Anyone doing this? How much does it typically cost to extend the evening by maybe a 1/2 hour?
februarybride
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Re: Extending reception end time?
I don't really know how much it costs, but you have to keep in mind that it won't be just the catering hall that will need to be extended. You'll need to extend the band/dj... Video/Photo possibly.... which added up may get kind of costly. Good luck
jvs77
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It depends on the catering hall.
My hall charges $4pp for an extra half hour and $6pp for an extra hour.
KelOct04
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My reception is at Villa Lombardi's and we added an extra hour onto the reception. The cocktail hour is from 6:30-7:30 and the reception is from 7:30-12:30am. We also added vienese, so w/ the extra hour + vienese it was $16.00pp. I am not 100%, I can look at my contract if you need me to. Hope this helps! KELLY 10*01*04
Nora101004
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Another option is to have an 'after party' invite people to a house and just have hang out, you can get hero's or a cake or beer or nothing, just to spend time with people you don't see as often. My sis did that and we are going to also. Extending the reception can be expensive.
jtngs
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I think it depends on the hall. My hall said $5 a person extra for the hour but then you also need to talk to your photographer and video and DJ and see what there charge is. Can you tell we have been thinking of this also? Best of luck!
Charly
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Every hall is different...but when I was looking for reception halls an average quote was something like $7 per person per half hour. So it can add up - and as Februarybride mentioned the band, photo, etc. may also have a charge. Also keep in mind this is only an option if you are having an evening wedding.
Kelly9904
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My hall is $5 per person. We are thinking of doing this but wont decide until that day! We figured we would just see how things go and if everyone is having a really good time and doesnt seem to be ready to leave we will extend an hour. But if we do this, IMO, I dont think its necessary to keep our photographer there as well! So we would just pay I think its 150 for the DJ.
JimmysBride
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For my Engagement Party at Chateau La Mer, they quoted me $4pp for an extra hour. It varies from site to site (and obviously if it's a wedding or not) hope this helps!
jennyg
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Hi Girly-
Did you get my emails with the wedding pics?
I think you already know this, but we extended our wedding for an hour by having Atlantica keep the cafe/bar open after the reception. It was cash bar at that point but it was great because they had music playing (even asked us what kind of music we preferred) and we didn't have to pay an extra $1k to keep the band playing!
I was just at a wedding this past weekend and dinner went so long that they extanded 1/2 an hour. They cleared it with the reception hall and then the band. You can always decide that day when Pete is feeling like money is no object!!
Or another option is to find a bar close by to move the party to. This is the leats expensive way to keep it all going.
kdelace
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Most catering halls extend for an hour. In my contract, it is written that if we want to extend it would be $1200. I wanted to but I think 5 hours is enough and we are all staying at a hotel 5 minutes away.
kelly6273
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We had a six hour wedding (extended one hour). It was only $3 more per person. TOTALLY worth it!!!
butterfly20
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my hall is $3. pp for an extra hour
J.Lo24
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for 120 people an extra 1/2 hour for us is about $500. We are still thinking about it.
Jenny5150
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Ours was $4 per person to add an extra hour. We did it and then extended our cocktail hour to an hour and a half, which meant more food!
My DH was married once before, so he knew how fast time flies on your wedding day. He encouraged me to do it and I'm so glad we did!!!
(Edited to update the cost. Spoke with DH for the correct amount. )
curly2003
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My wedding was so friggin good (LOL!!!!) that as a gift to us our bridal party extended it the extra hour. It was soooooooooooooo worth it. I think it was $5 pp.
hampsteadha
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Does the bar stay open for the extra hour????
almostmarried
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I really want to do this but the banquet manager at the club we are getting married at said not to extend the cocktail hour which was my preference. I noticed at a wedding I went to last weekend that so many people leave once the cake is cut so if you are extending it - just be mindful of this and maybe cut the cake late.
I am also interested in this but don't know how to communicate to guests that it is not over in 4 hours? I'm afraid they will assume it is 4 hours and leave (which is why I thought of extending the cocktail hour)
If anyone has done this - please tell us all what worked and didn't work.
Jenny5150
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The bar stayed open until the end of the reception for us.
Our catering manager encouraged us to extend the cocktail hour, for the fact that you get more for your money: food and booze.
Our wedding went from 5pm until 11pm. All the guests stayed until 10pm, then they started drifitng out. BUT...many of our guests arrived at the reception just after 4pm (we went early to do photos, but the guests followed anyway). Our reception location began serving them right away, so in theory, we had a 2 and half cocktail hour and our reception went from 4pm to 11pm.
curly2003
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My reception was 9- 1am but extended until 2:30 am. 85% of my guest were STILL there. The DJ made an annpuncement.
