Is a three hour reception too short?

View Quoted Comment Flights are up 330 days before the flight
That being said International flight times don't change too much maybe a couple hours but that's really all they change. Going by the flight times for this year it's not too hard to predict the times they will be next year.

Why don’t you have a buffer day between your wedding night and your flight? Then you don’t need to worry about getting a few hours away to the airport directly after your wedding. Get a hotel close by, enjoy the night, and then make the drive the next day

View Quoted Comment The reason we are going from the wedding to a hotel near the airport is because I am not driving 2 hours driving then spending 14 hours on a plane. Also the honeymoon was booked with the intention of having a buffer day, but didn't realize the only flight out of the airport would be the next day. The wedding is November 1, 2019 the cruise is November 3, 2019.

It sounds like your mind is made up. However, I agree with PP's that 3 hours is going to feel short to your guests. Do you have a DOC? They could supervise clean-up if you want to let your guests stay for another hour, although as a guest I think the couple leaving this early would be a little odd to me too.

View Quoted Comment

I don't have a DOC and I am looking to hire a clean up crew just having a problem finding one. The only way I would end the reception at 9pm is if I can not find a clean up crew and need to clean up before we leave. If I am able to find a clean up crew then FH and I will be leaving at 10pm.

If your mind is already that made up don’t spend the money on a DJ. I’m always team DJ but if people are only going to get to dance for an hour it seems like a waste of money.

View Quoted Comment Have you asked your venue if they have any recommendations for clean-up crews?

Last wedding I went the dj was awesome and we had so much fun that even 4hours felt short.
with that said, I too wanted a 3hours reception and changed. I’m paying a DJ and it’s my wedding day, even if I’m exhausted the next day I want to enjoy that day for as long as I can! It’s the one day we’ve been working so hard for! Even if you do decide to leave early I would let your guests stay and enjoy the night for another hour.
Ps: if you were leaving within the 3 hours, would you have to be the one cleaning up? Why do you need to find a cleaning crew only if you leave your guests on their own? IMO you should have a cleaning crew regardless, you don’t want to clean up on your wedding day or put your guests to work (because they will feel like they should offer help).

I think three hours is too short. I don't know how you'll have time for any dancing after photos, dinner, and greeting all your guests. I would have an earlier ceremony or just not stay at a hotel and drive to the airport in the morning.

My thoughts would be to have a longer reception. Who cares if you're tired the next day you are going to be on a plane for 14 hours. Plenty of time to sleep. Heck even if I wasn't tired I'd be trying to sleep away those 14 hrs.

View Quoted Comment

I have asked but they haven't given any recommendations yet.

View Quoted Comment

I am too stressed on planes to sleep and it's not so much the being tired its how much time to I want to be cramped that whole next day. Plus the flight is over night so we won't actually reach our destination until about 3 hours before we have to be on the ship. Spending 14 hours with zero extra room is already well past pushing it.

View Quoted Comment Have you thought about a pre-ceremony cocktail hour? It depends how set you are on tradition about the bride and groom not seeing each other before you're wed, but that can stretch the party for guests on the early side. Also, if you aren't sold on the wedding idea anyway, you can skip your first dances to get everyone on the dance floor for longer. A cocktail style reception also seems more appropriate for a 3 hour length reception because you could probably start dancing earlier while people mingle and graze on food stations.

For cleaning, look at temp agencies. If you won't be there it's probably good to look into a DOC so you can trust the work will be done in a way that won't violate your contract with the venue.

View Quoted Comment Unforuantley the first dance is something FH really wants for some reason even though neither of us dance. However I will look into temp agencies for clean up crews. I am looking to hire a DOC just waiting until after we have a few of the other major vendors booked so we know budget wise what we have to spend on one.

It definitely seems short. I would hire a clean up crew regardless. Also that way you could leave the party at 10 like you want to without having to throw the lights on and kick everyone out early (and if you were to do this, bear in mind people won’t walk out ASAP, they’ll dawdle and linger and finish mingling)

as a guest, especially if I traveled, I’d be very thrown off and probably upset if we were thrown out by 9. If at least you partied til 10 and then did a dramatic send off at 10 and let the party faze out on its own after, I wouldn’t be mad. Might think it’s weird but if I knew you were doing a big send off to take off for your honeymoon, I’d understand (though maybe keep the fact that your flight isn’t actually until 2:30 the next day quiet)

My caterers are providing the staff for set up and break down— maybe see if yours will offer this service or can add some suppprt staff?

View Quoted Comment All of the caterers we have talked to will do set up and take down of their stuff but everything else is up to us.

It's a little strange. I feel like there were so many ways to avoid this.

Are you not having a cocktail hour from 6-7? If yes then you only plan to hang with your guests for 2 hours? (from 7-9?)

I would feel odd a as guest partying without the B & G there.

How long is the drive to your hotel? Like is it 2 hours or 8 hours? If it's 2 ish hours, I feel like you need to stay through a full reception which would end at 11. Get on the road by 11:30 (assuming one of you is sober enough to drive), be at your hotel by 1:30. If check out is noon, you can still get a fill night of sleep.

What am I missing here?

I'm having a three hour reception, but we have 50 guests, are not having a plated or formal meal and are forgoing most of the traditional dances/tosses, except for 1st dance. We're also just having a small band and no dance party. I want it to be more like a cocktail party we would throw in our home. So maybe you can adjust your vision to fit the time frame. I have been to receptions where the bride and groom leave before everyone else and the party continues for like an hour after that, so I wouldn't think it odd. The broader issue is doing things you don't want to do, so you might want to come up with better compromises.

View Quoted Comment I haven’t seen anyone comment on this, but flying internationally and landing theee hours before you have to be on a cruise ship is REALLY risky. For any cruise I’ve had to fly to, I’ve always flown the day before. If you get delayed at all, you’re screwed and will have to pay for a flight to the next stop on the cruise.