Hi everyone! I am new to wedding forums and am looking to get some input on a wedding day timeline question.
Background info: Our wedding will be taking place at a church and the reception venue is only a 2-minute drive from the church. We are inviting approx. 150 guests, and about 60 or so of these guests would be coming from out-of-town. Currently, our ceremony is scheduled for 4 - 5pm, and then our reception will begin at 6pm, which will leave a 1-hour gap in-between.
At the recommendation of our photographer, we are planning to have all of our formal and family photos taken before the wedding ceremony to keep things tight after the ceremony. And at the recommendation of our reception coordinator, we are planning to do a receiving line at the reception hall doors right as guests are coming in so that we won't be rushed going around to tables during the reception. So then out of that 1-hour gap, this leaves roughly 30 - 45 minutes that are currently unaccounted for.
That being said, our reception venue does not really allow for a cocktail hour in their reception packages. So we are thinking about having light refreshments (coffee, tea, juice, cookies, etc.) made available in the fellowship hall in the lower level of the church immediately following the ceremony with tables/chairs and a little background music. That way, guests could briefly mingle, use the restroom, have a drink and a little bite of something before hopping onto the guest shuttle or into their cars to head to the nearby reception venue.
Meanwhile, that will give the wedding party time to head over to the reception site beforehand (by 5:15ish), make sure everything is ready to go and then get into place to begin welcoming guests into the reception hall as they arrive (most likely between 5:30 - 5:45). The receiving line would also help take up some of the 1-hour gap time so that that time will feel a little more intentional.
So this would be our final timeline:
2:30 - 4pm - First-look/photos, family photos, whatever other formal shots, etc.
4pm - 5pm - Ceremony
5pm - Bride/groom + parents/wedding party head straight to reception venue
5pm - 5:45pm - Light refreshments available at church to occupy guests
5:30pm - Guest shuttle starts circulating between church and reception venue
5:30pm - 6pm - Receiving line as guests trickle into reception venue
6pm - 10pm - Reception
I've been lurking wedding boards and have read many comments about how people sometimes find gaps annoying. But does this timeline seem like it should work out smoothly enough and not be annoying for our guests? It would give them a brief but structured breather between the ceremony and reception.
Let me know your thoughts! Thanks.
