Has anyone been to or are you having a daytime wedding? FI and I are looking at a few places where we may do a daytime reception ending around 4pm. I know I for one am a dancer and will be dancing by myself if need be and could care what others are doing, but will people dance? I think my friends and family will (and I'll encourage them to), but I think FI's friends and family are questionable.
Also did you do anything with the bride and groom after/are you planning on doing something with your guests later in the day or evening?
FI and I were recently at a daytime wedding and I was surprised when we walked in and they had the full-out DJ and dance floor...I really didn't think anyone would be dancing at lunchtime. But as soon as they finished the Father-Daughter dance they cut the lights and everyone flocked to the dance floor.
I think it really depends on your friends as well as your set up. This venue didn't have many windows so it was pretty dark in there, but I'd be surprised if you could get everyone dancing at a brightly-lit outdoor wedding. (Then again, I wasn't expecting much dancing at this past wedding either, so who knows?)
During the daytime weddings I've attended, people only danced to slow songs. If that's not enough entertainment for you, you may wish to plan other activities appropriate to your venue. For example, you could have lawn games like bocci and croquet.
We had a daytime wedding, 11am-4pm, but we part of that was to avoid the dancing part on purpose Everyone just walked around and mingled- no other entertainment was planned.
Thanks for the replies so far. I take it that there is no way to gauge this. We will be having a city wedding so there will no room to do things like bocci or lawn games.
I am having an indoor, daytime wedding and am planning to have just a small dance floor (literally like 8'x 8' or 10'x10'). FH and I will have our "first" dance and I'll dance with my father (though we're thinking of making it more casual, like, just do it without making a big annoucement and forcing everyone to stare) but we don't expect tons of dancing. this is the ONE and only time that I will have the chance to dance with my father ... we debated the dance floor thing and I realized that I would feel really let down if i didn't get to have that moment with my dad, ya know?
We are planning ceremony at noon, cocktail reception with cold appetizers at 12:30-1:30, our first dance at 1:30 (to sort of "open the floor") and then open the hot food stations from 1:30-3:30 ... that way people can eat, drink, mingle, dance, etc in a casual, freeform sort of way. Somewhere in there we do cake (or cupcakes) and we make our exit at 4-ish. The official end time is 4:30. We are hoping to get a band for the reception, thinking that even if people don't dance they will enjoy watching and listening to the band as entertainment.
We are planning to have an afterparty at a local bar in the evening. Probably a public establishment (as opposed to a private party) but we are hoping to have the finances to work our some sort of system tag/bracelet system so our guests can be on our tab, or just buy a keg that is for our group.
I am planning a daytime wedding. The ceremoiny for 12, cocktail hour (non-alcholic) for 12:30-1:30 and reception for 1:30-4:00. We specifically kept the guest list small to have an intimate affair of family and close friends. And we really wanted to play up that its a time to celebrate the merger of two families and give people an opportunity to socialize and get to know one another. So while we will have background music, there will be no dancing. By the time you take pics, do toasts, and do cake cutting. It will be over.
However, I love the idea of doing something afterward. If my fiance was up for it I would love to do an "after wedding" get together.
I went to a sunrise ceremony and every still danced their lives away, its all about the atmosphere you create! Just make sure you have a great band or dj and you guys are on the floor first everyone is sure to join in.
we'll be having an afternoon reception....slated to start at 12:30 and we will be having a dance floor.
our reception room has no windows so the plan is to turn the lights down, turn the music up and we'll get to the dance floor.....i'll be having a ball so hopefully people will follow.
i've heard that people take on the attitude of the bride and groom so if you 2 are up there partying, then others probably will too.
Has anyone been to or are you having a daytime wedding? FI and I are looking at a few places where we may do a daytime reception ending around 4pm. I know I for one am a dancer and will be dancing by myself if need be and could care what others are doing, but will people dance? I think my friends and family will (and I'll encourage them to), but I think FI's friends and family are questionable.
Also did you do anything with the bride and groom after/are you planning on doing something with your guests later in the day or evening?
posted by caribqueen 51 posts 2 months agoFI and I were recently at a daytime wedding and I was surprised when we walked in and they had the full-out DJ and dance floor...I really didn't think anyone would be dancing at lunchtime. But as soon as they finished the Father-Daughter dance they cut the lights and everyone flocked to the dance floor.
I think it really depends on your friends as well as your set up. This venue didn't have many windows so it was pretty dark in there, but I'd be surprised if you could get everyone dancing at a brightly-lit outdoor wedding. (Then again, I wasn't expecting much dancing at this past wedding either, so who knows?)
posted by DCbrideinATL 77 posts 2 months agoDuring the daytime weddings I've attended, people only danced to slow songs. If that's not enough entertainment for you, you may wish to plan other activities appropriate to your venue. For example, you could have lawn games like bocci and croquet.
posted by CarolineG 284 posts 2 months agoWe had a daytime wedding, 11am-4pm, but we part of that was to avoid the dancing part on purpose
Everyone just walked around and mingled- no other entertainment was planned.
posted by peihan17 222 posts 2 months agoThanks for the replies so far. I take it that there is no way to gauge this. We will be having a city wedding so there will no room to do things like bocci or lawn games.
Hmm....
posted by caribqueen 51 posts 2 months agoI am having an indoor, daytime wedding and am planning to have just a small dance floor (literally like 8'x 8' or 10'x10'). FH and I will have our "first" dance and I'll dance with my father (though we're thinking of making it more casual, like, just do it without making a big annoucement and forcing everyone to stare) but we don't expect tons of dancing. this is the ONE and only time that I will have the chance to dance with my father ... we debated the dance floor thing and I realized that I would feel really let down if i didn't get to have that moment with my dad, ya know?
We are planning ceremony at noon, cocktail reception with cold appetizers at 12:30-1:30, our first dance at 1:30 (to sort of "open the floor") and then open the hot food stations from 1:30-3:30 ... that way people can eat, drink, mingle, dance, etc in a casual, freeform sort of way. Somewhere in there we do cake (or cupcakes) and we make our exit at 4-ish. The official end time is 4:30. We are hoping to get a band for the reception, thinking that even if people don't dance they will enjoy watching and listening to the band as entertainment.
We are planning to have an afterparty at a local bar in the evening. Probably a public establishment (as opposed to a private party) but we are hoping to have the finances to work our some sort of system tag/bracelet system so our guests can be on our tab, or just buy a keg that is for our group.
posted by jowen0879 17 posts 2 months agoI am planning a daytime wedding. The ceremoiny for 12, cocktail hour (non-alcholic) for 12:30-1:30 and reception for 1:30-4:00. We specifically kept the guest list small to have an intimate affair of family and close friends. And we really wanted to play up that its a time to celebrate the merger of two families and give people an opportunity to socialize and get to know one another. So while we will have background music, there will be no dancing. By the time you take pics, do toasts, and do cake cutting. It will be over.
However, I love the idea of doing something afterward. If my fiance was up for it I would love to do an "after wedding" get together.
posted by msgirard 31 posts 2 months agoI went to a sunrise ceremony and every still danced their lives away, its all about the atmosphere you create! Just make sure you have a great band or dj and you guys are on the floor first everyone is sure to join in.
posted by sunsetislove 36 posts 2 months agowe'll be having an afternoon reception....slated to start at 12:30 and we will be having a dance floor.
our reception room has no windows so the plan is to turn the lights down, turn the music up and we'll get to the dance floor.....i'll be having a ball so hopefully people will follow.
i've heard that people take on the attitude of the bride and groom so if you 2 are up there partying, then others probably will too.
posted by GetMarried4Less 403 posts 2 months ago