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Original poster

4pm wedding timeline?

54 replies

Wedding2024 · 03/07/2022 20:11

Does this timeline sound about right ? The reception is around 20 minutes away from the ceremony. Having around 80 guests. Not sure if the night will be to long with a 6pm start and 12 pm closure or if guests will get hungry later on with food 🤷‍♀️

Ceremony 4pm at church
Finished by 4.45
Photographs and chatting till 5.15 ish
Make way to wedding reception/Park up and welcome drinks 6pm
Food 6.30pm ( buffet )
7pm photobook and dj start
12pm bar closes

Anyone else's similar wedding start / timeline they would be happy to share appreciated

Thank you 😊

OP posts:
Original poster
Wedding2024 · 03/07/2022 20:11

Photobooth'

OP posts:
Dancingwithhyenas · 03/07/2022 20:18

Sounds great! I think 4pm weddings are fantastic. Plenty of time to get ready, travel, eat lunch (unlike awkward 2pm weddings) and then a meal provided in the evening. Wonderful. What’s not to like?

RomainingCalm · 03/07/2022 20:18

I think you're being optimistic that the photos will only take 30 mins. In my experience it's at least an hour and often longer depending on the number of group shots. Only you know what you're asking the photographer for but I'd factor in some contingency.

As a guest it's often the worst bit of a wedding just hanging about while the bride and groom seemingly disappear for hours!

picklemewalnuts · 03/07/2022 20:19

Have you checked the church can do 4pm? There's a limit, but I can't remember what it is.

It sounds like a nice timeline, though half an hour to get everyone out of church and photographed seems quite quick. There's a lot of milling about.

It takes forever to move 80 people. We struggled to get them all to our venue. Some nipped home to let the dog out/pulled over to wrap a gift and the other guests just followed them.

So allow time!

Cantthinkofadifferentname · 03/07/2022 20:19

I think 30 minutes might be tight for photos

VanCleefArpels · 03/07/2022 20:21

Depends on time of year - you have to say the vows before official lighting up time. This was an issue for us in a winter wedding, we had to bring it forward a bit to be legal! But in principal I think evening meal followed by dancing is the most civilised time to have a wedding

CaptainBeakyandhisband · 03/07/2022 20:23

We had a 3pm wedding and it worked well - I think 4pm is going to be quite tight with a venue change.

Gensola · 03/07/2022 20:28

I’m having a 530pm wedding but no venue change so
530 ceremony
6pm-7pm drinks
7-9pm - dinner
9-12 bar and dancing

Tippexy · 03/07/2022 20:29

12pm is midday. Please don’t put that on the invitations!

itsgettingweird · 03/07/2022 20:39

I much prefer a later wedding.

Can have a decent lunch, shower and dress and especially in summer you've past the hottest time of day and aren't sweating before you even get there!

Agree though you may need to revise your photo time slot but you do have 75 minutes between ending ceremony and welcome drinks for a 20 minute journey so there may be enough buffer time.

Getoffmyshoes · 03/07/2022 20:48

In all honesty, 80 guests outside a church and then moving on to the reception is going to be pretty chaotic!

I would try and do the buffet a bit later if I were you, the norm is wedding breakfast about 4.30 and evening supper about 9/10 to soak up the booze! 4/5 hours of drinking is a lot with no more food.

Original poster
Wedding2024 · 03/07/2022 21:17

Thank you everyone that replied 😬 I'll add more time on for photos. I was hoping having a buffet would mean it's out for a couple hours for people to pick on later on in the evening. On the church of England website it says 8 am to 6pm you can be married from what I can remember . The wedding would be in May I've emailed the church to check this but still waiting on a reply at the minute. And yes sorry not 12pm my bad 😂

OP posts:
picklemewalnuts · 03/07/2022 21:37

Perhaps plan to top up the buffet, or serve puddings, later on?

Doidontimmm · 04/07/2022 16:37

We just had a 4pm wedding with 30 guests and no venue change. Photos took an hour and we sat down to eat at around 6.15 but then speeches etc we didn’t actually eat until 7pm (afternoon tea!), buffet came out at 9.30 but people were still stuffed but still made a good effort!

Id say more 7pm for your food, just so you can let people know. We had drinks & canopies after the photos.

SaltandPepper22 · 04/07/2022 19:09

I am also considering a 4pm wedding although ours will be all in one place.
Realistically we won’t eat until at least 6pm I shouldn’t think more likely 6:30. I also on the fence about an evening buffet - it feels so unnecessary after a big dinner with no evening guests!

We will be having pudding and also cake though so part of me thinks if we break for speeches before pudding and cut the cake so everyone can have some around 9pm that should be enough?

I agree about the photos though. All the faffing about photographers do you will be lucky for it to take 30 minutes.

SaltandPepper22 · 04/07/2022 19:14

Also I’ve just realised you are only allowing your guests 30 minutes to eat? I don’t think this is long enough especially if there is pudding/speeches in the mix

PragmaticWench · 04/07/2022 19:40

I think people eating will take an hour and a half. It'll probably take 45 minutes to get everyone a plate of food.

Like the idea of savoury buffet then a table of puddings a couple of hours later.

I like a ceremony later in the day, so much nicer than the midday timing as people can have lunch then get ready.

RandomQuest · 04/07/2022 19:50

We had a 4pm ceremony which was roughly 45 minutes, then we put on a bus to the reception venue where canapés + cocktails + champagne were served whilst we did photos, dinner at 6.30pm which was a buffet but a very big one with multiple stations to avoid a rush, the dancing started at 7.30pm with a band, DJ was later on.

Isonthecase · 04/07/2022 19:55

Definitely send your guests on to the reception and have drinks and nibbles ready there, nothing else than milling around waiting for photos which, realistically, no one actually cares about other than you. Basically the trick to a good wedding is keeping people regularly fed and watered!

newtb · 04/07/2022 20:04

From memory, was a chorister, I'd allow an hour for the service.

airconohyes · 04/07/2022 20:13

Are you expecting people to have eaten by 7? We had 110 at our wedding, and a carvery. There were two serving stations, and it took 20 minutes to get everyone served. I was at one wedding where it was 40 minutes...... We also had dessert, which added more time - I think the meal alone took an hour.

I'm also an ex-chorister; weddings where I grew up took 30 minutes; they had to as we had up to 5 on a Saturday in the summer (on the hour every hour; it was quite lucrative!). My own church wedding took an hour, and I've known some be longer (those with a lot of music) So check with whoever's taking yours.

Hope you have a wonderful day!

FinallyHere · 04/07/2022 20:22

This is absolutely standard, so nothing wrong as such, though as PP have pointed out 30mins for photos might work if there was someone to marshal who is to be in which photo.

One wedding stood out for me because they did the group photo with everyone at the reception.

People were told about this and everyone not in the bridal party was encouraged to make their way to the reception, where drinks and canapés were served.

Might not work for you but it really did stand out as attention to the comfort of the guests, who would otherwise just be hanging around for photos.

If you want a group shot of everyone at the church, maybe start with that and then release them to the reception venue.

jackstini · 04/07/2022 20:22

Do you want all your pics at the church or some at reception venue?

Church service was about 50 mins for us - 2 readings, 3 hymns. We did just 20 mins of pics at church, including confetti, then moved on - when we got to the reception we served welcome drinks/canapés so everyone could drink and chat whilst other pics were being taken

If you ask your photographer to also include shots of families that you will be able to send them later it's a nice gesture and people are happier about pics. Or take only a few posed and do most reportage

Then bbq, then wedding cake served up later

girlsyearapart · 04/07/2022 20:25

Been a long time so I can’t remember the actual timeline but we got married in May at 4pm and I wish we’d started at 3 ..

millymae · 04/07/2022 20:42

Family member had what was called a twilight wedding and it was just the best, mainly because there was no waiting around.
The ceremony took place at 5.00pm to which everyone was invited and afterwards there were canapés and drinks served whilst photographs were done. There was what I would call a top of the range hot buffet served at 7 where everyone helped themselves but sat at tables to a plan which circled the dance floor Speeches and cake were done at the end of this and the wedding cake which was a fresh fruit and cream confection was served as dessert, The band discreetly set up whilst cheese, coffee etc was served and dancing followed.
It was a wedding that suited all ages because there were plenty of areas in the hotel where guests that just wanted to chat could sit and actually hear themselves speak