Timing of the ceremony

We are having our ceremony at 2pm which is also the time that guests are able to check in. The hotel have said that it could be possible for guests to check in earlier but it's not guaranteed.

After the ceremony we have a 1 1/2 hour drinks reception / photo taking time so to be honest we thought guests would just nip off for 5/10 minutes in this time to get checked in and take in their luggage as this is what we have done when staying at weddings ourselves. Any guests who are coming from afar for us have already told us they would intend to stay the night before too so some of ours guests will already be checked in anyway.

Hi

I can understand your thinking and a 3pm wedding shouldn't be a problem, but neither should guests checking in a little later. Some of them may even appreciate the chance to go up to their room to freshen up for the evening. I guess it depends on how many guests you're having as the more guests you have, the longer the photos after the ceremony will take & the meal/speeches will go on for longer, therefore possibly meaning that the wedding breakfast/meal may lead straight through to the evening reception or run into it if you don't have the ceremony until 3pm. My sister married in june, the ceremony was at 2.30pm, there were 90+ day guests and the evening guests were arriving just before the day time festivities & speeches had finished. An aunty married a few years ago at a hotel, she married earlier on, we had photos/drinks & the meal, then had an hour or 2 before the evening reception, giving people time to go to freshen up, take some time out etc. We enjoyed both so either way it should be fine.

We originally booked ours for 1pm then changed it to 2:30 as when I booked my hair and make up they needed longer than I thought, plus I am getting ready at my venue and cannot use the bridal suite until 11 so really it depends on how you are organising things for you and your bridesmaids in the morning. I think your guests would be happy to check in before or during the wedding and I have certainly been to weddings where you check in after the ceremony and there haven't been any problems

Hi there just a thought, doesn't solve your timing issues as such - probably a stupid thing to ask but have you enquired as to what time the Registrars are available to conduct the ceremony at your choosen venue? I ask as some Registry Offices allocate particular times to conduct ceremonies at venues that fall witihin their area (particularly so during high season).

Most guests in all honesty will keep their luggage in the car and check in either after the photo session has finished or just after the wedding breakfast before the evening starts to freshen up. I myself got married at 1.00pm and my guests didn't check in until after the meal for those that didn't travel the evening before. I think most hotels have a 2.00pm check in, in all honesty - gives the staff time to clean the room etc.

Tracey x

Mine was at 2pm, OH was told to be at the venue for 1:15, i thought that was plenty of time to get ready etc but due to a traffic jam i was an hour late getting to the venue and had 45mins to get myself and little BMs ready. i ended up having 15 mins to get ready myself. in hindsight i would have gone for a 2:30 kick off instead! The extra half hour would give guests the chance to dump there belongings without taking too much time off the wedding celebrations.

We're getting married at 12.30pm! There's no way I could wait around any longer, we both want it as early as possible. My brother got married at 10.30am!! Now that hurt lol

Our guests can't check in till 2pm either but figured there would be time to check in during the photos or after the breakfast and before the evening do. Can't see there being any issues with that really.

We are having our ceremony at 2 or 2.30 in the same hotel as the reception, and guests can't check in until 3pm, but those were the timings suggested by the hotel so i imagine it has been fine with other weddings before us! some guests will be travelling down the day before, and like you we have about 1 1/2 hours between ceremony and wedding breakfast so people can go and check in then if they like, or they could sneak off early evening to check in. The hotel has said they will try and organise a room that those travelling down on the day can change their clothes and freshen up in, plus alot of family will have rooms in the hotel and i'm sure no one will mind letting them put their bags in there for a bit or use them to freshen up. I'd go for 2pm, as unless your day is jam packed with tight timings, people will be able to check in later on, weddings often have a alot of waiting around and drinking time! x

Our ceremony is at 1.30, will end at 2pm.

We are then having canapes and photos and drinks for 90 minutes, we have suggested to guests to check in during this period.

This is indeed an important point. You will be amazed how many guests use the photography time to check in. This often means that some people are missing for the photography or worse still, that the photography takes longer as the missing people are sought.

Peter,

That's a very good point you have there. Sorry to hijak the thread but what would you suggest to try and combat this?

In terms of my photography I want one big group shot (I am having about 50 people to the wedding) then some close family shots (parents and siblings) and then shots of us as a couple. The rest of the photos I am happy to have more natural shots of the photographer capturing the rest of the day. Therefore would you suggest it would be best to get the big group shot out of the way straight after the ceremony, leaving people to enjoy the drinks reception / check into their rooms whilst we then have some photos ourselves?

Or would it be best for us to spend 15 minutes saying hi to people and having a celebratory drink, head off for couple photos and then have family and big group shot at the end of the drinks reception before the meal?

Any advice would be much appreciated. As we have such small numbers I really would like all of our guests to be in the group shot.

Thanks

Personally I would hate to travel to a wedding and then not being able to go somewhere and freshen up at the very least. My preference would be to be able to get changed as would prefer not to travel in what I was wearing for the day. We are having a wedding where everyone will be travelling to it and staying at the hotel. Even so we are getting married at 3.30, there was no way I wanted to be rushed and I am not really a morning person. As it is I will have breakfast with OH and then hour and make up are turning up at 11 so it is still a fairly early start. I would say it depends on how far your guests are travelling and how many you are having.

We're having a 1pm ceremony, 2.30pm meal, then at 5 people can either go check in at the Inn, or take a tour of the Brewery, or go for a walk, or hang about in the bar - TBH they can do anything they want as long as I get an hour to breathe! Then it's all systems go again at 7pm for the evening.

Thank you everyone – I forget that people with cars are at an advantage, and also that it should be ok to arrange for the rooms ready the earliest be allocated to an usher / bridesmaid who can let people change in if worst comes to worst (it’s not like ALL rooms won’t be ready till 2pm..). Presumably as long as we manage to make it clear (somehow) in the invite that some arrangement will be made for freshening up/dumping luggage/changing, then there should be nothing to worry about in that respect.

Thank you May2be for pointing out I may need some time to consider for hair and make up! As with Kat44 I would love a 12:30 / 10:30 marriage. It is a bit of a shame to be locked away (albeit being pampered) and not spend the whole day with guests. But then I am a morning person and should leave some time to be back-combed and hairsprayed ?

Videogal, this is what started the thread as I thought 2.30 was the perfect compromise, and then realised I could only book on the hour between 12 and 4!

After OH and I looked at these posts and discussed, we have gone with 2pm, on the assumption that we should be able to sort out with the venue an arrangement to make it easier on the guests, and I will just have to cope with them having to check in at another time during the day.

Wonky – personally I would get the group shot done first before people drift off to check football scores/smoke/check-in ..etc I hadn’t thought of that before – but it seems like the perfect time to get it done to avoid missing anyone from it.

Thanks again everyone!