Staying at the reception venue on wedding night - when to throw rice, etc?

You can still exit the reception, you just wont be getting in a car

We're planning to do that after the church on the way to the reception venue... so I'm not sure how the ceremony being at the venue part is gonna work for that... I guess they can line the halls and blow bubbles at you guys as you walk to your room. Haha! There's an awkward time.

Yeah, I'm trying to envision how to make it NOT awkward, lol - I mean, having people line up while you run from the ballroom to the elevator just seems silly!

I'm just being hypothetical, for the most part. I think we'll be having our shindig at a large country estate inn where the event buildings are separate from the inn, so we can do our "get-away" from there.

We're doing the bubble blowing as we walk back down the aisle... because I'm going to still be at the party until the last guest goes home! lol.

I guess a lot of people are doing a farewell brunch if they're having staying at a resort or hotel for the wedding. Then after everyone eats, they do a big send-off as the couple flees to out to start their honeymoon. The FH and I aren't doing that, since we can't afford the honeymoon on top of the huge wedding. Maybe one of our relatives will be nice and start a collection behind our backs or something.

@Rachel: We're doing the same thing. Many of our guests will likely leave the reception before we do (it goes until 1 am), and I wanted all of my family, including the older guests and those with little kids to have a part in the bubble blowing.

Actually, it wasn't until I started planning my own wedding and looking online that I realized that the bride and groom are supposed to leave early and that the rice/petals/birdseed/bubbles were supposed to be done at that point. Every wedding I can ever remember going to guests always went through a receiving line near the entrance to the church/ceremony site, then went outside to await the bride and groom. When the bride/groom/wedding party finally came out, that's when we did all of that. Then, we would head over to the reception site. Perhaps this would work for you, Caroline.

@dragonfly - that makes a lot of sense. I'm trying to put things in order in my mind. We'll be having a garden wedding, so I think we'll probably give the guests their "ammo" before the ceremony and have them ring bells/blow bubbles/throw birdseed as we come back down the aisle.

Amazing how all of these little things start to pop up once you get planning! Thanks ladies!

The ceremony and reception venues we're looking at are within walking distance, so I was thinking instead of the traditional rice/bubbles, we'd have a parade. Give out streamers, batons, ribbons, etc in cute containers. Then we leave the ceremony, and everyone follows us waving their props.

Goofy, yes, but I've always wanted to lead a parade.

I'm going to have someone hand out the bubbles as the guests arrive at the ceremony with a little card or note attached with a poem or something telling them when to blow the bubbles. We're going to have them do it as all of us are walking back down the aisle. Both my sites are at the same venue, and almost everyone is staying at the hotel, where it's at, that night. So I think that would be the only opportune time for us to do it! =0)

Oh yeah! The ceremony is outside, and then the reception is indoors. It's right next to the ceremony site, and it's the only building 'outside' of the hotel.

If your ceremony is INSIDE. I would ask about their 'rules' regarding any bird seed or bubbles or confetti, etc.

Im facing this problem too, maybe just after the ceremony or something, after the receiving line, or possibly we might do just the opposite of tradition....have them blow bubbles and what not as we are ENTERING the reception. Im not sure on that yet....

Hmm I think just having your guest throw the rice/bubbles as you're leaving the reception area, my friend did that at her wedding and no one thought it was weird.