If you had a gap between your wedding and reception

lollitots

What did you do with your guests? Seriously, I have only been to two weddings ever with a longer gap (2 plus hours) after the end of the ceremony and the start of the reception. I'm wondering if it is a regional thing and what did your guests do...especially out of towners...while waiting. Did you set something up for them? It didn't even occur to me not to have my reception immediatly after the ceremony even though the church dictated that we would get married early in the day (even though I really wanted an evening/night reception). Is this common in other parts of the country?

firefightersgal

I've been to a couple of Catholic weddings with a big gap between the ceremony and reception.  They guests weren't given anything to do, so we were left to entertain ourselves.  Of course, the weddings were in tiny towns with no source of entertainment.

skippy2310

It's pretty common here, at least for all the weddings I've been to it is. Our wedding was at 2, over around 3, and our reception started at 5. Most of our oot guests went back to their hotels and hung out around there. I know a few people went to the Arch and on the AB Brewery tour bc the hotel was downtown.

MayorMcCheese000

The only weddings I have been to with a gap are Catholic weddings. People in the wedding generally do pictures doing the time, the guests usually go to someone's house or a bar for cocktails.

ali-1411

Our wedding only had about an hour in between.  I don't know what people did.  We went to the bar

Its pretty common for there to be several hours in between, especially if its a Catholic ceremony as those tend to be earlier in the day.  Lots of people will go to the ceremony in regular church clothes then go back home to change for the reception.  But if you live too far away then you're screwed.  Find a bar to hang out in.

august06mom

It's common here, and I hate it. Most of the time we just find a bar. It's usually a real PITA, especially when the reception is 45+ minutes from the church (also common here).

Jodi&Joe

My SIL had an early morning Catholic ceremony.

And then had a pre-reception (4 hours long, open bar, served hor deuvers (sp)?, etc).

Then had a 4 hour reception. So she filled the time between the ceremony and the reception with yet another reception.  Open bar for 8 hours.  Joe was cut off at the wedding!  Of course he was!  LOL

Cost her parents a freaking mint!

Most people, in my experience, that have a gap like this either do nothing OR invite guests back to a house party with light snacks (fruit, veggies, etc) and beer/wine/soda.

eclaires

My brother's wedding (Catholic) had a gap.  Not sure what the bride's family did, if anything, but all of my family's guests were from out of town and staying at the same hotel.  My mom had beer and wine in one of the rooms there, with some snacks while people were waiting for the shuttle to start to the reception.

Heidisean

We got married at 1 the church was over at 2:30 and the reception was at 5. My mother had a small get together for the immediate family (parents, aunts, uncles and 1st cousins) at her house with light appetizers and some drinks. But honestly, they all stayed for pictures until about 3:15 at the church and then they had to leave 1 hour later for the reception. So there is really only 1 hour between where the bride, groom and wedding party go somewhere for outdoor pictures. Also the reception was 30 minutes away from the church. Usually, only very close family and friends come to the church and the rest only come to the reception.

AggieCouple

With a Catholic wedding, you can't have a ceremony on Saturday after 4:00, because mass after 4:00 is considered Sunday mass (in the Jewish tradition, the next day starts at sundown of the current day, so Sunday starts at sundown on Saturday... I don't know why they, Catholic or Jewish, decided 4:00 is sundown though).  So the latest you could have a mass is at 3:00.  And, Vietnamese people would DIE of horror if they were served anything less than a full dinner for the reception, so for Catholic Vietnamese people, you will always have at least a bit of split.  For us, our church was booked even 1-1/2 years in advance, and the only slot was at 11:00, so there was a huge gap.  Mass ended around noon, and the reception was at 6:00.

It did confuse one couple, who showed up right after the ceremony.  I felt terrible about it, but really, it was stated pretty clearly on the reception card. If the reception was immediately following, you don't even normally have a separate reception invitation.

veloelle

Last time we attended a split wedding, we got lost in downtown Detroit, had lunch at macaroni grill, took a nap and sat around. Nothing was planned for the guests. My sister had a Catholic wedding and a daytime reception. Is it regional to have to have a night reception?

jlw2505

I have been to/been in weddings in MI and MN that had long gaps and nothing was every planned for the guests.  At the ones I was in, we were taking pics.  At the ones I was not in, we stopped at a bar on the way from to the other location.  My one SIL had her ceremony and reception at different locations but the reception started about 20-30 mins after the ceremony ended so it was planned that guests could leave the ceremony location and drive and the reception was started by the time they got there.  I personally love when everything is held at the same location and the cocktail hour/reception starts as soon as the ceremony ends!