Stumped on what to do for late reception

You could do dinner beforehand and then have everyone gather for the ceremony and then close out with dessert and dancing.

Or your idea of just apps and dessert would work great!

I think your plan sounds great. If the ceremony starts that late, people wouldn't be expecting dinner, so apps and dessert afterward would be perfect!

I think heavy hors d’vors and cake would be fine. If people know it starts later they will eat before they come.

What time would the ceremony be starting? If guests aren't going to have time for dinner before the ceremony and then there's only appetizers at the reception they might be a bit cranky. Unless you just make the whole dinner basically cocktail hour but with a lot of different food options.

If people can get dinner on their own before the ceremony then I think that'd probably be okay. But I would mention somewhere that there won't be a full dinner so people know to eat in advance.

Wedding starts at 6:30pm

If you are starting at 6:30, your guest are going to be hungry, and you should feed them

My wedding starts at 6:30pm as well and the reception is from 8:30pm-12:30am. We’re doing the regular cocktail hour and dinner. Is your wedding on a weekday?

My wedding is on a Sunday, so that makes it even harder.

If your wedding begins at 6:30 people likely won’t have eaten dinner yet because they’ll have been getting ready and traveling to your wedding. I’d do a full meal (that can be stations or lots of heavy apps but sometimes that’s more expensive).

How long is your ceremony that your reception won’t start until 8:30? Will it be at a different venue? If we were to be at a wedding at 6:30, I would assume dinner would be served as we would probably not eat beforehand due to travel time and getting ready.

Reception will be at a different venue.

I dont see why you cant have a full dinner at 730.

View Quoted Comment Oh, well I for one would totally eat dinner at 830. Just skip the cocktail hour.

What time would your ceremony start? You need to host based on the whole event's timeline, not just the reception.

View Quoted Comment

Then you need to serve dinner; 6:30 pm is squarely in the middle of a meal time. But how long is your ceremony that your reception won't start until 8:30 pm? Are you doing a cocktail hour for part of that time?

I’m having a later wedding as well. I’m having cocktail hour before hand so my FH and I can get pictures done while there’s still light. Then we are doing a short ceremony followed by a plated dinner and cake.

630 is dinner time. If I was invited to a wedding where the ceremony starts then, I'd expect dinner after.
How long is your ceremony? And how far is the ceremony location from the reception venue?

View Quoted Comment An 8:30 pm reception on a Sunday sounds very tricky. Your guests will likely have work on Monday morning or be traveling home. Maybe do the cocktail hour before the ceremony and dinner right after? Otherwise, you might want to do it on a Saturday night.

My ceremony is at 6pm with dinner at 630 pm. They need full dinner to me..

Hi! Mine is late and we are still providing appetizers at 7pm, a full buffet at 8pm and then a pretzel bar at 11:30pm to sober up! Folks love food, so I say do dinner or appetizers and cake and if you can, end it as late as possible. If you have a sunday wedding, like I do, most people are taking Monday off anyhow.