Too much time between Ceremony and Dinner?

K09

Hi,

We are having our Church ceremony at 1pm and not having the meal until 6pm!!

The hotel reception is only 10mins drive from the Church and now I'm getting quite worried that there is too much time between!!!

We had not included food in drinks reception but think we now should.

Any advice?

Thanks

RobbieTheRobber

This came when we booked our reception and it made sense for us to put on some platters of finger food as many people may not have eaten well before the ceremony and waiting until 6pm while drinking with no food seems like a potential downfall.

Can you look at getting some cold food platters on arrival or shortly after such as sandwiches?

BC

I would definately have food.
If the ceremony is at 1, it'll be over around 1.45. Allowing a few mins for guests to hang around outside etc, they'll still be back in the hotel by 2.15, 2.30 at the latest. They then have 2.5 hours to sit and drink. People will get very hungry!
In my experience, it's the one thing people give out most about at weddings so definately worth having something - doesn't have to be fancy, just some sandwiches or finger food of some sort.

The Davestator

If you dont have some food laid on, you'll lose your wedding party to some lcoal pub and it'll be difficult to get them out after a few beers!

Beruthiel

K09 wrote: »

We are having our Church ceremony at 1pm

Why not move that to 3pm?

K09

Beruthiel wrote: »

Why not move that to 3pm?

Invites already gone

Think providing food is best option - unfortunately another added expense

clint_silver

K09 wrote: »

Hi,

We are having our Church ceremony at 1pm and not having the meal until 6pm!!

The hotel reception is only 10mins drive from the Church and now I'm getting quite worried that there is too much time between!!!

We had not included food in drinks reception but think we now should.

Any advice?

Thanks

I have commented on this many times. Most people will only have had breakfast. They wont have eaten on the way to the venue due to not knowing what time dinner is at.

The hotel bar will have run out of crisps by 3pm. Its physically uncomfortable by 4pm. By 5pm lads are fit to kill. Theyre your guests for the day and will be expected to be fed.

Speak to the hotel, ask them what can they do. You dont need to spend hundreds on canapés but something other then a few shortbread biscuits has to be served.

Then again, the other side of it is if you've gone cheap on the mains, turkey and ham will be a banquet by 6pm

John Mason

that is some wait :eek:

you really need to provide lunch and some entertainment for your guests. i would be climbing the walls with a 4 hour wait.

Gatica

no you don't. You don't HAVE to do anything. We went to a friend's wedding in Galway. The ceremony was 12.30. Most of the friends and family were from the area. We all just hung around in town, went for lunch and a pint and headed to the hotel for the meal at the designated time.
Anyone not from the area was only too happy to have a wonder around Galway city til dinner. There's no issue. They're not children, they can entertain themselves for a couple of hours. If you can afford it, sure, have a bit of finger food at the hotel for your guests, but not everyone's gonna necessarily wanna hang around the hotel lobby for 3-4 hours...

jackofalltrades

Gatica wrote: »

no you don't. You don't HAVE to do anything. We went to a friend's wedding in Galway. The ceremony was 12.30. Most of the friends and family were from the area. We all just hung around in town, went for lunch and a pint and headed to the hotel for the meal at the designated time.
Anyone not from the area was only too happy to have a wonder around Galway city til dinner. There's no issue. They're not children, they can entertain themselves for a couple of hours. If you can afford it, sure, have a bit of finger food at the hotel for your guests, but not everyone's gonna necessarily wanna hang around the hotel lobby for 3-4 hours...

I'd agree with you, you don't have to do anything.

I would say though that you do have a duty of care to your guests. You are inviting them along to celebrate your day and it's important that they feel comfortable and welcomed. Leaving people to fend for themselves for a few hours doesn't really do this.

As others have said most of the guests will only have had breakfast before they attend the ceremony. With no lunch people are going to be fairly hungry by 5/6pm.

Senna

Why is there such a large gap? can the meal not start before 6pm?
Usual time for a meal is 5pm if the ceremony’s at 1pm.

If i couldn't get the meal brought forward, then i'd defiantly think about some finger sandwiches or scones etc. Guests can look after themselves, but ideally you want them all together and not heading off in all directions for a bite to eat before the meal.

clint_silver

Gatica wrote: »

no you don't. You don't HAVE to do anything. We went to a friend's wedding in Galway. The ceremony was 12.30. Most of the friends and family were from the area. We all just hung around in town, went for lunch and a pint and headed to the hotel for the meal at the designated time.
Anyone not from the area was only too happy to have a wonder around Galway city til dinner. There's no issue. They're not children, they can entertain themselves for a couple of hours. If you can afford it, sure, have a bit of finger food at the hotel for your guests, but not everyone's gonna necessarily wanna hang around the hotel lobby for 3-4 hours...

Each to their own but I completely disagree with this.

If youve told them theres a large gap between service and church,
, that theres no reception food when they get to hotel, that if youre hungry, theres several locations nearby if they want to eat something before the main meal, and youre happy if you dont see everyone before the meal, then maybe.

Otherwise, guests will go to the hotel expecting not to be hungry and I for one would consider it rude going elsewhere for something to eat.

Anyway, most hotels are not near somewhere where you can grab something quick.

LadyTBolt

clint_silver wrote: »

Each to their own but I completely disagree with this.

If youve told them theres a large gap between service and church,
, that theres no reception food when they get to hotel, that if youre hungry, theres several locations nearby if they want to eat something before the main meal, and youre happy if you dont see everyone before the meal, then maybe.

Otherwise, guests will go to the hotel expecting not to be hungry and I for one would consider it rude going elsewhere for something to eat.

Anyway, most hotels are not near somewhere where you can grab something quick.

+1

From many bad experiences when I get up in the morning to get ready for a wedding, especially if it is on at 1pm I do not have enough time to have breakfast and it is a painful wait until dinner time.
By the time I get up, showered, get kids ready for wherever they are going, get to the hairdressers, get home, get tanned, make-up'd and dressed, get himself ready and get to the church breakfast does not happen and I recall many times my belly growling in the church dying for food.
I went to a wedding once when after the church the bride had a musician and finger food laid on for the guests. I will never forget it, it was the best plan ever. I remember tucking into the sandwiches with such enjoyment and I swore to myself when I got married I would ensure there was food laid on after the church for those people like myself who don't get to eat before the church. Everybody remarked on it that day and there was more of a relaxed atmosphere like I had never experienced before at a wedding.
My wedding will have food on arrival at the reception as I feel it will be a welcomed gesture. People won't eat too much as they will be saving themselves for their dinner but at least it's there if they need/want it.

I am pie

From 1pm to 6pm you will have an assortment of lads who are more drunk than you would prefer at a very early stage, aul ones who are starving and complaining to anyone who will listen, kids complaining about being hungry etc.

I would definitely get a buffet or something in the middle of that period. My friend had exactly the same schedule as you've mentioned, with that big gap. Anyone i ever speak to always says they can barely remember the evening or they were so hungry etc etc. There was a group of around 20 who headed out in cars to a local macdonalds.

It's the only thing the couple (I was best man) regret from the day, they always say when we talk about it that they would have paid for some food in the middle of the day if they were to do it again.

Crazy World

I wouldn't be too worried about food, people can feed themselves if they like. You might consider entertainment like a magician or caricature artist. Or even just a musician on guitar or piano. Trust me, I am a videographer, the time will fly and you do need that time between. If the bride is late ( she will be ) , you wont get to hotel till about 2.30 after all the greeting outside church. 30 mins to mingle, 1 hour for photo session and another half hour to mingle with guests brings you up to 5.30, and they will be calling for your 6pm dinner. This is all assuming your getting photos at hotel and not another location which adds to the time. Either way, don't be worrying about guets, all the planning will be done so just enjoy your day and take it all in.

Crazy

wexford12

I have a wedding car business and looking at your times its not to far off what most couples do. Your church is for one the bride will be a few mins late so mass starts at 1.15pm over at 2.15-2.30 depends if you have a quick priest. Outside the church takes at least 30/40 mins with well wishers if its not raining so that brings you up to 3pm.
This is where you have time to go off for photos which can take about an hour or more if you have far to travel.The problem I can see is your guests may head of to a pub before the hotel which can hold up your meal time or you could supply coffee and sandwiches at the hotel tell your guests this least they won't have to many drinks before the meal.
Overall not a big deal if they are hungry they will order a sandwich most people have a big breakfast knowing that it will be a long day

Sleepy

I'd definitely pay for food ahead of some "entertainment"...

Magicians, Irish dancers etc. at weddings just come across as tacky imo. Much better to just let your guests have a chat in peace over a bite and a few pints / cups of tea than have them wondering why you hired some second rate illusionist but didn't bother to fork out for a few sandwiches.

Senna

I'd pay for food over entertainment, once people arrive at the hotel they will be chatting and catching up with each other, entertainment just gets in the way of that.

moco

I'm thinking of having canapes at mine. The church is at 12 and the hotel said they wouldn't really call anyone for dinner before 5.30. There is an hours drive between church and hotel, but even so people will be hanging around for a long time with no food.

K09

Hi,

I have been freaking out over this and maybe needlessly getting stressed about it! I wish I set the Church time to 2.30pm!! Is it too late to change this now?

Was thinking of bringing meal forward but then band would be starting earlier and so finishing earlier

We will go with providing sandwiches anyway (but at a cost of almost 300 and money is tight as is).
Getting anxious that guest may be annoyed with the long gap

Any advice?
Thanks

Gatica

If you're able to change the ceremony, that depends on your priest and whether you've sent the invites. Either way, even if you've sent them you can always call everyone you've invited and update them. It may be a bit of hassle but friends of ours had to do it when their church booking got mucked up by the priest and they had to change churches.

I still believe people can look after themselves. They're not kids and can entertain themselves or feed themselves for the couple of hours gap. I don't see how they couldn't understand that it would put more pressure on you. As a guest, I wouldn't be offended in the least. Unless you're having a massive wedding with a ton of friends of parents whom you don't know or work colleagues who are not really friends. That's the only way I could see that happening.

tinkerbell

OP, that is just a ridiculous waiting time from after the ceremony to the meal time with no food in between. €300 in the grand scheme of things to look after your guests is nothing. Most people will go straight from church to the venue and they'll be so hungry, it'll be how people remember your day - that you made them wait a crazy length of time to be fed. A lot of people only (if even) have breakfast before a wedding ceremony. If it's at 1pm then your ceremony will be over by 2/2.15 tops. You'll prob be at the venue by 2.45pm since it's only 10 mins away. Over an hour for photos and you're up to 4pm and then a 2 hour wait (especially with no food?)

You need to put on some food for your guests. I think it's really bad form to make guests wait that long without feeding them - I was at a wedding before when this happened and everyone was really getting annoyed. You don't cut corners on important things like the food. Cut out some other unnecessary stuff instead but don't be cheap on the food.

thewintermute

I always tuck a ham sandwich or similar in my inside pocket when heading to a Wedding. Been left starving at too many bunfights. Lesson learned.On the entertainment front, I totally agree. I'm getting wed this December. Musicians at the end of the civil ceremony (with wine and finger sandwiches), onwards to the Hotel, Musicians and sparkling wine on arrival. I play in a group that does in-betweeny music before the meal. (Six Piece Ukulele Combo to be precise) We've had great reactions and all word of mouth bookings as a result. (We play tunes that the older guests love at a volume that keeps people around rather than flaking it out) We also tailor sets to include a tune the Bride/Groom can perform with us.I say this not as a shill, but as something to consider. It keeps guests entertained and together. Folks who don't know each other have something to chat about and those who take a while to mingle can hang around and listen.It's very satisfying to see people heading off in for their Dinner still singing.The blue rinsers love the old tunes too.THat's my 2c

K09

Is it worth changing church time to put back an hour or is this too problematic after sending invites?