NEED YOUR OPINION.... About My Cocktail Hour Start Time

I am getting married on a Sunday night in the summer.

As of now the cocktail hour is at 6 and the reception ends at 11.

We are thinking about moving the cocktail hour to 6:30- meaning the reception would end at 11:30 so we have more time for pictures...

The ceremony is at 3:30 East Northport. Do you think we will have enough time if Cocktails are at 6 or should we move it to 6:30.

My concerns are:

If we do 6:30 it pushes it back to 11:30 for a Sunday night... Is that too late... we have an amazing dessert cafe and I dont want guests to walk out during it...

If we do 6:00 we wont have a ton of time for pictures and guests wont have much time in between the church and reception to go home and change.

What do you think?

Re: Cocktail Hour Start Time

It depends I guess on how far the guests have to travel between ceremony and reception. I wouldn't sacrifice picture-time, but 1/2 hour isn't a lot...

Re: Cocktail Hour Start Time

Any possibility of making the ceremony for 3PM?

Re: Cocktail Hour Start Time

Listen - you only get to do this ONCE. Your chances and time for pictures is extremely limited and precious. Don't worry about the desert cart, there will be some guests that will leave during that anyway. TAKE YOUR PICTURES!

Re: Cocktail Hour Start Time

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Posted by JimmysBride

Listen - you only get to do this ONCE. Your chances and time for pictures is extremely limited and precious. Don't worry about the desert cart, there will be some guests that will leave during that anyway. TAKE YOUR PICTURES!

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I totally agree!

Re: Cocktail Hour Start Time

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Posted by WedHead

Any possibility of making the ceremony for 3PM?

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No- the church says the ceremony can only be at 3:30.

Re: Cocktail Hour Start Time

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Posted by busybee705

It depends I guess on how far the guests have to travel between ceremony and reception. I wouldn't sacrifice picture-time, but 1/2 hour isn't a lot...

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The ceremony is in East Northport and the Reception is in Bethpage at the Carlyle. It is about a 20 minute drive- maybe 30 with traffic

Re: Cocktail Hour Start Time

Ending at 11:30 instead of 11 isn't that big of a difference. I say change the cocktail hour so you have more time for pictures. You only get to do this once, and pictures are so important!

Re: Cocktail Hour Start Time

do what works for YOU...no big difference between it ending at 11 & 11:30...I am doing a 6:30 start to allow for all my photos to be done so we can enjoy the cocktail hour.

Re: NEED YOUR OPINION.... About My Cocktail Hour Start Time

i definitely agree with most people about it not being that much of a diff btwn 11 and 1130. If that extra half hour will give you the extra time needed for those pictures, than I agree that you should push your CH back until 630.

Re: NEED YOUR OPINION.... About My Cocktail Hour Start Time

Thanks girls... with 11 ending I feel people can get home and be in bed by 12.... with an 11:30 ending I guess it's the same thing.... The Carlyle is centerally located to everything..... both Nassau, Suffolk and the City.

Re: NEED YOUR OPINION.... About My Cocktail Hour Start Time

i agree that you only do this once..but i wouldnt want to miss my cocktail hour either..if anything im sure your church will move the time to earlier..mine is also on a sunday night..and i changed my time to 2pm..and my reception is at 6:30 ..i made sure im NOT going to miss my cocktail hour..especially since im throwing this party

Re: NEED YOUR OPINION.... About My Cocktail Hour Start Time

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Posted by Bride2005

Thanks girls... with 11 ending I feel people can get home and be in bed by 12.... with an 11:30 ending I guess it's the same thing.... The Carlyle is centerally located to everything..... both Nassau, Suffolk and the City.

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trust me ......ITS A WEDDING!! ...the most important people to you will be there..NO MATTER WHAT!! and will be more than happy to be there..who cares if your grandparents friend harriet leaves early ..thats JMO

Re: NEED YOUR OPINION.... About My Cocktail Hour Start Time

I think it doens't make too much foi a difference 6 or 6:30. See if your hall will have something out for guests when they arrive if theya rrive early. I also know that my hall will start the cocktail hour early (and still end it on time) if a lot of guests show up early

Re: NEED YOUR OPINION.... About My Cocktail Hour Start Time

I think it depends on what is more important to you, having the half hour for photos, or not having people leave early. My wedding was Sunday at 3:30, we had a full mass and the CH started at 6pm. We had about a 20 minute ride to the hall and I think we did have enough time for photos and made it to most of the CH. BUT...I only had a MOH and BM and no parents or grandparents, so my photos probably took less time than other people's.

The 2 problems we had were it was getting dark (which you won't have to worry about) and that we took family photos at the hall and my brother and his family were MIA for a while, so we ended up waiting for them. If you are taking a lot of family photos, I would suggest doing it at the church before everyone goes their seperate ways. Also, even though my reception ended at 11:00, I still had people leaving early, some because they had a long drive home, some because they were older and starting to feel poorly, some because they are just fuddy-duddies (and they are not old either!). So, I guess what I am saying is that either way, some people will leave early (I am guessing even at daytime weddings some people leave early...) I would get the photos in and not worry about who is going to leave early because regardless of how you plan it, you can't control that.

Re: NEED YOUR OPINION.... About My Cocktail Hour Start Time

I suggest giving yourself the extra half an hour, to get pics in, in case there's traffic, whatever...

Re: NEED YOUR OPINION.... About My Cocktail Hour Start Time

I don't see much of a difference if it ends at 11 or 11:30. If it gives you some more time to take pics and then enjoy your CH, then go for it!

Re: NEED YOUR OPINION.... About My Cocktail Hour Start Time

You have to go with the pictures. If people want to leave at 11 that's what they're gonna do. It is kinda late for a Sunday night but a 1/2 hour doesn't really make that much of a difference.

Re: NEED YOUR OPINION.... About My Cocktail Hour Start Time

I am getting married at 3:30pm in East Northport and my CH starts at 6:30 and reception ends at 11:30 and my wedding is on a Sunday. I figure some people might leave early but who cares, those that really want to be there will stay and besides I want plenty of time to take pics in between and make it to my CH. I would say start it at 6:30.

Re: NEED YOUR OPINION.... About My Cocktail Hour Start Time

6 pm