Reception Question

[Keira1387]

Hi Ladies, I hope you can help me! We are having our reception at the GF. I hear that they allow 4 hours for your reception in addition to your pre-recpetion which is another hour. Will they give you any breaks if you want it to be shorter? I was thinking three hours would be long enough for us, especially because their will not be any alcohol served at the wedding. Thank you in advance!

 

[lurkyloo]

You can make it any length you want! Our reception is 3 hours, and our cocktail hour is 30 minutes (we're taking photos before the ceremony). It cuts down on drink costs, too!

Another tip - see if the menu you choose has any appetizers or crudites that they could serve during your cocktail hour, instead of paying for separate cocktail-hour food. I'm saving $$ that way!

P.S. We're not serving alcohol either - our so-called "cocktail hour" is all sodas and juice....

 

[Rora]

Lurkyloo, my fiance and i don't want to have alchol at our wedding but we've been getting a lot of grief about not having a bar. Have you encountered this? If so how have you dealt with it? You can PM me if its easier! Thanks.

 

[Keira1387]

You can make it any length you want! Our reception is 3 hours, and our cocktail hour is 30 minutes (we're taking photos before the ceremony). It cuts down on drink costs, too!

Another tip - see if the menu you choose has any appetizers or crudites that they could serve during your cocktail hour, instead of paying for separate cocktail-hour food. I'm saving $$ that way!

P.S. We're not serving alcohol either - our so-called "cocktail hour" is all sodas and juice....

Thanks! That's a great tip! Those are the ideas that I'm looking for! Keep them coming!

 

[autumnbride2B]

If some of your guests are really complaining about you not serving alcohol at the reception you could have a cash bar. The guests who choose do drink can buy their own and those who don't want to drink can have the juice and soda or whatever you are providing. Some people think cash bars are tackey, but it is one way to let people drink, but not pay for it yourself.

 

[lurkyloo]

Lurkyloo, my fiance and i don't want to have alchol at our wedding but we've been getting a lot of grief about not having a bar. Have you encountered this? If so how have you dealt with it? You can PM me if its easier! Thanks.

One thing that helps us is that we're having brunch, so most guests would not do much drinking anyway.

So far no one has said boo to us about it (although they may not even know what they're in for!), but we wouldn't care if they did. We don't drink and we do not want alcohol at our wedding. My family doesn't drink for religious reasons, and DF's family just isn't that into alcohol, so I think most of our guests will understand.

If you also feel this way, I say put your foot down! It's your wedding, and guests should be able to go a couple hours without booze. Plus, it saves a ton of money!

 

[JonetteA]

You pay for "X" amount of time. You can shorten it, but it won't shorten your costs. We did a brunch because it was cheaper and had the DJ. While Leif and I were taking the "finishing" pictures, our guests were at the reception having sodas, etc. and filling out the pages from guestbook.com.

It was a great activity and they did not have to wait for us.

 

[caryndisneydiva]

You pay for "X" amount of time. You can shorten it, but it won't shorten your costs. We did a brunch because it was cheaper and had the DJ. While Leif and I were taking the "finishing" pictures, our guests were at the reception having sodas, etc. and filling out the pages from guestbook.com.

It was a great activity and they did not have to wait for us.

we're doing the same thing, though i did shorten our reception to three hours. i also got the pages from guestbook.com and they are so adorable, i couldn't be happier with them! as far as alcohol goes, i could do without it, but my family and friends would probably kill me. i don't plan on drinking (there is NOTHING tackier than a drunk bride), but my friends will...

 

[Skylarr29]

I think it would be best to completely skip the bar than to have a cash bar. Sorry but cash bars are sooooo tacky, I think it would be much nicer to just not have the bar.

 

[Keira1387]

You pay for "X" amount of time. You can shorten it, but it won't shorten your costs. We did a brunch because it was cheaper and had the DJ. While Leif and I were taking the "finishing" pictures, our guests were at the reception having sodas, etc. and filling out the pages from guestbook.com.

It was a great activity and they did not have to wait for us.

Jonette, I read your PJ and it gave me so many great ideas!
We almost did a brunch, but our wedding isn't until 12:30 so I think it would be too late. Also, I think we are having a pianoist instead of a DJ, so I don't think there will be alot of dancing which is why I think we should make it 3 hours. I tried looking up guestbook.com and couldn't find anything? could you tell me what it is? Thank you so much.

 

[JonetteA]

Kendra,

I am glad you got some ideas. Please feel free to use any and all of them. I have been to a reception in the Whitehall room and it was lovely! I know you will have a great event there. Quite honestly, we chose the morning wedding due to the cost/ location we were having, and of course the fact that we knew that no one would drink that much. Since we knew no one would drink that much, we stuck to sodas, water and juice. Worked out perfectly and no one complained. Sorry, I gave you the wrong web address. It is guestbookstore.com. It is a great thing and alot of fun. We had the signature frame for the ceremony though. Also, just one more lessoned learned, make sure that you have someone that will push the pages to guests and make them fill them out. If the guests don't know they are there they won't fill it out. The kids LOVED doing this. I got markers from Michael's the crayola kind and used those!