How does this sound/ how can I save the budget!!

[Yuppie20]

Hi all,
So I'm trying to work out my wedding day and going round in circles. Wedding day booked next year in the summer.
Wedding ceremony and dinner all in one place with accommodation for everyone available if they wish to stay.
Rough idea is as follows,
3pm ceremony
3 30pm canapies/drinks (pop off for photos)
4pm magician sort of entertainment/ kids area with games etc and some adult games on the lawn maybe
5.30/ 6pm dinner to include speeches etc.
8pm cake cut
8.30pm flamenco dancers for entertainment. (30mins or so?)
10pm live music starts
11/12am midnight feast.
1am playlist for the last ones remaining.

I really want entertainment and there's nothing worse than people being bored or hungry but also the budgets taking a hit.
We are lucky the venue provides all the flowers and decor and table plans/ menus etc so don't have to worry about that. Also venue provides canapies/ drinks/ dinner and midnight feast so thats also taken care of. Don't need transport because I can get ready at the venue before the ceremony and partner really not fussed.
Photographer is really important as I'm big into Photography and I want some sunset photos which is about half 9, 10pm due to summer hours so that's added more cost . I just don't know where to compromise? Help? And big thanks!

Id have the live music start at 8 tbh. The kids may well be off to bed at 9 and they'd probably want to see a band.

I’m assuming you don’t have kids? I’d not be leaving my kids in a strange room in a strange place!

I'd do food at 10 if eating at 6

@Doidontimmm yes I do, he will be 4 at the time of the wedding! I know it sounds dodgy but it really isn't. The courtyard is a big rectangular shape with 3 walls of it made up of bedroom apartments, 2 ground floor rooms and 2 upstairs rooms. The courtyard will be set up in the evening with tables outside each set of rooms so people can sit and have a drink still if the kids go to bed but literally be sitting outside the room door. If people don't feel comfortable then I guess they can just go to the room with the kids but the option is there. Venue said they would close all the gates up so the only access out of the courtyard would be to go through the venue where everyone else would be but either way any kids leaving there door would be immediatley seen by said parent sitting outside it!

I don't want to burst your bubble, it is your wedding so you must do what you want. However I would be exhausted by this. Who is it all for? It sounds like you've been on one too many wedding sites and you've been sucked in to thinking you've got to provide the most memorable day with performance and entertainment . Consider simplifying, the guests will want a bit of down time. It all seems too much.

@DoubleYouOhEmAyEn
I really haven't.
It's tradition in my family to have Spanish dancers. That's literally the only entertainment and the rest of it seems like a normal order of service like other weddings. I'm not even sure if we will do cake cutting because it seems so forced and awkward and no one really cares tbh.
There's plenty of down time between ceremony and food and then after 9 it's do what you want for the night before bedtime. We are a really tight knit group of family and friends.
Where do you think it should be simplified?

That also sounded a bit cheeky which I didn't mean! I'm genuinely taking on board what everyone says and trying to adapt accordingly. I've just been to so many boring weddings these past few years and I really don't want that for ours. We want everyone to have a great memorable time!

Are the sunset photos just you and DP? If not it will really break up the flow of the evening gathering everyone together. If it is just the two of you, why not do the sunset pics on another day? You might be able to get that at a reduced cost as it would add to the photographer's portfolio and the venue might be interested for their own publicity material. It would be much more relaxed and not so rude to your guests as disappearing off mid-event

@Hathertonhariden great suggestion. Yes sunset photos were just for us, and realistically not a priority, I'm sure my makeup will be off my face and partner will be on the tipsy side by then too haha. The idea of doing it another day is really good and when I get round to choosing photographers I will certainly keep that in mind!! Thank you

@Hairyfriend

I agree that even in summer, it all seems to start so late. I know many people, esp with small children, would be leaving by 11-12! Unless the vast majority of guests are Spanish, or it will be held in Spain?

Start the music earlier and reduce the gap for photos. If you want sunset pics, why can't you start the music at 9pm and nip out afterwards to have those taken?

It’s so hard to balance. It would all be very early for a Spanish wedding, especially in summer. We had a relative try to change the time of our service because we’d booked 6pm and that was considered scandalously early.

@DaisyDozyDee yep in a nutshell lol. The majority of the guests will be irish though so we have to accommodate them mostly. I definitely prefer a later day myself but again I want the guests to be happy. Can't please them all!! Bar maybe a toddler or 2 I'd say all the kids will be up till midnight anyway.

I’d do music starting at 8:30 pm and have the Magician during the drinks and canapés after the ceremony. I would also reduce this to 1.5 hour instead of 2 hours - 2 hours is a lot of time for people to be milling about. A magician/flamingo dancer in this time slot would be much appreciated - after dinner people will just want to relax and dance themselves!

Important to get people to and dancing right after dinner otherwise they’ll get snoozy!