Wedding Day schedule/times - midday ceremony

Your timings look spot on. But I don't quite understand why the photographer needs them so early. The evening food time will be dependant on the length of time of the bands first session ( if they are doing sessions) which depends on the end of the day time. I find that most people set the evening food around 9 pm.

Just about every wedding I have photographed the first dance falls between 7.30 and 8.30 with evening food around 9-9.30 and the evening food break is usually only about 30 mins

Hi,

What time is your evening finishing? Depending on your bands style/ set lengths I always suggest a later start for the 1st set.

With evening guests arriving at 7pm not many will be ready to party at 8pm...

Go for food at 8.30pm and then get the party going at 9.30pm. That way your guests will eat, drink and get in the photobooth before the crazy dancefloor action!

James

Thank you both, that's really helpful!

The band can be pretty flexible - it's my brother's band, so they'll basically play when I want them 2. Probably between 2-3 hours with a break in between. We're probably going to do the first dance to a song through the PA system, then go straight into the band.

The venue is licensed until 11:30pm, so we've yet to decide if we'll have the band playing up to the last minute or finish with a playlist - probably the latter, so the guys have time to pack their kit up, and they do indie/rock covers, so we can finish with some cheese!

It's good to know that later food is acceptable, I didn't want to keep people waiting too long between the reception meal!

Thanks again, you've both been really helpful!

As your evening is until 11.30 I would say that your times are good - first dance PA at 7.50 then straight into the bands first set until 9pm for food. Then speak to your Bro about what sets he could do between 9.30 and 11.30.

Thinking about the food time including the ice cream van remember that your day guests will still be eating at 5 pm so to 9pm is only 4 hours.

What I have seen if - say the evening people arrive at 7 and the first dance is not until 8.30 then they are gagging to get on the dance floor and people are dancing before the bride and groom do their first dance - which is sort of the first dance of the night and marks the start of the evening do.

But depending on how many eve guests you have it can be good to have a nice 1.5 hours with the evening guests to mingle and chat but as your eve ends at 11.30 then I think you need to get on with the "party" ASAP so I would suggest that you keep the band to play at 8.00 but tell the eve guests that the eve starts at 6.30, that way you get 1.5 hours from 5 to 6.30 to chill and then 1.50 hours from 6.30 to 7.50-8 mingling with your eve guests

Thanks Bill, that's really helpful.

We'll probably have a playlist on in the background until the band starts, and hopefully it will be nice weather, so people can hang out in the gardens whilst they set up.

Thinking about it, I might get bro to do an acoustic set in the garden - he loves any excuse to play!

Thanks again

Cool ! sounds like its going to be great.