Timeline Tips For Your Day At Hope’s Way Wedding Venue

Your Wedding Day

Here is an example timeline often used at Hope’s Way for a full-sized wedding with a larger bridal partY

9aM

Bridal party arrives for hair & make-up

1:30-2

H/MU finishing up

2-3:30

1st look, pre-ceremony photos

2:30

HW begins loft turnover for events w/ add'l guest tables here, photos taking place elsewhere

3:30-4

Bride returns inside prior to guests arrival

4:30-5

Ceremony, including processional & recessional

5:00

Reception cocktail hour / post ceremony photos with bridal party & family

6-10

Rest of reception: this will total 5 hrs reception time for guests, in addition to arriving earlier & attending your ceremony. At sunset, bride & groom slip out a few minutes for golden hour photos.

10

Amplified music ends (zoning). Bridal couple send-off, or other form of end-of-event acknowledgement usually occurring between 10-10:15 transitioning guests for their exit as they finish up drinks & conversations, make Uber arrangements, etc. For those hosting an intimate single day event, this is their decor & belongings clearing time.

11pm

Lessee & all guests exited property by 11p (zoning). 

Ceremony Timing ALTERNATIVES

If preferred at 5:00pm or later:

A “first look” allows fresh photos to be taken prior to ceremony, resulting in higher quality portraits. This also permits couples to join reception sooner following the ceremony, still enjoying 4 hours of reception with their guests. 

A later ceremony start can still work within this time frame when all your family photos are completed prior to your ceremony, or when hosting a smaller wedding.

We’ve also hosted early afternoon ceremonies at Hope’s Way!

Keep In Mind

Wedding receptions with SMALLer guest counts...

flow through reception activities more quickly. 

a First Look...

Provides couples the precious opportunity to enjoy special, quiet moments together before the rest of your day &  night fly by with reception activities & your guests all around. A time to treasure, privately with each other, what this long awaited day means to them. 

Maybe more importantly, a first look (or touch) helps dissipate so much of your overwhelming nervous energy, allowing you to be more present & fully connected with each other during the ceremony, rather than juggling remembering what you’re supposed to do & say when you first see each other - with everyone watching!

Powerful emotions, including tears, still happen during the ceremony, just not the mind-fogging, jittery ones as much!

If you plan Parents & Grandparents Photos...

as part of your pre-ceremony photos, this shortens your photo session immediately after the ceremony. 

A Privately Owned Cincinnati Venue FOR WEDDINGS 

4177 Amelia Olive Branch Rd.
Batavia, OH 45103

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