Q. Due to our church’s time restrictions, our ceremony will begin in the early afternoon, but our reception won’t start until the early evening. How do we keep our guests entertained in the meantime?
A. While many modern couples host their ceremony and reception at the same venue, there’s no reason a change of scenery between the events can’t be a delightful experience for your guests. Simply be mindful of the amount of down time, and how your guests might best use it.
“To be honest, I think our clients might overthink this,” says Amy Fuerstenberg, wedding planner and co-owner of Mi Mi Design. “If there is a gap, make sure it’s significant or else guests will head right over to the reception site. We suggest a two- to three-hour gap, so guests do have the downtime to go do something fun.” Consider providing a welcome gift in guests’ hotel rooms with suggestions for local activities, and restaurants or bars that guests might visit.