that they don't offended by not being invited.

If you do this, be aware that you and FH will spend the majority of your time talking with your guests. Doing so isn't optional. So, you won't eat and you won't dance very much.

View Quoted Comment We are ok with not dancing much. The only dances we intend to do either way is the first dance and father daughter dance.

Honestly as a guest I’d be really confused if I was invited to a wedding that started just before 6 and the couple left at 9. I’d feel like I was supposed to leave too. If you wanted to be near the airport that night, why didn’t you choose an earlier start time? You could have still taken pictures at sunset and you could have spent your entire reception with your guests.

Can you put the honeymoon off a day??? I couldn't imagine driving hours to a hotel to have to wake up and leave the next morning. We were exhausted.

View Quoted Comment I chose the time I did because it's one of the few things I want. If I'm going to have the wedding I didn't want, in a gown I didn't want, on a date I didn't want, with a cake I didn't want, doing dances I didn't want don't you think I should have something I do want.

View Quoted Comment Unfortunately no the honeymoon is booked and paid for. The flight to Italy is scheduled to leave at 2:30pm on the 2nd and will arrive just before noon on the 3rd and we have to be on the ship by 3pm on the 3rd

View Quoted Comment Why are you doing all those things though? I didn’t necessarily want a big wedding- H has never been married before, but I have. When we compromised on that, I told him that I got a say in everything else. Why’d you pick a dress you don’t want? Why are you dancing if you don’t want to? Or are you just saying you didn’t want the wedding at all?

I get it, but you’re having the wedding. It’s going to be weird for your guests if you have a DJ for dancing and the reception ends an hour after dinner and the formalities are over. It’s going to be even weirder for them to stay when you’ve already left.

If your flight isn’t until 2:30pm, why can’t you drive the few hours to the airport the next morning? Our flight left at 11am the day after our wedding and we drove (took a limo) to the airport the morning we flew out.

Now I’m even more confused. Your profile says you’re getting married November 2019. Flights aren’t up for November 2019. Some flights aren’t even up yet for November of this year.

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If you didn’t want any of it, then why do it all? I understand your FH wanted a wedding, but you shouldn’t have to do all you don’t want to give him what he does. Just sounds one sided.

This is our timeline:

Our ceremony is at 4:30p

Cocktail hour 5-6

Reception 6-9

We may add an hour, not entirely sure yet.

I don't want a wedding period. I honestly view marriage as nothing more than a piece of paper that tells everyone you love your SO. I can do that without the thousands of dollars spent. A wedding is important to FH. So we are spending thousands of dollars on things that are pointless and unnecessary because it is important to him.