Help! Having stresses over timings of the day not enough time!?!??

Ditch the line up?

Our dinner was 2.5 hours, for 58 guests, three courses plus digestif.

Our speeches were approx. 35-45 mins. I didn't see any sweepstake result....

We intended on having a receival line but on the good advice of two of my married friends ditched the idea. They said theirs took nearly an hour and for one couple it meant that they missed out on having any photographs of just the two of them in the daylight! If you think each guest has to greet a minimum of you and the groom (that's if you don't include parents etc) at 30 seconds each that's one minute per guest x 70 is over an hour.

We are married in church at 1.30. Champagne and canape reception from 2.30 and our guests will be seated at 4.30. I would think the meal may take around 2 hours including speeches.

Our evening guests arrive at 7.30 and the band and DJ start at 7.30.

What time are yuo getting married? What time do you sit down to eat?

We aren't having a receiving line, between the courses we are going to go to each table to say hello to anyone we haven't managed to speak to during the drinks reception. I cannot bare receiving lines, I find them awkward and uncomfortable, especially at one wedding where they had bride, groom, both sets of parents, 2 best men and 2 bridesmaids receiving us, it took forever and it was weird shaking hands and kissing cheeks with people who I didn't know at all.

What footlong says! Ditch the line. We went around each table for a few minutes between courses so we had at least spoken to everyone.

Meal, ours was about 3 hours for 150 people.

Speeches about 20mins, but ours were all short!!

Were not having a line!

I have crammed too much into my time i think -

4:30 Ceremony

5:00 photos/drink

6:00 Meal ( 2 course)

8:00 speaches/cake cutting

8:30 evening guests arrive

I'm a little worried about only having an hour for photos --- however been to so many weddings with long photo type shoots!I don't want to bore my guests lol... On the plus point I have 2 photographers ( one to catch more informal photos whilst the 'big photos' are going on) - on the negative side of things I have 2 sides to my family! hopefully ushers etc can sort it all! At the end of the day if we run over we run over! sod it! x

I'm also a little worried about speeches! However i don't mind if evening guests arrive whilst cutting the cake! pffftt! more attention on me xx

I agree with not needing a line up. My sister didn't have a huge amount of people and it took ages. Plus, as bridesmaid, I found it quite bad (EVERYONE saying 'how good each of us look' and having to kiss every male guest there!)

Don't have a receiving line. That will save about 30 minutes and your guests having to queue to say congratulations. There is plenty of time after your main or pudding to go around the tables, as people get served at slightly different times so you will be finished by the time the last table is served for example.

I'd say the meal could be done in 2 - 2.5 hours and speeches in 25 minutes depending how much they like to talk.

This is the best way to do things as your food will always be served first and you will finish eating each course first. In my pre wedding consultation I always ask if they are having a receiving line and then plan my photography around that. So no shots get left out before its dark.If you ditch the line up then that 1/2 hour is spent relaxing with your guests anyway so you don't loose out on saying hello.When the time comes you are snuck away and everyone enters the room and then when all are seated you are announced in and get your grand entrance (if you want it)

If you do think you have to have a line up the quickest way is you the two of you. But how about this for a receiving line !!!!!

Hi, I have 70 guests also and my day is planning at:

12.00 Ceremony at church (+ half hour for photos afterwards with guests)

20 mins to transfer to venue

**** Sax Player hired and guests will have canopes and drinks + photography (half hour for guests and 1 hr for Bride and Groom)

15.15- Sit down

****- 3 course meal

****- Wedding Speeches

18.10- 18.50- Changover of rooms (decor to be taken into River Room for evening reception) + we have a videobooth for guests and kids to enjoy whilst waiting for changover

19.00- Evening guests arrive + DJ commence

I have sent my day plan to my Master of cermonies and my wedding coordinator and they are very happy with the timescales but i know there will be 10-20 minutes each way possibly i am sure the plans will not go exactly to those timings, i have ensured enough time for the 3 course meal as well normally on each course you would give at least half an hour (Starters) and 1 hour (Mains). This is what i would normally do in a restaurant also. I didnt even think about a line up because we will have time before we go into be seated for dinner to say our hello's to everyone.

Hope this helps a little. x

There's a an article I wrote here... http://www.weddingdjalliance.co.uk/planning_your_wedding_reception.php all about timings.

Hope that helps

We have ditched the idea of a line up, because she said our for 90 guest would take around 1 hr 30 mins - 1 hr 45 mins, we have 3 hours for food and speeches.

so you can see rough timing's, this is the over view of our day :

Suggested time plan:

12.00 pm Guests arrival at the hotel

1.00 pm Ceremony in Purbeck Suite

1.20 to 2.50 pm Drinks reception and photographs

DJ set up in lower Purbeck

2.50 pm Sit down

3.00 to 6.00 pm Wedding Breakfast + Speeches

6.00 pm Interlude

7.00 pm Evening Guests start to arrive

7.45 / 8.00 pm First dance

9.00 pm Evening Buffet

12.00 am Music Finishes

12.30 am Bar Close

That's really helpful thanks everyone! Xx

wow ! amazing picture, where was that taken ?

Thank you -- its a bit wild and too distorted rearly but just a bit of fun. Its Rothley Court in Leicester, the wedding breakfast is served upstairs and the receiving line is done as the picture, although thats the biggest ive seen anywhere.If you dont have enough time to get everything done - picture wise you can always catch up if you have any time between the meal and eve do.

Here is a few more shots from the same venue

I would ditch the line up completely.
Saw an idea on Pinterest this week that I like and if I opt to have traditional head table then I may do it.
Basically have two chair opposite bride and groom and a sign that invites people to come say hi.
Good idea in theory but not sure at what point they can come up, not sure i fancy talking to people while sat eating my meal.
In reality I'm not even having head table will sitting at a round table with friends amongst our guest! MIL doesn't know this yet though....