Post # 1
Member
135 posts
Blushing bee
Hi bees, I need help in deciding if I should rent our venue out for an extra hour or not (would cost an extra $100).
Our ceremony and reception is in the same place. We have it for 5 hours. My ceremony is really short, and should start at 1pm and end by 1:15. Then, figure cocktail hour until about 2:30, then we’ll announce the wedding party into the reception, do first dances, toast, and then sit down for dinner by like 3:15-3:30. So we would probably only have from roughly 4-6pm to dance. Is that enough time, or should I add the extra hour for my guests to enjoy themselves? What do you guys think?
Post # 3
Member
492 posts
Helper bee
I would – $100 isn’t much for an extra 20% of time to celebrate with your nearest and dearest. I don’t think it is strictly necessary though.
Post # 4
Hostess
3367 posts
Sugar bee
It all depends on how much you want to party! Our reception is only going to be 2 hours long, but it’s just a cake and punch reception. Since you guys have dinner and all of that, I might go ahead and splurge the extra $100 if it’s in the budget.
Post # 5
Member
1329 posts
Bumble bee
Hi!
I would honestly pay the extra 100 bucks. I attended a beautiful wedding in Chicago last fall where the bride had the location…everything…they married at 11 am…had cocktails till one, we sat down and ate at 1:30…by the time first dances and everything was over that left an hour and a half for heavy dancing, and then they flipped the lights on and wree like..”Time to leave”. A lot of people were upset as it felt like the party was just getting started finally…so then they went to a bar after 🙂
Post # 6
Member
252 posts
Helper bee
Do it! My reception is 4 hours (5 with cocktail hour) and I wish I could add another hour. I think you’ll be happy you did. At this point, what is another $100? If it were another $1000, I might reconsider if you were on a tight budget, but I think this will be worth the money.
Post # 7
Member
879 posts
Busy bee
For only $100, I would add an extra hour if I were you! You will have to consider any other vendors that might affect (DJ, lighting, coordinator, etc).
Our reception will be just 3.5 hours (4.5 including cocktails) and I sometimes wish we could add a bit more time, except we don’t have the option. I think it may be okay since ours will end at 11pm. Since yours ends early in the evening many of your guests may want to hang out longer… I would! 🙂
Post # 8
Member
135 posts
Blushing bee
Thanks ladies! I think I am definately going to do an extra hour. As many of you said, it’s only an extra $100, and it won’t break my bank (I’d been including an extra hundred just in case). Thanks for the feedback!!
Post # 9
Member
4192 posts
Honey bee
- Wedding: July 2012 - Baltimore Museum of Industry
Are your guests going to know that there’s a sit-down meal? Since 3pm isn’t a “regular” meal time, if I were a guest at a 1pm wedding, I’d eat first, assuming just light apps or cake afterwards.
Will the venue let you add the hour that day, depending on how the reception’s going?
Post # 10
Member
135 posts
Blushing bee
@rebwana: our invitations say “dinner and dancing to follow” so they’ll know we’re feeding them, and we have to inform them we want the extra hour when the rest of the deposit is due 8 weeks before the wedding. But, I’d rather just go for the extra hour to be safer than sorry.
Post # 11
Member
7899 posts
Bumble Beekeeper
- Wedding: March 2012 - Pelican Grand Beach Resort
How much is the extra hour with the DJ?
Post # 12
Member
2825 posts
Sugar bee
Definitely add the extra hour if you can swing it.
At our wedding we planned on leaving at 10:30, (our reception started at 6:30- ish) at around 8:30 we were starting to get tired and wear out… then out of nowhere we got a second wind and had an absolute BLAST, we didn’t want to leave come 10:30 and ended up staying another hour or so… and would have stayed even longer if we didn’t have to get up early the next morning! (our wedding was on family property so we didn’t have to leave at any certain time though)
You definitely won’t regret it.
Post # 13
Member
23589 posts
Honey Beekeeper
Our Ceremony and Reception together was also only 5 hours, and to tell you the truth, we found that to be the perfect length. We stayed for the full 5 hours, and were just getting tired as the last dance started, then we took off! Any longer and I think I would’ve bowed out!
Post # 14
Member
11 posts
Newbee
Add two extra hours!!!
I am a party animal though. lol. But think about it, people are traveling a long way to be with you, they want as much time as they can get to party!