I'm getting married in 5 weeks time and I'm having a fanny flap about it all

[BatCrapCrazy]

The order of the day as suggested by the venue is:

1.30 church service.
2pm photos and make way to reception (10 minute drive).
3pm (ish) champers on arrival, guests can mingle or sit, canapés to be served at about 3.30 (they're very filling, mini cottage pies, mini burgers etc, 6 different canapés. Venue suggested them as cheaper alternative to sit down meal)
4pm- sit for speeches
5pm-7pm magician to mingle around tables
7pm evening guests arrive, live band to play (also have DJ for when band finishes) photo booth
7.30pm hog roast served followed by Icecream cart
Music until 12.30am

Does this sound ok?

Do your guest know that there is only light food until 7.30pm?

I also think that guests need to know that there is no sit down meal. Some might not eat canapés if expecting a meal soon iyswim. Then they would be starving.
Rest sounds lovely. Have a great day.

I'll be honest. I would be wondering what had happened to the food. Between 3pm and 7pm the only "structured" activity is the speeches, right? That's a long time for guests to just mingle.
I've been to weddings without a wedding breakfast before but they have all started much later in the day. Could you bring the hog roast forward a bit to just after the speeches and have the magician go round as people are collecting their food?
Otherwise make sure people know there will be no meal until 7 so they know to eat in advance. I really wouldn't rely on canapés to replace a meal.

5-7pm is an awfully long time to sit at a table and do nothing. Honestly, I'd be tempted to sneak out and get some dinner!

Don't forget for a church service at 1.30 most people will have been travelling over lunch time and won't have eaten. Unless the canapes are "starter" sized portions, I would be famished.

Is there an activity you could all do, or an open space to move in to for those two hours?

I'm not sure asking people to sit at tables from 4-7 with only speeches and a wandering magician somewhere in the room is great. I'd be wondering where the meal was! Let's face it, speeches are mainly for the bride and groom, whereas they're the bit the rest of the guests think of as the boring bit.

Sorry, posted too soon, meant to say hope it all goes well on the day!

I'm so glad you've all said all this because it's exactly what I've been thinking. MIL has persuaded DP that it all sounds great and I've been telling him for weeks people will be hungry and bored.
It's going to cost us another grand to do a sit down 3 course which we can afford so I think we should.
So it would be
1.30 church wedding
2pm pictures and back to reception
3pm drinks on arrival to be seated by 3.30pm (maybe have magician from 3-5pm)
3.30pm - 5pm meal
5pm - 6pm speeches
6pm -could have magician here until 8pm)
7pm evening guests arrive, band And DJ
Then maybe serve the hog roast about 9pm?

Your version is waaaaaaaaaay better.

Book it Danno!

Just do the hog roast earlier, and then if you feel your evening guests need something then serve cheese and biscuits, wedding cake etc. my pet hate is starving at a wedding, it also usually results in being very tipsy. Your second schedule would keep me happy too.

That sounds so much better.
Will you be having pictures taken at the reception venue? If you are you might be a bit squeezed for time.
At our wedding (all at same place) we had-
1-1.30pm Wedding service
1.30-3pm Pimms/canapés and photos
3pm Sit down meal and speeches
This went on til about 6 ish when we had mingling/chatting/drinking
7pm evening guest and band
Can't remember if it was 8 or 9 for evening buffet.
Music went on til about 1am.

Frankly, for only an extra grand, I'd be biting their arm off to book your version. Do it!

Now to twist DPs arm. Watch this space!

DPs in a flap about the money (we have just bought another house which needs work and he's just gone self employed and I earn pennies as a TA).
So here's what he suggested. Hog roast in place of 3 course meal at 3.30ish then finger buffet in evening (about 9pm). What do you lot think? X

I think people are still trying to look "glam" at 3:30 and I would be really uncomfortable eating a hog roast then

Also - as said up the thread - people will be hungry and it's an even longer time to wait until 3:30 for a hog roast

I think you have to provide a proper meal or understand if people slip off to have some food. I'm 24 weeks pregnant and I'd be keeling over with low blood sugar under the circumstances. I do take snacks in the car as have fainted before so would have to slope off to sit there and eat something which isn't very celebratory

I think that the sit down meal would be best option, followed by hog roast earlier, followed by original plan. I'm guessing contracts are signed and there is no option to ditch the magician to free up some cash for food?