timing for the day

Im thinking exactly the same and need help also.

And I'm wondering when to invite the evening guests, i cant afford to have everyone I want to come to the day so a lot of my friends will just be coming to the evening, but I want to see them without music blaring etc

(they dont actually know that they are just coming to the evening...thats another hurdle!)

- this didnt help much, but you're not alone xx

I know I was banking on inviting 60 to the whole day thinking that would cover family and a few family friends and close friends of ours. Counted up properly last night and we have 61 members of close family. So am having a drama about that too but the whole what time to feed people and how much has just about finished me off!! Think we are hoping to get married about 12 so it will be a long day.

Mine was: 1pm church ceremony. 1.45pm photos at church 2.30pm (ish - I'm going by memory of 2 years ago and wasn't wearing a watch!) depart for reception. approx until 3.30pm - H and I travel to reception and go to gardens for "couple" photos while guests have drinks and canapes. 4.30pm - receiving line (70 guests, H and I only people in the line). 5pm - dinner 6.30 ish (our venue pretty much served every table at once so no waiting!) - speeches/cake cutting/coffee 7.30pm - evening guests arrive 8pm - first dance 10pm - bacon sandwiches, chips and cake.

We are doing:

Ceremony 2.30

From 3.30 - drinks and canapes

5.00, seat for wedding breakfast. Speeches, then WB served at 5.30 (starter, main, pud, cheese board and coffeees!)

Mill around and a bit of background music after meal

8.00 first dance and funky disco kicks off + 1 hr set of live music

**** Buffet supper (just basic - not loads of food. I wasn't convinced people neecded feeding again, but I am told it will get eaten and help soak up some booze!)

11.00 - another hour of live music, followed by another hour of funky disco before everyone goes home at 1am.

I was thinking about 1pm, we are getting married in manchester and i have a lot of family coming from north wales and friends from scotland, so im thinking they could travel in the morning so wouldnt have to get hotel for 2 nights, im not sure how long the ceremony will last, we arent doing our own vows(not that creative!!) so after that and some pics i dont want people twiddling their thumbs! Its quite hard getting it all together.

OK if I remember rightly, ours goes something like this:

2pm ceremony

2.40pm photos, drinks and canapes outside on the grounds

4pm receiving line (if we want one) and everyone is seated for the food

4.30pm food served following by speeches & cake cutting

7pm drinks served in the outside bar ready for evening guests

7.30pm evening guests start to arrive

8.30pm first dance

Hope that helps a bit

This is what we've been advised. The wedding is in a church about 15 minutes drive from the hotel.

1.30 to 2.30 Ceremony and photos.
3.00 Arrive at hotel
3.00 to 4.30 Drinks, canapés and photos
4.30 to 5.00 Receiving line
5.00 to 7.30 Meal and speeches
Then a break to turn the room around,
8pm tp 12.00 Disco

Hopefully ours will go something like this !!

1pm ceremony

2pm photos

2.30pm to Reception (2 min walk)

2.30- 5pm Jazz band, canapes, drinks and more photos

5pm leave for 2nd venue!! ( 2 min walk)

5,30 sit down, speeches

6pm Dinner Served

7.30pm, coffee, evening guests arrive, cut cake,

8pm band start - 1 45 min set + disco

10pm Bacon Sarnies and Wedding Cake , Band Back on for 45 mins then disco

12 pm evening finishes

3.30 Guests arrive at Pembroke Lodge

3.40 Steve arrives ready for interview with Registrar

3.50 Jenny arrives ready for interview with Registrar

4.00 Ceremony begins

4.30 Ceremony ends

Reception drinks and photography

Pimms, Sparkling Wine, and Bucks Fizz

Strawberries dipped in chocolate

Soft drinks allowance

5.30 Call to dinner

5.45 Introduce as Mr and Mrs Combes

Speeches – Father of the Bride –

Groom – Steve and Best Man – Oscar

Toasts

8.00Cutting of the cake ceremony & evening guests arrive

8.30 First dance/DJ

Evening buffet

9.00 90 x bacon and sausage baguettes

11.45 Last orders

11.55 Last dance

12.00 End of Reception – Carriages to Richmond Hill Hotel

Mine is still to be confirmed in some places, but goes something like this;

12.00 church ceremony

12.45 - 1.30 Photos and some 'canapes' provided by the pub next door

1.30 - 2.15 travel to reception (it's a 25-30 minutes drive)

2.15 - 3.45 - some more photos, garden games and cartoonist

3.45 - Receiving line

4.05- wedding breakfast

5.45 - speeches

6.30 evening guests start arriving

7.00 magician arrives

7.30 first dance

8.30 first half of buffet

9.30 second half of buffet

12.00 carriages

I do a lot of all dayers. I often have brides worried about the 'gaps'. They are not actually as big an issue as you think. Guests are often quite happy to have that 'chill' time when they can sit back and relax and chat to people that they only see at weddings, funerals and christenings.......and when you are chatting an hour soon flies by.

General rule of thumb....allow hour and a half for a sit down meal.

How long do speeches take....is a bit like how long is a piece of string! I've known them last between 15 minutes and an hour and a half .....best to get a general idea from the people doing them.

Order of speeches, wedding breakfast, cake cutting etc is a matter of choice.

Also, bear in mind that if you have a beautiful day weather wise, photos invariably take longer!

When I do all dayers I take care of the progression between each element and provide 'fillers' for the gaps. If your room is being turned around and a DJ or band is setting up......allow at leats an hour.

Hope that helps a bit

Thanks everyone that has helped loads. My main concern re evening guests was not feedingthem until about 9.30 if they were going to arrie 7/7.30 but it sounds as though a few people are doing this?? Also doing the speeches before the meal may help space the food out a bit or possibly in between courses.

I was thinking and this seems OK after reading replies

12 service

1 walk to recp (2 mins), greeted with champ, pimms, finger sandwitches, strawbs and cream Photos

1.45 seat people

2 speeches

3 meal

4.30 finish meal

7 evening guests arrive I'm thinking wedding cake, choc fountain cheeseboard

9.30 fish and chips

so only problem is the gap between 4.30 and 7

45 mins from the end of your service to starting to seat people might be a bit of a problem.....especially with the walk , cocktails and photographs.

How many speeches are you having? An hour seems like quite a long time.

Similar to Stazzles (we're getting wed at same place!)

2pm ceremony

2-3.40 photos, drinks and canapes

3.45 receiving line

4pm speeches (doing speeches first very nervous dad)

4.30 wedding breakfast

6.30-7.30 band set up and guests wander outside or drinks at bar

7.30pm evening guests arrive

7.45 first dance

8-9.30 Band and buffet

Band Break and DJ

10-11pm Band

11-12pm DJ

Thanks I was meant to leave 1.45 hrs not 45 mins so now time sems ok thanks x