Long social hour

Social hours are usually just that, 1 hour. Anything more and you risk people leaving and/or getting super bored. I would encourage you to not wait until 5pm for dinner.

All weddings I've been to with a Catholic ceremony have a longer break, so ceremony at 1:30-2:30 then cocktail hour 4-5 then reception at 5. There is usually suggestions from the bride and groom of stuff to do in the area. I'd either move up dinner or move down cocktail hour with suggestions for free things to do, that way people aren't waiting around with no options. It is hard when there is a ceremony based on the church schedule and you want to plan a dinner, but that's the solution I've seen. As a guest, I didn't mind bc I knew that was the reason.

Are your ceremony and reception/dinner in the same place (i.e. did you account for any travel time)? We're having a Mass and there will be a 15-20 minute travel time from the chapel to the reception venue.

@CMC our ceremony and reception are at two different locations but the travel time is only about 5 or 10 minutes.

@brieliz Thank you! I hate to move up supper just because any earlier then 5 seems way too early. I like the idea of shortening the social hour though. It's difficult because I know how much a long social hour sucks.

Hmm okay...what if you move your cocktail hour to 3:30 and start dinner at 4:30? Agree with PPs that 2 hours would be too long. And if you start dinner at 4:30 that wouldn't necessarily mean that dinner is served that early - if you're doing first dance, dad/daughter dance, mother/son dance, toasts, etc.

No problem. I'm doing Catholic ceremony too although it's 3-3:45 and then our cocktail hour starts at 5:30. It's only 15 min away but it's in a downtown area so by the time the guests drive in and park there will be about an hour. I plan on making suggestions but there is a ton of shops and things to do so that's my plan but literally every Catholic wedding I've been to had a break between. When u coordinate with a church that doesn't bend rules u have to work around it picking the last ceremony time was smart and ur guests will be fine

Have you thought about moving the ceremony up earlier and having a brunch or lunch wedding? Alternatively, you could immediately go into the reception at 2:30 and just do apps and cocktails and have it over before dinnertime. I've been to a couple weddings with long cocktail hours, close to 1.5 hours, and they dragged. People get antsy after a while.

Just remembered that I went to a wedding earlier this summer with the Catholic ceremony starting at 1:30, cocktail hour at 3:30, and dinner started at 4:30, by the time dinner was actually served it definitely wasn't too early!