Guests Arriving After The Bride

I am a bit, particularly since our venue isn't the most straightforward to find. I did put this on the invite info, and suggested ensuring they brought maps or sat navs...but as we know, the majority of guests didn't read them!

When I was BM my friends were late and sneaked in the side of the church, but the bride never knew!

I'm hoping that we'll be okay, I have a coach taking the majority of our guests so should arrive nice and early *fingers crossed*

It did happen at my friend's wedding, but she was also ten minutes early!! Cue us trying to hide in front of her!!

Wow, I didn't think that actually happened very often!

I wasn't worried but mainly because he had a sh1t hot events coordinator who would have queried empty seats before she gave me the go ahead to come downstairs.

I must admit I'd be pretty peeved!

When I was a kid we (our family of 5) once missed most of a service due to getting lost. We had to go straight to the reception venue!

I had a whole family of 6 six arrive after me at our venue, the coordinator on the day even had to go and chivvy them along because they'd stopped for a cigarette! Thankfully there was an area I could 'hide' until they went in

I'm slightly concerned as our church is in the middle of town and doesn't have great parking. Also, I don't want to arrive late to counteract this, as our timescales are quite tight and it would have a knockon for everything else.

Why do people not allow enough time?! If the bride arrives bang on time then it's almost forgivable but if the bride is 20mins late then theres no damn excuse!

I only have to walk across the courtyard so I shall be sending someone ahead to check that everyone is ready and seated before I leave my room!!!

I was worried about my sister, bro in law and their 5 kids doing this as they did at my brothrs wedding...we put an earlier time on her invite then the others to make sure it didnt happen ?

I know! And even then these particular guests weren't hurrying.

Good plan! One of my sisters is always late to everything, no matter how much time she has to get ready. She's one of my BMs, and I've told her I'll just leave her behind if she dares to be late on the day!

I think it depends on who is late, if anyone of course, as to whether it'll bother me. I suspect someone will be late, I'm getting ready at my venue so we could delay things a bit if need be.

It did happen me once due to unforeseen traffic nightmare, there were a few people scuttling into the church as the bride was having her pics done so just made it - I have never been so stressed and mortified.

At one of my best friend's weddings there was no sign of her grandmother and other family relatives so there ended up being lots of empty seats at the end of the church. I was sure something was wrong (and quite worried as I am related to them) but turned out they hadn't bothered to book a taxi on time so arrived 20 mins late. I would have been RAGING!!

At least I'm not the only person who has worried about it! Don't feel like such a cowbag now

I know this may come across as rude, but I have asked the venue co-ordinator (who will be dealing with the reception room just outside the ceremony room) to close the door and not to admit anyone who arrives after I have already gone in (the only exception being my nan, who is elderly). I know this will be disappointing for any guest that might be late for reasons beyond their control, but the room is quite small and quiet, so it would be impossible for anyone to come in without it being really noticeable once everyone is sat down. The ceremony is really important to me and I just don't want it to be disturbed.

On my wedding video, after I have started walking in to the Church, you can see three people sneaking in behind me just before they close the doors.

They weren't even invited guests, they were parents and the sister of some of our guests just being nosy. In jeans and casual tops. ?

It wasn't them being there that was the problem, it was the fact that they are in the video sneaking! Get in before me!

I see it quite a lot but to be honest, the bride and groom hardly ever notice because they are just looking at each other.

?

Oooh that would annoy me!!!

Fair enough church weddings are open to anyone but at least get there before the bride!

OH only brought this up once the invites had gone out with the ceremony start time on it. Apparently he thinks most of his side will take that to mean turn up at 2 whereas my side have read it as it starts at 2 be there early. He's told me to be 15 mins late to make sure the stragglers have made it. Not sure why you would get there bang on the start time anyway? Every wedding we've been to we arrived 30 mins early! Or is this not common knowledge?

I've always thought so, but I continue to be surprised! I'm always very early to anything, and have mild panic attacks if I think I'm going to be late, so I just don't understand it!

Im not that worried, as we are 'fingers crossed' getting married outside in a gazebo and we have to tell the venue how many people are coming so that they can put out the right amount of chairs so i may send someone out before me to see if all the chairs apart from those in bridal party vacant.

I'm not worried about it. I shall begin walking down the aisle at 12.30pm, the time the invite says I will, if people arrive after that, they will have to creep in during the sermon and find a space near the door.

2 guests arrived in the car park of the venue as I did- they snuck in and found seats, MrMinis friend also managed to slide in whilst I was doing my pre-wedding pee. Very rude.

? he slid into your bathroom cubicle? Or into your pee?

well...I was still a single girl then ?

LOL mental image!!! ?

Im quite concerned about this too, one of OHs friends won't finish work until 2 on the day, with 40mins from his work to our venue and he'll need time to change etc, ceremony starts at 3, but he won't book it off work! I know that's his choice, but there's no way he'll be able to sneak in!

I don't think this will happen at ours. We only have 17 guests so will just wait for them all to arrive! We will know exactly who we are waiting for.

If I was late, for whatever reason (even a good one), I would wait outside, then apologise profusely when I got to talk to the couple, rather than disturb the atmosphere of the bride's entrance/their vows etc.

I've put in our information sheet to please arrive before 12.45pm as the ceremony starts promptly at 1pm, that way any friends who are a bit late normally have no excuse, neither does my cousin who is late for EVERYTHING! someone told me they thought I was being bridezilla about it, but I think its extremely rude to arrive after the bride. Also I would be fuming if any of them saw me in my dress outside the church.

I pulled up in the car just as some of my cousins were being shoved in through the main doors. I just waved and waited for a minute before I got out. Then, during the ceremony, a friend who is late to everything came in halfway through. We had closed doors and the manager standing guard - he made her wait until an appropriate point (we were moving to stand after a reading). I didn't really notice until the door was closing again, Boy just gave me a small grin and mouthed 'Monica'.

It didn't bother either of us in the slightest and didn't put us off our stride or owt. To be fair, she'd travelled from Mexico the day before (and she's late to everyone's wedding - she once asked a friend to delay while went a got changed!) so maybe were prepared to let her off a bit.

I've put the ceremony start time as 1.30 on the invites, it is actually 2pm, We will have a string quartet playing from 45 mins before and anyone arriving very early can have a drink in the bar, lounge or gardens. If anyone is late to mine it will be very obvious they are sneaking in. I am late to everything, but I have never been late to someones wedding!

This happenned at our wedding, luckily our ushers were on the ball. They sent a text to my bridesman and we were told to do a few laps of the nearby golf course untill everyone was inside the church. I was not impressed. Even once we had done that we turned up to see people still arriving, luckily there was a little country lane opposite where we could sit in the bridal car unseen till they had all gone inside, this is us finally arriving the lane is just behind the car:

This carry on was not helpful in a red hot vintage car whose windows didn't open, when my nerves were already completely gone!! We had put on the invitations to be seated 15 mins before the start too! ?

At a friends wedding, the coach was about 40 minutes late (minor crash on route) so the bride had to hang around for ages. Coach contained most of the guests...

Vanillapod, just saw in your comment above that you had a bridesman - I am also having one, can I ask did he carry flowers? I have searched for any wedding report/flashes of yours but can't find any if you did one!

I was worried about this as I had to walk down the stairs into a big hall to the ceremony room so if any stragglers arrived they would see me before we made our entrance. Our venue said they wouldn't allow anyone into that area until I had gone through so as not to spoil it. Fortunately everyone was seated on time.