Photo Credit: Intimate Weddings

Wedding Time Gap: How to Handle a Gap Between Your Ceremony & Reception

If you’re having your ceremony at a church or a different location than your wedding reception, a wedding time gap is inevitable. How long that gap is and how your fill the time will have a big effect on the happiness of your wedding guests. Did you know that the biggest complaint from wedding guests is often regarding a wedding time gap?

Photo Credit: Christine Tremoulet Photography

Especially with a church wedding ceremony, you may not have much say on what time your ceremony will be held. Churches often have multiple wedding ceremonies in one day, or don’t allow ceremonies in the evening. Try to make sure your ceremony and reception are no longer than 1.5 hours apart. If you are forced to have a lengthy wedding time gap, we suggest making this transition seamless for guests by offering a bus tour and transportation around your wedding town. Guests can enjoy the sightseeing and also not have to worry about transportation between your wedding locations. Another option is to offer snacks and drinks at your hotel or another easy to get to location for guests to pass the time. If it isn’t in your wedding budget to offer these time gap fillers, you should at least provide your guests with a list of activities to fill their time.

Photo Credit: Amy Rae Photography

If your wedding time gap is less than an hour, we suggest extending your cocktail hour to be 1.5hrs instead of an hour. A alternative option is to move your cocktail hour and dinner to an earlier time to allow an extended time for dancing and DJ music at your reception. Your wedding guests will surely be happy with this option!

Whichever option you choose, try to be considerate of your wedding guests’ time and happiness. In search of more wedding tips? Check out our other blog posts.