To think weddings should finish earlier?

[ThomasRichard]

I know it’s being a party pooper but seriously, everyone’s had enough by 10pm and is clock-watching to work out the earliest they can leave without being rude. I always stay to celebrate with the bridge & groom but am so ready to call it a night. Who genuinely wants to be up til midnight dancing awkwardly with the bride’s drunk uncle?

So boring
Luckily those days are behind me but if I was going to be up late dancing, it wouldn’t be at a wedding! The music is usually dire and the day often starts crazy early.

Feck you'd never survive an Irish wedding
2am finish them onto residence bar!!!

PS best wedding I have ever attended ended about 3am with singing around a guitar, problem was I had to go home (stupidly we didn't book a hotel as there's coaches throughout the night to London from Oxford) standing at the park and ride at 4am tipsy is no fun.

I’d rather they started later, I went to one recently where the ceremony was at 12 so guests had to be there for 11.30 and the reception went on past midnight so it was a long day. Much happier with a 2-3pm start, went to one once which was a 4pm start which was great as it meant we had plenty of time to get there and didn’t need to hotel stays, and nobody was worn out.

You'd never survive an Irish wedding OP. They usually go on until about 4am and there's always a few who'll see it out until about 6 the next morning.

10pm? We're not even getting started by then! The band are just about getting going and the DJ won't be on until about midnight. Around 10pm is only when the sandwiches and cocktail sausages put in an appearance

Surely you can just go if you want to ? Honestly, no one thinks it is odd to go as long as it is not before the ceremony ends !

My DD got married last year - married in same venue as reception, ceremony 2.30 , drinks and chatting with jazz, then meal,,speeches etc, then dancing and cake/cheese board. People left at various times , as expected - some directly after meal, some about 9, we left at 10,30 with most of the older generation, the couple left at 11.30, which coincided with the ( free ) bar shutting, then everyone was rounded up by 12, which was the end time set by the venue,

It was long enough - it had been a very long day for everyone, lots of talking, lots of drinking. If people wanted to have after parties elsewhere they could have done - this is London - but I would hate to think that anyone would have been hanging on, unhappily, because they felt they should for some reason.

I’ve been at weddings in remote hotels where you can be more ‘trapped’ - slope off, and let earplugs be your friend .

Theres no law you HAVE to stay to the end though, just like any party. If you want to leave at 10pm, make excuses real or made up proffer congrats and thanks, and then leave. It doesnt mean everyone else has to! It would be impolite (IMO) to turn up late to a wedding but i dont think theres any set rules on when you can leave although getting up to go in the middle of dinner or speeches might seem a tad rude.

I'm Irish too. I recently went to a wedding at 35 weeks pregnant with SPD and even then I was only getting going by 10.

I can just imagine the threads on here

'Was invited to an evening wedding reception. Bought a new outfit, bought a present, arranged a childminder & travelled 45 mins. Was really looking forward to it. We got there for 730pm and the wedding finished at 10pm. AIBU to feel cheated'

Just go home when you want don't spoil the fun for everyone else! Find English weddings all finish 'early' ie midnight. Irish weddings only get getting going by then!

I went to an English wedding once and thought something had happened when everyone started clearing out at 12:30! I thought there was a fire in the hotel or something.

@Joxer, great name. No need to ask which side of the Irish sea you're from

Mine finished at 12am as per the bar licence and the owner was having to round everyone up and push us out the door

No one was forced to stay that late though and I wouldn’t have been upset if anyone left earlier

Steve!

You need to go to an Italian wedding. Oh my days, we were on the umpteenth course of the wedding feast at midnight. It was fantastic, hotel had warned us not to eat too much breakfast. There was no dancing though as there was a tax on live music!

yo I’d be surprised if anyone could dance after all that food anyway!

You sound very middle aged.

Just leave if you don’t feel like staying, and unless you’re close family or best friend (or driver for a group of a people) the couple would be happy enough that you came for as long as you did...

The last wedding I was at was last summer in cork. I went to bed at 4am and left a singsong going on in an almost full bar and trust me, if I could have kept my eyes open I would have stayed longer.

Any wedding I have ever been to has ended up with a guitar and singing in the residents bar until at least 4 and for some it was nearer 6. You pay enough for the day that you need to make the most of it.

Mine will be starting at 2.30pm, finishing at 1am (Scotland). I'm sure most people will still be there at the end. That's quite normal here.

Midnight is about right imo. Finishing at 10PM far to early for evenig guests who may only arrived at 7 or 8PM

I think they should begin later! About 6.00pm, Fast ceremony....quick piccies....massive party with drink and food. Perfect.

10pm is crazy early!

The best weddings are all about a good knees up.

We got married at 1.30pm and left for our hotel at midnight. Apparently 80% of the guests decamped to the local late serving pub, including my parents. We got to the hotel and there was a wedding going on there and we got dragged in and had to sneak out at 3am.