Post # 47

Member
679 posts
Busy bee
An hour to an hour and a half is understandable and common for my area. Usually people will figure something out or visit with friends and family for a bit at the church or something and take the long way to the reception. More than that and you’ll have some grumpy guests. If possible, provide a cocktail hour of some sort so that people aren’t running to mcdonalds with dropping blood sugar before you arrive.
Post # 48

Member
1460 posts
Bumble bee
If I was invited to a wedding with such a gap I would not attend. I actually skipped a coworkers wedding because of the gap. I have better things to do on a Saturday than wait around all day long to eat a mediocre meal with strangers.
Post # 49

Member
196 posts
Blushing bee
Waay too long of a gap. If you are having guests from out of town go there, they will have to take a taxi to the ceremony, back to their hotel for a few hours, then to the reception, then back to the hotel. In my area it is usually 1-2 hours between. Personally, a friend had a wedding with a large gap, we ended up going to a pub inbetween and ate and started drinking- turned into drinking too much so we were pretty done by the time we got to her reception 4 hours later.
In my opinion, 1 hour gap (where people can mingle in a room, have a smoke, get some air) then have coctails open for an hour (2 hour gap), or do 1 hour mingling and have appies and coctails for 2 hours (total 3 hour gap)
People will end up not even coming to your ceremony and will just come to the reception if you have such a large gap and they know it ahead of time. I have a 1.5 hour gap for mine and I feel thats a bit too long.
Post # 50

Member
779 posts
Busy bee
@Lily_of_the_valley: again, it would be like 3 hours max if I had the reception start at 5. Plus travel time so only about a 2 1/2 hour break, which I thought people would enjoy. I’m actually really surprised at the super strong reaction from people on the boards. I always thought a gap was totally normal, expected, and not a huge deal. I’ll definitely think about having a later ceremony (Maybe have it at 2, keep the reception at 5) and maybe just arrange for the reception hall to serve some finger foods and punch while they’re killing time.
Post # 51

Member
1876 posts
Buzzing bee
4 hours is a long time. Most of the weddings I go to have one hour in between at the most. Given the driving distance, maybe 2 hours would be okay.
Post # 52

Member
779 posts
Busy bee
@StarryNight2011: I’m going to for sure arrange a gift basket for out of town guests specifically for this People’s for local people, I’ve asked a few and they reassured me it was really not a big deal for them. So I’m not worried about them, I’m just concerned that my out of town guests will sort of be waiting in their cars or something. It would only be around a 2 1/2 hour gap in between, so it’s not a TERRIBLY long gap. I sort of an stuck between a rock and a hard place, because my church HAS to have the wedding early, and I sort of booked the reception site because of how beautiful it was in the evening. Maybe I’ll just arrange for the reception site to be open for out of town guests until we get there. Finger foods and punch or something. But only after the final touches are done to the reception site. Haha this is the type of wedding stuff that is no fun… ๐ thanks for the advice though!!
Post # 53

Member
779 posts
Busy bee
@FLBlonde93: the ceremony would be and hour long, and travel time, so the wait would be something around 2 1/2. Or 1 1/2 if I move the ceremony up an hour.
Post # 54

Member
779 posts
Busy bee
@EffieTrinket: not catholic, but the same rules apply for my church.
Post # 55

Member
2999 posts
Sugar bee
A 3-4 hour gap is common in my area. We are actually going to have a gap this size, as well, since we plan on dismissing the pews and then taking pictures. I think its more irritating to hear a guest complain about the gap because we all know its the time we take pictures. I’m not worrying about it too much.
Post # 56

Member
2389 posts
Buzzing bee
It’s wayyyy too long. It’s a wedding, not a photo shoot. Cocktail hour (as in ONE hour) is plenty of time for photos.
Post # 57

Member
248 posts
Helper bee
@silkspectre94: I’ve worked at a banquet facility and I would just caution you to check with your reception place to make sure guests can go early. I know each facility is different, but waitstaff are scheduled based on the start time of your wedding- meaning they could still be setting everything up till about 4:30ish if your arrival is at 5. We usually do not open the doors to the reception room until the time the bride gave us as their arrival time….even if guests are standing in the hallway- it might sound inconsiderate, but really we are just going off of the timeline we are given. Just something to think about!
Post # 58

Member
3075 posts
Sugar bee
If I was invited to a wedding with that kind of gap I would either skip the ceremony and just go to the reception (Or vice versa), or just decline altogether. Sitting around for 2 1/2 hours is not my idea of fun.
Post # 59

Member
779 posts
Busy bee
@jpalm13: THANKYOU! ๐ It’s really common for weddings around here to do the same thing. Every weddings I’ve gone to except one (where the ceremony and the reception were at the same place) has a gap this size. And really, the ceremony will be an hour, and driving is around a half an hour so it would really only be around a 2 1/2 hour gap. I feel bad for put of towners, but I plan on making them a welcome basket with a map and ideas of things to do to kill time anyway. Local people all are aware of the “catholic gap” anyway, and the ones I’ve asked about how the felt about the gap all said no problem so… My only concern is the out of towners. I don’t leant them like sitting out in their car in their nice clothes.. Haha
Post # 60

Member
779 posts
Busy bee
@Razzmatazz: thanks so much. That could have been trouble.. ๐ I’ll for sure check with them first before telling everyone to head over ๐
Post # 61

Member
670 posts
Busy bee
We have a gap the same as you, maybe its a Canadian thing. I have never been to a wedding actually where there wasn’t a big gap like that. Everyone knows the wedding party goes and takes pictures and everyone else does there own thing. I think its especially prevalent for church weddings to have a big gap.