[pac321]

The church where we are getting married is only available at 11:00 am, however we really want to have a late reception because of the sunset over the river and because we want to have a formal reception with a full meal, open bar, a dj and dancing. I understand it is rude to have a gap in between the ceremony and reception, but would it still be appropriate to have the reception we want at 1 or better to have a gap between?It's also important to note that the majority of our guest will be out of town.

This post has been edited by pac321: 18 June 2025 - 10:28 AM

[Etiquette Now]

Dear Pac,

Both wouldn't be the best. Dancing and drinking at 1 pm or even 3 pm might seem a bit out of place. And, making guests wait all day for the reception, especially when they are from out of town isn't nice. They wouldn't know what to do with themselves and would most likely be uncomfortable being dressed up all day and most of the night.

So, your options are to make your guests uncomfortable and stick with current plans; choose a different church; provide guests with activities during the time gap; or plan a less formal, earlier reception. There is probably other options as well, but I can't think of any. [unsure]

Good luck with the planning!