Wedding Day Schedule?

It’s not unusual, but maybe a little longer than some. Is the ceremony location a distance from reception?
Will you be doing post ceremony pictures?

Most people will hold a cocktail hour for their guests during their gap between ceremony and reception. An hour and a half is a bit on the long side but is okay, especially if you have to drive between locations.

A reception is usually 3-5 hours long, especially since dinner takes an hour or longer.

Cocktail is typically just that, an hour. The couple, family, and/or the wedding party will take photos for that hour. The guests will eat apps, drink, and mingle. An evening reception is typically around 4 hours.

Ppl have those breaks in between and use it for cocktail hour or some ppl just have big gaps to set up or take photos

View Quoted Comment It’s at the same location and yes we plan on taking pictures after the ceremony!

View Quoted Comment Is there a place for guests to comfortably wait during that break in time?

View Quoted Comment Yes we will have table and chairs out for them. During this time we could do the cocktail hour or they could go out and eat? But worried they’ll just head home after that

My FH cousins had their ceremony and reception at the same location a couple of years ago. They did a cocktail hour for the guests while they took pictures and then the reception started. Nobody left after the cocktail hour that I’m aware of and everybody was there until the end!

If the ceremony & reception are at the same venue, 90 minutes is a bit long but if a good cocktail hour it can be ok (open bar, appetizer bar or stations, maybe a guestbook table or photo booth).

View Quoted Comment Thanks everyone!! I’ll shoot for closer to an hour with a cocktail hour included during that time.

We're doing a 3 hour gap. It's pretty usual for us to go grab some drinks and apps or run errands between ceremony and reception. But that's just me and my crowd.

View Quoted Comment I’d start with a cocktail hour then. Give people something to do and less likely to leave. Can you reduce the time a little?

View Quoted Comment

This "gap" you're describing is when your Cocktail Hour occurs. The ceremony ends, and then guest make their way to the reception space/cocktail hour space. You and wedding party typically will take photos during this time, while your guests have cocktails and appetizers. Once you are done with photos, you join your guests and the reception technically "starts."