Reception Length?

[MOB Karen]

This is another issue that I have been thinking about. Amber's reception is going to last 5 hours. Is that too long or not long enough? For the ladies who are married, how long were your receptions? Did they seem too long or too short? Just curious about this...

[Jenn060306]

My reception was scheduled to begin at 5pm with an hour of cocktails. People started arriving at 430pm. People began to head home arround 10pm. But there was still alot of people there at 1am when the DJ shut it down and told us we had to go home.
Dinner seemed to take alot longer then it really needed too. It was an hour and a half. Then by the time all the speeches were done and the first dances it was nearly 10pm.
I don't know if it will be too long or too short for Amber's wedding. I guess it all depends on the people you are inviting and the type of recception you guys want.

[WhiskeyGirl]

Our reception started with cocktails at 5:45 and dinner at 6:15. I believe it ran until about 1:30 or so. The time just flew by. We ended up leaving at about 12:00/12:30 because I was absolutely sick and needed a bed!! I would have loved to have stayed until last call, but I was dying!! I think it was a combo of the cold pills and alcohol and long day, but I was ready to leave. I am happy though that people continued to party and enjoy themselves long after we were gone! ;)

[LaceyinPgh]

Cocktail hour for us started at 6. We did the cake cutting, dances, and toasts first. That took us to a few minutes past 7. Dinner went until a little past 8. Then the reception lasted until about 1130. At that point anyone who was still left (about 30 people) went back to our hotel suite. The after party lastd until about 430 the next morning.

[AngelinLove]

Our reception is sceduled to begin around 6:00 with cocktails and hor deuvres (sp), and the cake cutting and toasts around 6:45 or so and dinner at 7:15. We have the place till 12:30, so that is a total of 6.5 hours...I guess we will see!!!

[rainbowtreat]

I had stated on my reception card stating that there will be a reception after the ceremony untill about 9 pm.

The pictures we a little longer because the weather made us have it inside and every one was at the hall sooner then planned because that was where the ceremony was held.

Alot of people left early but the ones who stayed stayed for a shile. By the end it was just the wedding party and a few others. So I told the DJ 8:30 was a good time to stop. And then we headed to the bar.

The wedding was at 4 and I expected about an hour for pictures. But this was before the weather changed things.

[katieandalex]

My brother's reception was 6 hours....I thought it was too long, but a lot of people stayed until the very end. My sister's reception was 5 hours...I left early, as well as a lot of other people. My reception is going to be 4 hours.

[LizabethDavis]

Our ceremony will be starting at 6, with the reception following until about 10, so I figure about 3 hours for the reception. I think that will be long enough.

[SerendipityCrafts]

If I remember correctly, my first wedding reception started about 5 or 6 and we left at about 12:30. Some guests were still there until 1:30 or so.

This time round, the ceremony is at 7:30, the reception is at the church and I am having a shuttle bus come around to bring our guests back to the hotel about 11:30 - midnight. Anyone wanting to stay after that can grab a cab.

[auchlisa]

Our wedding starts at 4 and the reception cards says immediatly following the ceremony.I figure we can do all the cake cutting at toasts around 5 or so and the DJ starts at 6. I told them it will proly be about 12 when we get finished but it may be later. He charges a flat rate for the first four hours then an hourly rate after that and he said that whatever time we were ready to end it that was fine with him just let him know when we r ready to leave and he will be done then.

[SoontobeMrsClark07]

If we go with the site we're heavily considering, then our reception will be about 5 hours. There will be an hour for cocktails and then 4 hours for the rest. I think thats the perfect amount of time for us. The reception will start at 5:30 and end at 10:30.

I personally think that the length depends on what kind of guests you have. If most of your guests are really into dancing and partying, then a 5 hour reception might seem too short, although to the people that dont fall into that crowd might think its a good length or even too long. If your crowd is the type that likes to be in bed really early or isnt really into partying and dancing, then 5 hours might be too long.

Its kinda hard to say what a good length is for a reception in general because it will bary by person due to personal preferences.

Hope that helps!

[MOB Karen]

If we go with the site we're heavily considering, then our reception will be about 5 hours. There will be an hour for cocktails and then 4 hours for the rest. I think thats the perfect amount of time for us. The reception will start at 5:30 and end at 10:30.

I personally think that the length depends on what kind of guests you have. If most of your guests are really into dancing and partying, then a 5 hour reception might seem too short, although to the people that dont fall into that crowd might think its a good length or even too long. If your crowd is the type that likes to be in bed really early or isnt really into partying and dancing, then 5 hours might be too long.

Its kinda hard to say what a good length is for a reception in general because it will bary by person due to personal preferences.

Hope that helps!

Yes, that helps! Amber's reception is also 5 hours, and her guests will be mostly young, so they will probably party to the very end, and still want more. :D

[Kacie_bride]

I know I'm late chimming in. I wasn't able to come on this weekend (except to post about my cat) until just a little while ago.

My wedding is at 5:30 and since we are in the same place the reception will probably begin around 6:30 or so. We have the building until midnight, but I think Justin and I are leaving at 11. That is a 4 1/2 hour reception.

In my experience a lot of people will leave after dinner and the cake cutting is over. Typically these are the older people. The younger (or just the partiers) will stay longer. I know Amber is having a DJ, but for weddings that do not have any type of entertainment, the reception is usually over very soon after dinner and the cake cutting.

[Beckiii]

Our ceremony and reception are taking place in the same building, so our schedule works like this:
Ceremony 3:00-3:30
Cocktail hour: 3:30-4:30
Reception: 4:30-8:30

I didn't want a late reception because some people will be driving 2-4 hours home. I think the 4 hours will be enough and if not, there's always the after party ;)

[lisa0707]

Our ceremony and reception will be taking place at the same hotel. Our timeframe is shaping up like this:

ceremony - 4 pm
cocktail hour - 5pm
dinner - 6 pm
reception - 7pm (until 11 pm)

[Valmai]

Our ceremony is at 11.30, then the guests go to the hotel for cocktails while we go to have photographs done, when we join them we will have a light lunch. Then @ 4.30 we all leave to go up to the mountain top restaurant where we stay until we get a cable car back down at 11.30. Our reception in Wales then is 7 until 12 though. God it sounds long dont it :bbconfused:

[countrygirl]

Our ceremony will be at 1pm, and should last about an hour or so. Our reception will be at 3pm and go until 8pm. I didn't want one too late because I don't want people getting sloppy drunk, and w a bunch of air force crew chiefs, that is almost inevitable. (did I spell that right?)

[StaceyMc]

Now see - this is why I love this board! I've been trying to figure out ceremony/reception times all weekend so we can finish sending in the paperwork for the church, hall and D.J.

It looks like the average is 5 hours. That's what I was leaning towards. Ceremony at 2:00, Reception (in the same place) 3p.m.-9:00/9:30.

I feel much better reading everyone else's time.

[ikkin510]

We are still kinda working out the time line. Our ceremony is at 1. We figure the reception will start at 3. At least that's when the DJ will start playing and we hope to be getting to the recpetion hall at that time. We have the hall as long as we want, the DJ until 8. We don't want anything really late, since at lot of people will have to make an hour and a half drive home afterwards and we are driving 45 minutes to go to the hotel next to the airport. I think 5 hours is a pretty good time for the reception

[cowboysbride]

Our schedule runs like this:

Ceremony 2:30-3:00
Cake and Punch reception at church 3:00-4:00
Formal Reception 4:00-8:00

[nikkiana]

We're having the ceremony and reception at the same location, and all total, we have the place for 5 hours... I'm a little concerned it isn't going to be enough time, but if it isn't, there's not much I can do about it now....

[Teribridetobe]

Our reception will start with cocktails at 4:30 till 5:30. Dinner to follow then resume with cocktails until 12am. Our function ends at midnight. Something the hotel enforces.

[septemberbride06]

our reception is scheduled to start immediately after the wedding which is at 4:30, so probably around 5:30 or so. We have a bit of an older crowd, so I imagine it will be over in like 4 hours. We also are not having alcohol, because we are paying for everything, and we cannot afford it.

[KristyGirl]

Cocktails started at around 6:30-ish. Everything ended about 2:30? It was a good party, so we just let it keep on going:)

[vietnamesebride]

mine will be approximately 3 hours.

[asm198]

We've planned for 4 hours, from 7-11. If we go with the place we're thinking about, we'd have it until midnight, so if there's still a crowd, we'll stick around until they kick us out. Either way, we're probably heading to a local bar after the reception.