Ideally, your wedding day will be scheduled to flow seamlessly from one moment to the next. In real life, however, it doesn’t always work out that way. Sometimes there are awkward gaps between the wedding ceremony and the reception that just cannot be eliminated. Learn how to handle tricky wedding day scheduling so it does not detract from the experience of your wedding day.
A very common wedding scheduling situation is when the couple is to be wed in a Catholic church but wants to have an evening reception. Since most churches have a Saturday afternoon Mass, they will normally schedule weddings to begin no later than 1 or 2pm. Even with a full Nuptial Mass, you will still be left with a sizable gap between the end of your ceremony and the start time for a dinner reception. Leaving your guests with several hours to kill while all dressed up in their best attire and jewelry for the wedding is really just not a good plan. It is incumbent upon the hosts of the wedding to take their guests into consideration when organizing the day.
One possible solution is to see if your church permits Friday weddings. If you could have your wedding at 4 or 5 on a Friday afternoon, it would wrap up at the perfect time to move directly to an elegant evening reception. Not everyone is crazy about Friday weddings, because they mean that your friends and family will have to miss work. However, they are becoming increasingly common are more widely accepted. In some areas, you can also get a discount from certain wedding vendors or possibly even your venue for having a non-Saturday wedding. So it is definitely something to consider.
Still have your heart set on a Saturday wedding? Give some serious thought to having an earlier reception. The great thing about a wedding celebration that begins in the mid-afternoon is that the bride and groom get to head off to their honeymoon suite before they are exhausted. Not only that, but if you intend to leave on your honeymoon trip the morning right after the wedding, you will be glad to have called it an early night. People will still drink, dance, and be merry at your wedding reception, whether it starts at 3 in the afternoon or 6 in the evening. The earlier reception time is very practical if you will have a guest list spanning all ages, from the very young to the very advanced in age. Your friends who want to keep the party going after the reception wraps up can always head out to a bar or have an afterparty at someone’s house.
If a big gap between the ceremony and reception simply cannot be avoided, you owe it to your guests to provide them with some sort of entertainment. One nice option is for someone to host an open house in their home or a hotel suite. Guests can be invited to drop by between the ceremony and reception to enjoy light snacks and drinks. It is a nice way to show your family and friends that you truly care about their comfort and to offer them some friendly hospitality. There is no need to make it elaborate or serve a full menu. The open house is just about giving people a place to go so they are not wandering around aimlessly in their party clothes and fancy wedding jewelry waiting for your cocktail hour to start. When you handle a tricky wedding day schedule with grace, it will make the entire day more enjoyable for everyone.
Bridget Mora writes about wedding planning, wedding ideas, and other wedding advice for brides. Silverland Jewelry is the best place to find unique wedding jewelry for your special day.
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