For those that had or are having votive placecards...

I am getting married and having my reception at the same venue.

Well, my hall told me that the only way that it will work for me to have the votive placecards is for them to set them out on the table in the cocktail hour room, unlit (guests have to walk through this room to get to the ceremony area), and then they will be lit while the ceremony happens. Guests will go back into the cocktail hour room after the ceremony, and the votive placecards will be lit during the entire cocktail hour.

Will guests know not to pick them up until they go into the reception? Will they stay lit throughout the cocktail hour and into the 4 hour reception??

I'm all worried about the logistics as to how this is going to work...

We are haiving our DOC light the candles about 5 minutes before the dinner reception as we were told that the holders get hot and they may not last the entire night.

Why can't they wait until after the CH to light them? It wont take all that long. If they don't want to light it can someone from your family do it?

Maybe you should get the EXACT candle that you will be using, light it and see how long it will stay lit, maybe you are worrying about nothing if it stays lit for a long time

Good luck and let us know how it works out!

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Posted by Angel2006

We are haiving our DOC light the candles about 5 minutes before the dinner reception as we were told that the holders get hot and they may not last the entire night.

Why can't they wait until after the CH to light them? It wont take all that long. If they don't want to light it can someone from your family do it?

Maybe you should get the EXACT candle that you will be using, light it and see how long it will stay lit, maybe you are worrying about nothing if it stays lit for a long time

Good luck and let us know how it works out!

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We don't want someone standing there lighting them while the guests are in the room during the cocktail hour....that is why the only option really is to have them lit during the ceremony, before the guests enter the cocktail hour room.

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Posted by johnsae

I am getting married and having my reception at the same venue.

Well, my hall told me that the only way that it will work for me to have the votive placecards is for them to set them out on the table in the cocktail hour room, unlit (guests have to walk through this room to get to the ceremony area), and then they will be lit while the ceremony happens. Guests will go back into the cocktail hour room after the ceremony, and the votive placecards will be lit during the entire cocktail hour.

Will guests know not to pick them up until they go into the reception? Will they stay lit throughout the cocktail hour and into the 4 hour reception??

I'm all worried about the logistics as to how this is going to work...

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I'm told that votives last for 4 - 5 hours once lit but you can buy 10 hour votives.

The set up of Capitale is such that the cocktail area is just as you enter off Bowery and then the dinner reception (and ceremony location) is at the back of the space with the dance floor at the front of the room. There is no need to have them lit through the entire cocktail hour but I can see why you would do that If they are not lit during the ceremony but rather after guests have come into the cocktail area, it would be kind of awkward to light them up after the fact. It loses some of the effect to have some stand there and light them.

Another option is to have the votives completely out of sight until just before the reception. Have the staff bring over the table of prelit votive placecards about 10 minutes before the cocktail hour ends. You can have them put the table in the coat check room. I doubt it will be cold in early May so the chances of coats actually being in that room are slim.

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Posted by johnsae

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Posted by Angel2006

We are haiving our DOC light the candles about 5 minutes before the dinner reception as we were told that the holders get hot and they may not last the entire night.

Why can't they wait until after the CH to light them? It wont take all that long. If they don't want to light it can someone from your family do it?

Maybe you should get the EXACT candle that you will be using, light it and see how long it will stay lit, maybe you are worrying about nothing if it stays lit for a long time

Good luck and let us know how it works out!

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We don't want someone standing there lighting them while the guests are in the room during the cocktail hour....that is why the only option really is to have them lit during the ceremony, before the guests enter the cocktail hour room.

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Can you have them at the entrance of the reception room? That's what we are doing. We are doing a mini-receiving line (just us and parents) at the end of the cocktail hour welcoming people into the reception room. Past the receiving line will be the votive candle table. The candles will be lit during the CH.

I don't know if that helps you.

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Posted by BlueTulip

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Posted by johnsae

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Posted by Angel2006

We are haiving our DOC light the candles about 5 minutes before the dinner reception as we were told that the holders get hot and they may not last the entire night.

Why can't they wait until after the CH to light them? It wont take all that long. If they don't want to light it can someone from your family do it?

Maybe you should get the EXACT candle that you will be using, light it and see how long it will stay lit, maybe you are worrying about nothing if it stays lit for a long time

Good luck and let us know how it works out!

---

We don't want someone standing there lighting them while the guests are in the room during the cocktail hour....that is why the only option really is to have them lit during the ceremony, before the guests enter the cocktail hour room.

---

Can you have them at the entrance of the reception room? That's what we are doing. We are doing a mini-receiving line (just us and parents) at the end of the cocktail hour welcoming people into the reception room. Past the receiving line will be the votive candle table. The candles will be lit during the CH.

I don't know if that helps you.

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That is a good idea, but I don't know if my hall is willing to do it like that...I have emailed them to ask. Thanks for the suggestion!

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Posted by johnsae

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Posted by BlueTulip

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Posted by johnsae

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Posted by Angel2006

We are haiving our DOC light the candles about 5 minutes before the dinner reception as we were told that the holders get hot and they may not last the entire night.

Why can't they wait until after the CH to light them? It wont take all that long. If they don't want to light it can someone from your family do it?

Maybe you should get the EXACT candle that you will be using, light it and see how long it will stay lit, maybe you are worrying about nothing if it stays lit for a long time

Good luck and let us know how it works out!

---

We don't want someone standing there lighting them while the guests are in the room during the cocktail hour....that is why the only option really is to have them lit during the ceremony, before the guests enter the cocktail hour room.

---

Can you have them at the entrance of the reception room? That's what we are doing. We are doing a mini-receiving line (just us and parents) at the end of the cocktail hour welcoming people into the reception room. Past the receiving line will be the votive candle table. The candles will be lit during the CH.

I don't know if that helps you.

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That is a good idea, but I don't know if my hall is willing to do it like that...I have emailed them to ask. Thanks for the suggestion!

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Happy to help and good luck!