what is the lastest you would attend a wedding? (and not expect dinner)?

Question

What is the latest time of day you would attend a wedding? (and not expect dinner) I am helping a friend, and she has said neither family has the money to pay for dinner for the 100+ guests they are planning on inviting. She wants to have a cocktail party type reception with drinks and appetizers and then cake with some varied passed desserts. So once again I ask, what is the latest you would attend a wedding (and not expect dinner)

would after dinner hours be too late for a wedding?

Answer 1

you can do it any time as long as you state on the reception card that it is a cocktail and desert reception!

Answer 2

For what she's planning, it needs to either be late, with the ceremony starting around 7:30 or 8, or be very early. Make sure she indicates on the reception card that this is a cocktails and cake reception, and people won't expect food. However, her reception must be very short (2 hours at the most). Most weddings, from ceremony to the end of the reception, last six or more hours, and that's much too long for an event without a dinner.

Answer 3

I guess my expectations for having a dinner would be not so much based on the time of the event, but instead what's stated on the invitation.

Under normal circumstances, I'd probably expect a meal if the ceremony started between 4:00 and 6:00. That said, if the ceremony started at 6:00, and the invitation stated "cocktail reception to follow", I'd be very comfortable having dinner by myself beforehand, and would look forward to some adult-type entertainment afterward.

It sounds as if you're not keen on her idea...If it's possible, try to get her to lean toward more savory appetizers. The cake should be plenty of dessert, and no one would want to see the guests go into diabetic shock! More appetizers might make it feel more like "dinner on your feet", for those guests who didn't dine on their own.

Answer 4

Have an early afternoon wedding...maybe 1:30...that way the wedding would be done by 2:30 at the latest...cocktails and appetizer reception from 3:00 to maybe 7:00...then the guests can still get supper at a reasonable hour.

Answer 5

Have a afternoon wedding around 1 or 2 is the best but 3 will work also but put on invites that appetizers will be available at the reception so that people will not expect a dinner.

Answer 6

If you do a cocktail reception you should do it in the afternoon and everyone should be going home by 4:30 and a cocktail reception is an abreviated recption, people wouldnt want to stay for 4 hours without some sort of real food. So you would want to make it 1 1/2-2 hrs.

Answer 7

If someone plans a party during meal times (lunch 11-2 or dinner 5-8pm) than it's reasonable for people to expect a meal.
A cocktail party is generally 2 hours long and people are free to drop in within those 2 hours at any time. It's held sometime between 6pm-10pm so if she's not going to serve real food, make sure people know it.

Answer 8

difficult. if they are all attending the ceremony then 5.00 would be the latest for the start of the reception for me.

An after dinner reception could be at 8.00 until 10.00. i am not sure what guests would do in between the ceremony and reception though particularly out of town guests.

It is probably best to have it all over and done before 7 so people can make it back home for dinner.

good luck!

Answer 9

I think a late evening wedding like 8PM would be best for people to have already eaten their evening meal. Also, it would be important to mark the invitations to say a cocktail party to honor the couple will follow the ceremony. The late hour plus the cocktail party wording should clue people in.

Answer 10

7 pm is prime time to have the ceremony, and the cocktail hour right after that. you can have trays of munchies around, but since most people have eaten by then, a full course meal isnt required. I would attend a 7 or 8 to be honest. (unless it is a Catholic wedding and then the latest i would go would be noon so we can be done earlier- they go long).

Answer 11

5ish? I think past that and its supper time, even then and people won't stay long because they will be hungry and want real food so they will leave....mines at 6 and we are doing a buffet, however in the south, that is highly common to just have heavy appetizers and cake and punch, I can't remember the last one I went to that actually had a meal....I am highly different for having one, so it can be pulled off, but the ideal time for it in my opinion would be 2 or 3 in the afternoon!