We split our picture taking, so that we had the reveal moment as well. We did me, my family and attendatents, then we disappeared, and then Robb (photographer) did the groom, his family and attendants. Afterwords, we did the bride and groom with the attendants, and the families. We had Hugh (our pastor) make an announcement (at least we meant to) that everyone related to the bride and groom to please stay after the ceremony for pictures. Then Robb built the photos...bride and groom plus parents, then parents and siblings, then parents and sibs and grandparents, then all those plus the entire extended family. He did this once for the groom's side and once for the bride's. Then we sent the family away and the bride and groom did their pics plus the attendants. It worked well. What I would recommend is a specific list of photos you want to get, worked out beforehand with you, Mark, and your photographer. We also gave Robb a time limit, or a specific time we wanted to be out of there after the ceremony was over (I gave him an hour, I think, and we made sure the list for the after photos were realistic, timing-wise). We took just over an hour for photos.
We also didn't do a receiving line, but we had a special reason.....Dad was still in the hospital, and my sister and mom had to get back to be with him, and we didn't really have time for the receiving line. We thanked everyone after the ceremony (Hugh announced that we wanted to say a few words) and I think everyone understood. I think that if you make sure to talk to everyone during the reception, either you or Mark or both, you are fine without a receiving line. It did seem to make the reception a bit more hectic than it would have been, but I preferred to have no line.
The other option I have heard of is the bride and groom dismissing the guests from the church by rows, thanking them at that time.
Linds' comment are very good and smart.....you are fine starting the reception as a cocktail hour about thirty minutes after the end of the ceremony...that way your guests don't have to figure out something to do during any down time. Then they aren't bored while you are taking pictures. I was told that everyone had basically just gotten to the reception site and looking around and talking to everyone and getting drinks and finding tables by the time Austin and I got there. We even had a driver take us there, and he drove around for a while first.
Thank you, both of you, for your suggestions. We hashed it out at dinner, and tentatively decided on a 3:00 wedding, with receiving line, and a 4:30 start to the cocktail hour. Our hope is that we can be present for at least half the cocktail hour (the hors d'oeuvres promise to be awesome and I want some).
I'm hoping that between the receiving line and general milling about (and we'd like to do a dramatic exit from the church with people throwing things at us), there won't be a lot of downtime between the end of the ceremony and the start of the cocktail hour. And if I'm wrong, they can always take the historical tour.
Other good news is that my dad conceded that the room Mark and I want is the one we should book, rather than the one he likes better. I am very relieved not to be having that battle. Also, we talked to our pastor today, so we have someone to marry us (who is awesomer than the hors d'oeuvres promise to be).
It's all happening so fast all of a sudden. I'm scared... well, excited AND scared. In the best way possible.
We also didn't do a receiving line, but we had a special reason.....Dad was still in the hospital, and my sister and mom had to get back to be with him, and we didn't really have time for the receiving line. We thanked everyone after the ceremony (Hugh announced that we wanted to say a few words) and I think everyone understood. I think that if you make sure to talk to everyone during the reception, either you or Mark or both, you are fine without a receiving line. It did seem to make the reception a bit more hectic than it would have been, but I preferred to have no line.
The other option I have heard of is the bride and groom dismissing the guests from the church by rows, thanking them at that time.
Linds' comment are very good and smart.....you are fine starting the reception as a cocktail hour about thirty minutes after the end of the ceremony...that way your guests don't have to figure out something to do during any down time. Then they aren't bored while you are taking pictures. I was told that everyone had basically just gotten to the reception site and looking around and talking to everyone and getting drinks and finding tables by the time Austin and I got there. We even had a driver take us there, and he drove around for a while first.
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I'm hoping that between the receiving line and general milling about (and we'd like to do a dramatic exit from the church with people throwing things at us), there won't be a lot of downtime between the end of the ceremony and the start of the cocktail hour. And if I'm wrong, they can always take the historical tour.
Other good news is that my dad conceded that the room Mark and I want is the one we should book, rather than the one he likes better. I am very relieved not to be having that battle. Also, we talked to our pastor today, so we have someone to marry us (who is awesomer than the hors d'oeuvres promise to be).
It's all happening so fast all of a sudden. I'm scared... well, excited AND scared. In the best way possible.
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