Weddings that start extremely late

I've been to an Israeli wedding that had the cocktail hour first. I guess this is standard practice since all of the guests show up late. The actual wedding started 2.5 hours after the time stated on the invitation, but this was by design. The bride made sure to inform us non Israeli guests when the "real" start time was.

The latest start was a Catholic Wedding that started at 6 p.m. then we went through the mass and then had the reception.

It was in Mich. and there was wedding 1st communion and then the wedding I attended. phew!

I think the latest I waited for a wedding to start was 30 mins and that is because as my step-sister was walking down the aisle the coordinator of the chapel step on her train and tore the back of her dress off... they had to fix it asap... half the BM were already down the aisle.

I think every wedding I've ever been to started pretty close to the scheduled time.

I agree with Paris!

I agree with Paris!

I haven't been to any that have started late but my mom said her cousin's started over an hour late and my dad almost got up and left (and my mom was a BM).

My wedding better start on time or I am going to have a nervous breakdown haha!

This is my biggest fear of my big day! My wedding starting late… So I tend to be on time everywhere I go, sometimes early where I have to wait in the car just to kill time. My family is the same way, my mother always has everything ready before the time specified; with the exception of my sister and her herd of kids, but when it comes to important things she’ll make it. My FH’s family is the worst, especially his mother. FH tends to get grumpy, annoyed or upset when things don’t go right. I’m more of the carefree go with the flow type but if they’ve known for months, years in this case; what time to be there I will get crazy! I’m so scared his mom will be late and me being super uptight I am going to want to start right at 6:00 sharp and I’m going to have to end up marrying Mr. Angry!

The latest I've seen was 30 min.

My wedding started about 10 minutes late. And because most of H's family followed his parents, most of our guests were there at least 30 minutes early. I was ready on time, but my photographer was still clicking -- I finally said, "WE GOTTA GO!!"

Eh, we're Puerto Rican. My grandmother was late to her wedding (married 45 years until she passed), my mom was late her wedding (going on 33 years this year), so while I did really try to be ready EXACTLY on time, I wasn't worried about being just a tad behind.

That said -- after 30 minutes, I'm getting a drink or finding crackers. At 45 minutes, I'm considering leaving. At an hour, I'm trying to drag H out. Beyond that, I'm grabbing my gift back, too. Unless you're communicating about something MAJOR that is holding you up (not wanting to take pretty pictures, not being bridezilla about your make up), I think you're just being rude.

1/2 hour delay...

LOL! @Reenski! Not take your gift back?

@Candice ...what? I'm not -- what? WHAT ARE YOU ASKING ME?!?

Sorry, losing my mind a little elsewhere on the boards...

@KM Jewish weddings usually have the cocktail hour before the ceremony. Since Saturday weddings must start after sundown, and since we don't know exactly when sundown will be until it happens, having the cocktail hour first gives the guests something to do for the wait.