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How long will your RECEPTION last?

Hi...
My ceremony starts at 4:30 and that will prolly be a good 30-45 mins. then cocktail hour is from 5:00-5:30 then the guest will be seating...the all the rest is from 6pm-12am....i wanted to make sure we had party time after all the wedding stuff like first dance, cake, toast...
But i am sure that you can make sure you get everything done and you can have party time. For me that is too short for my wedding!

6-12!! that's what I'm talking about! thats great!! you wont feel rushed and you will have plenty of time to get everything done and than let loose and party!!
I really want to add atleast another hour!! but then it is like 250 extra dollars and then i'd have to pay for open bar another hour.. or I could make the last hour cash bar..
I don't know!!..

break it down and you'll get a better idea of how long everything will last : give about 20min per course (you might have a 3 course meal you might have 10..), 5-10 minutes for when the party enters/clapping/introductions, about 5 min per speech, 15 for cake cutting (or less), 5 min for the first dance, 5 for father daughter dance...and then whatevers left would be dancing/garter/bouquet toss.

Ours is 4:00-ceremony starts
4:30 it ends....cocktail hour is from then until 6:00
6:00 people hustle into the reception place, party introduced
dinner at 6:30 (after first dance)
speeches are done between courses once that's all finishedit's cake cutting, father daughter dance and then rest of the night is dancing for everyone with a break at 10:30 for garter and bouquet toss and more dancing/drinking until 1:00am or shortly before.


But time yours out, you might find you'll have plenty of time, if not you'll at least get a better idea of what to do....good luck!:)

Our package included a total of 5 hours (1 hour for cocktails and 4 for dinner and dancing). We ended up paying for an extra hour although our wedding on a Sunday.

You can always have cash bar for the last hour. I am only doing $1500.00 for open bar and after that is spent then it's open bar. I can't afford to have open bar the whole wedding.
Also yea you can time everything and see what you are working with and if you still feel you want to get the extra hour do it...it will be worth it!

LOL...Oh I meant to write cash bar after the $1500.00 is spent...I get all cookoo with this wedding stuff!! :)

LOL.. me too!!!
well the package we got open bar is included for 4 hours!! soo thats nice!!
I guess we will see!! FH doesn't think we should spend the 400$ for an extra hour, but I do!! I mean we are spending all this money for this special day.. what an extra 400 buck to enjoy the last hour just having fun and not worrying about all the other stuff!

Our ceremony is at 3 and will be about a half hour to 45 minutes. Cocktail hour at the hall is from  5:30 - 6:30. From 6:30 - 1am dinner, dancing and all the other stuff in between!

I think that 5 hours is long enough for a reception. But I have seen some that last as long 9 hours. If you have open bar, people will stay longer. And if your friends are in their 20's they will stay longer too.  It's a once-in-a-lifetime party, so everyone wants to make it last!

That sounds about right..

Our total time is 5 1/2 hrs..

Ceremony starts at 5pm
Cocktail hour~530-630pm
Reception~630-1030pm (Havent really decided on the breakdown of whats going to happen at certain times)