Help Please! Wedding day timings!

My main concern is that there is a very big gap of 2.5 hours between the ceremony finishing and arriving at the reception venue - anyone outside of the wedding party who isn't involved in all the photos will feel this even more.

What photos are you having? Is there any way to trim down the photos you're having at the church and maybe have a few at the reception venue once the rest of your guests can be relaxing with a drink? That way you could try and leave the church by 1.15pm and arrive at the hotel at 2pm with the coach leaving at 2.15pm-2.30pm?

I take it the trip to the hotel is necessary for guests to check in etc? Have you checked with the hotel that they will be able to get everyone checked in quickly?

I would definitely make it clear to your guests that dinner won't be served until 5pm to make sure they know to have a good breakfast.

ETA: I would also be quite clear with your guests about who is actually needed for photos at the church so that those that aren't needed can head off to the hotel straight away to get checked in.

There's nothing worse than hanging around at a church for half an hour only to find out you weren't needed for any photos there after all. Maybe do the group one first?

Your reception venue sounds like it is a city centre type with no gardens or anything for photos--- is that correct

Are you going to be with everyone on the coach

You also only have 10 mins for canepes & drinks reception 3.30 - 3.40 pm this can easy be 30 min

Dinner & speeches - 5pm - 7pm ---- for the dinner to start at 5 the venue may need to start calling in to sit at 4.30 to be sat for 5

And when on the coach--------- get some drinks onboard

To echo Kharv, that's a big old gap between the ceremony ending and me starting to have fun.

If it was possible for me to make the journey earlier, I'd leave about 15 mins after the ceremony ends, then get back to hotel for check-in (and either hole up in the bar or make my way to the venue bar).

This is what I was trying to get at as to me it looks like the hotel is just where everyone is staying but it is not the reception venue

Journey to hotel - say 2pm - 3pm (its a 40 min journey)
Coach leaves hotel - 3.15 pm
Arrive at Venue - canepes & drinks reception 3.30 - 3.40 pm

It dosen't look like there is any big gaps to me as it is all looks like travel time

It is all travelling time, Bill, but I think we mean 'gap' as in not watching someone get married or standing with a drink in your hand.

I don't think Minnie means ten mins for drinks - I think she means they'd arrive at the reception venue between 3.30 and 3.40.

Sorry I should of made it a bit clearer.

The hotel we are staying in is a 45 minute drive from the church and then it’s a 15 minute drive to the venue (we are laying on coaches who stay) Those who don’t stay are going to go directly to the venue for canapé’s and booze – my Mum and Dad are going straight to the venue to host for those not staying the night.

Reason for going to hotel first was so that people have got their cars there for the next day and reason for coach is to make sure people actually turn up and don’t get p**sed in the hotel bar when there’s free booze at the venue.

I’m to give people luggage tickets with their room numbers (the hotel has only 20 rooms) to put on their bags so that they can leave them at the reception and then be ready for the coach. (My brother – usher – is going to be there to co-ordinate and stay later if necessary to make sure everyone gets checked in ok so people don’t miss the coach)

& yes I do mean arrive between 3.30 and 3.40 (just thinking some people might delay the coach) and then have an hour and a half drinking & noshing on the canapés time.

Ideally – I would like all the guests there for 3.30 and I agree about the photo’s – make sure only those who are necessary should stay. At my cousins wedding it was literally 15 mins bing bang bosh and we were away to the venue.

Appreciate all your guidance – I’m starting to get really stressed about it

Maybe I could get the hotel to lay on some reception whilst people are waiting for the coach so that they don't feel like they're waiting around

What do you think? I want people to get to the venue asap though. Why couldn't i just choose a venue that had accomodation & closer to home!!!

And how on earth am i going to be able to word all this on my invite!!! ha

Ok, first of all - was Bill right in his reason why you can't have any photos at the reception venue?

Also, do the people who are in the majority of the photos NEED to go to the hotel?

Could you allow your guests to leave after the group photos and make their way to the hotel and a coach pick them up not long after and get them to the drinks reception?

While that is going on, you and the wedding party could be having the photos done and go straight to the reception venue, probably arriving not long after your guests?

The venue grounds are lovely - so its possible to have photo's there too.

So I suppose we could do the main photo's that everyone needs to be there for & the confetti shot and then get someone (maybe the ushers?) to ask them to make their way to the hotel?

Sorry for all the confusion - i'm still trying to work it all out

Have just 1 or 2 at the church just to show it, then do confetti then those that need the coach do that then the others go straight to the venue (incl you) as soon as you get there you can have some nice ones of you both and whatever you can with the others that are there also.

Then when the coach arrives - drinks, and mingle and rest of photos.

So almost all photos are being done at the reception venue, to which everyone will of arrived sooner as you are not doing any at the church,

People = reception= drinks=happy

Ok, how about the below?

If you brought everything forward a bit, you could also bring dinner forward slightly? That way people aren't going quite so long without food. It also gives you and your husband a bit more time at the church to get some 'you and him' photos as you could go straight from there at 1.45pm/2.00pm if you wanted to?

Ceremony: 12.00pm-1.00pm

Photos: 1.00pm-1.15pm

Guests travel to hotel: 1.15pm-2.00pm

Coach depart the hotel between 2.15pm and 2.30pm

Guests arrive at reception venue by 2.45pm

Guests seated for dinner: 3.45pm

Wedding breakfast: 4.15pm

Evening guests: 7.00pm

Thanks Kharv - i feel a lot more relaxed now. earlier i was just thinking this isn't going to work! the church i go to is a big part of my life - i know its not ideal but there was no other option

thanks everybody for your comments & I'm sorry for the flapping!