Critique our timings!

[Confused19831983]

Not entirely sure why I am asking this as too late to change really!
Anyway, here is our wedding schedule:
3pm - drinks (free) and snacks
4.30pm - ceremony
5.30pm - 6.30pm drinks (free) and musician (set to be chilled hits from 60s and 70s) - terrace area overlooking sea on what is set to be lovely day weather wise
6.30pm - speeches
7pm - food (buffet)
8.30pm - cake cutting
9pm - disco with DJ / have taken requests from friends. Tried to have a mix of music that will get people dancing.
Buffet available all night and cash behind bar.
Thoughts?
Worried about people being bored / hungry !!
No seating plan.

Sounds lovely

if there’s no set seating plan and you’ve got more than say 40/50, maybe have a few appointed people to ring the gong / usher into seats at 4:20, as your ceremony is the only thing on a fixed schedule?

IMO speeches can nicely lead into cake cutting as you’ve got people’s attention so maybe if people are having a nice time on terrace move the speeches back a bit?

But whatever you do will be joyous - congratulations and have a great day!

Thank you so much @AbzMoz
Definitely a good idea to get some guests to usher people across to the ceremony. Am hoping my mum will do this!
See what you mean about cake cutting. Will have a think about this ☺️

This sounds great! Hope you have a fantastic day!

Do you really need drinks before the ceremony?

It sounds great. If I'm being super critical 90 mins is an unusually long time between arrival and ceremony, and personally I wouldn't particularly expect drinks and snacks before the ceremony (contrary to the typical MNetter at a wedding who is parched and starving unless fed at 5 minutes intervals) and I'd rather a little more time to enjoy a snack and drink on the lovely terrace with music, particularly presumably as bride and groom will be able to join and enjoy that bit with guests rather than being hidden away. Also are you having formal/group photos and if so will that take up all the time after the ceremony (takes way longer and is more faffy and annoying than you think, particularly for b&g as they have to be in virtually every pic so can't just wander off)?

I guess it's too late to make your ceremony any earlier but can you make sure the ceremony really does start at 4.30 on the dot - how is the set up, will people pass through a drinks and snacks area before being ushered through to the ceremony room? If so maybe brief your ushers to start encouraging people to finish drinks and snacks at 4 so that they're moving through by 4.15 and all seated and ready for b&g entrances at 4.25?

Looks excellent.

I’d go food speeches personally. If people are hungry they will just be counting down to when the speeches are over. Or I would split the speeches one before one after etc

Thank you so much@NoctuaAthene
Unfortunately, we don’t get access to the reception venue (right opposite church) until 5.30pm so wouldn’t really work to have the ceremony any earlier.
The drinks ahead of the ceremony are a very short walk from the church and you are right it definitely makes sense for ushers to start moving people at 4pm ish for strict 4.30pm start!
And, yes, people seem to react strongly when not enough food and drink has been provided so have that in mind!
If we hadn’t arranged the drinks at 3pm I think people would have got together for that purpose anyway but possibly in smaller groups as a lot have travelled and thought it would be nice to organise something.
I am most concerned about the hour before speeches on terrace but hopefully people will enjoy this part, especially amid sunny weather ☀️🤞

@ConnieHeartProbably not, but thought it would be nice for people to come together, especially given service not until 4.30pm.

Also to add, drinks are from 3pm so guests can turn up whenever they like

I went to a wedding a couple of weeks ago where it was free drinks for an hour before the wedding and a couple of hours after- by the time the time we sat down to eat, people were pretty sloshed.

How substantial are the snacks?

I wouldn't have drink before the ceremony. The registrar/priest will not want to conduct a legal ceremony with drink taken by attendees.

Sounds absolutely grand.

Drinks before the ceremony is far from unusual.

I wouldn't do drinks before ceremony, it'll be harder to move everyone over. Food before speeches, then everyone is already paying attention to lead into the cake cutting. I'm personally a big fan of seating plans, assuming there are enough seats for everyone? Don't have to identify actual seats but just a list of people per table. Particularly for those guests who don't know many others

Sounds lovely!
Will there be an indoor area before and after the ceremony for people to access toilets/shelter from rain/shade from sun (depending on weather!), also will there be chairs? Some people will find standing for all that time difficult.
Hope you have a wonderful day