We have been entertaining at weddings for a long time and now and again, we are asked to perform at a wedding reception until 1 am.
We are the first to say we love a great party and, like many, don’t want it to end but, in our experience of over 25 years, we apply the following policy and encourage our clients not to extend their reception to 1 am.
All of our packages are designed to finish at midnight and, not that we think 1 am is completely out of the question, we have reasons for saying 12. Overall, all good things must come to an end, and how this is done is extremely important.
After all, a final dance of a wedding reception is as important as the first!
Before we start, let us mention starting times. We have had clients message to say that their guests arrive at 7 pm or 7.30 pm and have asked if this is when we start. We can only get into setup when your wedding breakfast finishes (unless we can get access beforehand or an area set aside for us to use). It takes 45 minutes to an hour to setup and ideally, the best time for a first dance is 8 pm.
Why midnight is the best time to complete the wedding reception.
Firstly, some of your guests will have been with you since early morning. While it will seem to be the shortest day of the happy couple’s lives, for everyone else it can overall be a long, tiring day.
People of a certain generation may find it difficult to envisage staying on until the early hours of the following day. It is often much more realistic to suggest a midnight finish.
Some of the guests have young families, often they have to relieve a babysitter at home. This is an additional cost to a guest on top of their outfits, wedding presents, hair, makeup etc.
The most important factor, YOU have been on the go since the break of dawn. Your hair and make-up would have been started as early as 7 or 8 am and although adrenaline and excitement have been keeping you going all day, come midnight, you really will be ready to relax.
A lot of weddings are now taking place midweek so a good percentage of your guests will have work the following day, children to pick up from childminders or are just ready for going home.
Some entertainers will not perform for an extended period.
Many bands/DJs or other entertainers will not encourage a very late finish for the reasons above and charge significantly more for doing so. If the entertainers truly know what they are doing, they will regularly suggest a “less is more” approach based on their experience.
Your reception should ideally finish on a “high” with as many guests as possible there to share it with you. From the point of view of a couple’s future memories, this is of paramount importance.
It is far better for a couple to remember their reception for who was there, rather than who wasn’t.
“…but you don’t know our crowd.”
Some will have a different outlook. Often we hear the words “you don’t know our crowd” which is true. What we do have is the vast experience of human nature in these situations.
Others have their own reasons for a 1 or even 2 am finish. For example, a venue will encourage a late finish purely to “line their own pockets” i.e. sell alcohol for as long as possible. This may seem brutal but it is ultimately true.
However, if the bar is still open between midnight and 1, this can actually be a very memorable hour where you see your guests off, perhaps have a final drink and take a few moments to review the day which has passed.
At a wedding recently, the couple insisted on a 1 am finish and although we passed our thoughts on to them about this, they were adamant they wanted a 1 finish.
Here are the photos of the night at midnight compared to 1 am.
Doubtlessly, it will have been the best day of your life. This will help ensure the best memories last the longest.
We always say it’s better to finish with a bang than a fizzle.