How to keep guests entertained at a midday wedding>>>

Hi

Were also having a midday wedding with everything at the same venue - I also have this problem - were thinking the first hour will be having the ceremony signing the registra and so forth. were having the sit down meal at 3.30 so face 2.5 hours with our guests "hanging around" OH thinks that 2.5 hours isnt that long when they can talk to each other have drinking, canapes etc but I think we could do with something to keep them entertained so I will so be watching this thread with interest!!!

xx

I am glad you have the same dilemma!!! We had the option of midday or 2pm and just felt that 2pm would be such a rush....plus everyone we spoke to who had already married said they would have liked more time......

I'm thinking 12-12.30 for the ceremony, then there is just a big gap until about 3.30 or 4ish when we have the sit down.

We plan to invite our evening guests at 7.

I've been to a wedding whe they had a dance lesson - that was a great ice breaker, everyone got involved, and it actually really broke the day up.

It's so hard!!!!!!!

Hiya, well our service is at 1.30 and like yourselves were a bit worried at the gap as we plan to sit down and eat at 4 as we are having everything in one venue. so we have hired a magician for 2 hours. We are also having canapes and drinks and this will be the time photographs are being taken. You could also look into a characaturist (if thats how you spell it).

Hope that helps

Here's one tried and tested idea......

I did an all day wedding a few months back. After the ceremony, the wedding party disappeared to another location for photographs leaving me to take care of about 80 guests. The weather was appalling so no opportunity to go outside, the space was fairly limited so no room for anything active. Drinks and canapes were available. Music was playing throughout giving a good atmosphere (from my trusty small discreet PA). There were a number of children. The younger ones I got to do drawings of the bride and groom and the older ones were my little helpers. We got the guests involved in filling little cards that had 3 questions.....1. a memory of the couple (some were hillarious), 2. advice for married life (some were funny and some made you want to cry) 3. a wish for their future. There was a real buzz in the room as people were sharing notes and having a laugh at what others had put. I compiled them all, including the children's drawings into a book tied together with ribbon which was presented to the bride and groom by the bestman during the speeches. Surprisingly, 3 hours went quite quickly.

Another sit down activity I've used is the wedding anagram game........a list of anagrams related to weddings. Out here in NI its always raining so outdoor activities are rarely an option.

Hope that helps.

Couldn't you eat earlier??

Sorry - not a massive help but I wonder why your fixed at eating at that set time? I'd think i'd look at eating earlier...

We're getting married at 4.00pm and eating at 6.00pm.

I love the idea of dance lessons. my only concern would be that you would need to hire another room, if they have one spare, as the main room would be set up for your wedding breakfast. I think there's a big logistics question here which would depend heavily on your venue's facilities.

I have done a jive workshop to bridge a gap....not a wedding but a very big 2 day birthday bash in Devon.

Hey Sandy, loving the idea of the card with the 3 things on it, might even do something like that for mine. Give them each a card for the meal so they can all fill them in and leave them for us to read afterwards! Thanks

We went to a wedding recently where they'd organised a wine tasting and whisky tasting workshop for the guests for the 'lull' - it went down really well ?

12 is quite early though - is there going to be lots of snacks as most guests won't have had time for lunch ?

Why is there a need to entertain your guests??? I dont get it.

Between our reception and meal it was all photos so guests were taking photos whilst we had ours done and used the time to catch up with people they hadnt seen for years or make new acquaintences.....

I wouldnt pressure the guests into being entertained - pressure as in You've paid for this so they are obliged to watch/join in...... - just let them relax and enjoy themselves in their own way, I say.

Oh and my guests left the church at 3.15 and we didnt eat till 5.30......

We're getting married at Midday and are having drinks/canapes while the photo's are being taken but i'm not having anything to keep them entertained other than this. I plan to sit down and eat a bit earlier than the time you have stated which will leave a bit of a gap between the meal and the evening guests arriving rather than a gap between the ceremony and the meal. The meal/speeches may even overrun shortening the gap.

During this time the guests can check into their rooms, freshen up, go for a walk in the grounds or have a drink in the bar. They'll keep themselves entertained no problem so i'm not worried. x

Hi

thanks for advice and sorry for jumping on someone elses thread! After talking to OH and as our family are so scattered it will be nice for them to have some time to catch up etc and as bethanw said they can freshen up etc in rooms around the hotel

Thanks guys

x

Sometimes yes sometimes no. It all depends on your arrangements. If the majority of your guests are staying at the venue I'd say no as they have somewhere to retreat to and as someone says, its an opportunity to freshen up. If they're not staying at the venue, I'd say yes as they are just hanging around. The occasion I quoted, the guests had nowhere else to go and were sat in the room without the wedding party for a few hours.....so something was definitely needed. My partner was booked to do a similar thing to this recently, and he ended up in a half empty because the guests had gone up to their rooms. If you provide something casual, then guests have the opportunity to opt in or out.. When I did my little activity, I just started with a couple of tables, within minutes I was being approached and being asked for the cards.....so obviously they needed something to do. Every wedding is very different....and so are the guests. What suits one may not suit another.

Hi all. Sorry to jump in now but just back from a midday wedding. I do agree that some people don't need entertaining, HOWEVER if you (like us) didnt know anyone else at the wedding there were an awful lot of 'lulls'. Didn't eat til 4.30 - which went on till 7! then there was another 1 1/2 gap before the barn dancing started (that was great)

Personally we want the lull after the meal so ceremony at 1pm, meal 2.30, so people can refresh, and exactly like us yesterday, met and made 'new friends' at the table and we filled the 'lull' together. We also intend to fill this time with a caricaturist, table games and quizzes, and possibly a photo wall. I think once people have been fed and watered they are much more inclined to entertain themselves, whereas I found it very hard controlling my growling stomach with a smile on my face and children around me moaning they want their lunch.

Thanks for all of your responses......

We just want to make sure there isn't a 'lull' - there is not accommodatio at our venues, and we just wanted to ensure that everyoe was having a great time. Which i know they will be, but it's just midday is such a early time for the ceremony and we wat people to have an amzing time.

I like the wine tasting idea - can ayone suggest a good compay that does this?