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Original poster

3pm or 11am wedding?

14 replies

PiperG · 05/01/2011 20:39

We are planning to get married this summer and currently have the registry office booked for 3pm, with the reception to follow from 4.30ish. I'm worried now though that this is too late in the day - we have two children (under 5) and there will be up to 30 (argh!) other children there (also mostly under 5). Is this a completely daft idea, to have a wedding mid-afternoon, with a reception starting just at the time that children are getting tired/hungry/fractious? We'll obviously cater for them really well (the reception is going to be in my parents' house - we'll have food for them when the reception starts/lots of activities - possibly an entertainer of some sort), but still, I wonder if it would be better to have a wedding that runs over lunchtime instead. Ideally I like the idea of it running into the evening, with supper and dancing etc, but then you have a lot of exhausted kids (and parents goo I guess) and need somewhere for the kids to crash. I am thinking 11am ceremony may be better with a reception throughout the afternoon that finishes early eve. Any thoughts welcome!

OP posts:
activate · 05/01/2011 20:42

3pm

kids who need it can have nap before

ask parents to give them a snack before they come so they're not hungry

sorted

get nannies for the reception (maybe an entertainer) but definitely some childcarers and a separate room for them to be in if they want

mathanxiety · 05/01/2011 20:46

I'd say the opposite - 11 am. That way you can have lunch for the guests afterwards and maybe a nap room for any children as Activate says so parents can relax. I would think 3 pm would be bang in the middle of the napping hours and there might be some very cranky children at the ceremony as a result. There's no natural mealtime after a 3 pm wedding either.

mathanxiety · 05/01/2011 20:48

Sorry, got cut off - if you have en evening event too, then you have a little time to catch your breath between the end of the day thing and the start of the dancing, etc.

Hassled · 05/01/2011 20:56

3pm. Then there's a more obvious cut off/"go home now please" point. 11am is just too much time to fill before bedtime/evening shenanigans. If small children are knackered by 6 or 7 then their parents can take them home - can you organise someone yourself who will have your DCs in the evening?

PorkChopSter · 05/01/2011 21:12

3pm. Any children arrive having eaten large lunch and had nap if needed. Then ceremony, early tea (5-5.30), then people can leave for good or to get the kids to bed before starting the grown up party.

11am means 1pm lunch at the soonest, my children would be starving and knackered at that point.

mazzystartled · 05/01/2011 21:17

3pm without a doubt.
4.30 is kind of early tea time for kids so its good timing. Starting at 11am is a hell of a long day for everyone, even adults, especially for the bride and groom, and everyone will be dead on their feet by the evening do. And it gives you more time to get ready, and more time for people who may be travelling to get there.

mazzystartled · 05/01/2011 21:20

Ooh and at my friends wedding last year they had booked to artist/playworker types who brought their own huge bell tent and set up arts and craft activities for the children to do and organised games for them. It was totally fantastic, lots better than a "show" type entertainer, more mellow and all the kids could find something that they wanted to do. My kids still talk about it.

WilfShelf · 05/01/2011 21:21

I vote 3pm also for all the reasons above. Kids can cope with a bit of a later evening and can nap in the buggy. Large crowds will distract them somewhat. The problem with 11am is most kids will be starving by the time you get round to food, and the parents will be fretting whereas 3pm leads in nicely to teatime...

Most kids can crash in a corner or a pushchair quite happily. Or they can go home!

Original poster
PiperG · 05/01/2011 21:24

Thanks all! Am glad it sounds as if 3pm is not totally insane - that is the time I prefer ... mazzystartled you don't know the name of the artists who came to your friend's wedding, do you? They sound amazing ... I do think we need someone like that, something more mellow than a full-on entertainer.

OP posts:
WilfShelf · 05/01/2011 21:30

See if I were a guest at such a wedding, here's what I'd do with a 3pm wedding and littlies - I'd get ready early, give the kids lunch just before we were leaving then drive round for ages so they all sleep in the car. They'd all arrive happy and refreshed and be able to stay up a bit later...

elphabadefiesgravity · 05/01/2011 21:44

3pm. 11am would be a nightmare over lunctime with young children. I would have to take food in my handbag to keep them going wheras 3pm they would have had a good lunch and could eat anytime between 4.30pm - 5.30pm

queenrollo · 05/01/2011 22:03

3pm for all the above reasons.

having said that ours is at 11.15am. it was £150 more to get married in the afternoonShock and we just wanted the basic ceremony which meant it had to be a morning service. bit different for us though as it's a very small do with just a buffet in a pub after. DS is 5, two of the younger children attending are staying at our house with their parents (our witnesses), two live locally and the others three are teenagers. Once the buffet is done we'll end up back at home and just chill out here.

rubyrubyruby · 26/01/2011 16:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Doyouthinktheysaurus · 26/01/2011 16:39

3pm definitely.

The children can have lunch and a nap before the wedding, you only have to feed people once...

The day is shorter and less hanging about filling time IMO.

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