OM's - did your evening guests arrive earlier than the time you stated?

Hiya

Most guests tend to arrive during the half hour after the "start time" on the invites, very few arrive early in our experience ?

Ali x

I didn't have separate evening guests, but as a rule, I'd normally arrive around half an hour after the start time on an evening invitation.

This. I wouldn't ever think it was a specific time to show up.

Yeah I reckon people turned up in the hour after the time. Some bang on the start time, others later.

This is why we had our first dance an hour after the evening invitation time.

We've put 7:30pm as I fully expect people to arrive at 8pm. If they're early, fine (the bar will be open) but I never arrive at the exact time. Normally like everyone else, about a half hour later.

We put 7:30 and although I wasn't particularly paying attention to the clock I think most people were there by the time we finished speeches at 7:40.

Had it been clear on any invitation that there was an "event" happening at a specific time, I would arrive at the time stated.

"Speeches at 7:30, evening reception to follow" would have been clear to me that I should be there for 7:30 pm.

7:30 on the invites, most arrived between 7:30 and 8 x

No, speeches started just after 7ish and over-ran. Everyone was just there at the time we put.

We would be there on the time stated or early but that's because, if you give my OH a time, he will be there at that time. I expect people to be later than the time but equally I'm not going to hang around to do things waiting for people to arrive.

We went to a wedding the other week and the speeches were still going on when we got there, that was a pain.

I honestly have no idea what time it was when our evening guests started arriving! We said 7.30, I think more or less everyone was there by our first dance at 8.30pm. When we went to a reception recently it said 7pm but we didn't get there til nearly 8 and there were lots of people arriving much later than us.

I think some of my work colleagues and Mum's friends came early, as the disco was setting up when they arrived. We were just mooching/having photos in the bar, so it wasn't a problem

Thank you all. I was worrying if I put 7 as say the time on the invites they might arrive really early so before we'd finished the wedding breakfast. I think I'll leave it as 7 for everything to start after 7.30