Wait Can Be Hard On Guests

Illawarra Mercury

Tuesday October 18, 2005

MICHELLE TYDD

THE modern wedding can be glamorous and exciting, but now it can often be a chore for guests who are forced to endure huge time gaps between ceremony and reception.

The wedding photo outside the church which took minutes is a thing of the past with hours now invested in what often can only be described as a production.

Photographers defend their part in this as just one of the facets that add to the huge delays which at times keep guests waiting for three to even four hours.

Have bridal couples become a little inconsiderate of the people who traipse hundreds, sometimes thousands of kilometres to attend the big day or should they be allowed their day in the sun?

Marriage celebrant Trish Vezgoff tries to avoid this problem by issuing couples with tips on streamlining weddings for maximum results.

"Weddings are all about love between two people and sharing their union with family and friends," Ms Vezgoff said.

Cranking it up into a full-blown production had resulted in this rather negative feature, she said.

"I always advise people to try to contain the ceremony and reception at the one place or at least very close," Ms Vezgoff said.

"When the gaps is too large, often males will disappear to the closest watering hole and if there is a major televised sporting fixture on that day, they have been known not to return.

"Often people have driven many kilometres to get to the wedding and then having to fill in hours between ceremony and reception can be very fatiguing.

"For the elderly it's even more a chore."

Thirroul celebrant Barbara Dent said she's finding the best way around this gap problem is for couples to have photographs before the wedding so they can then sit back and relax with guests after the ceremony.

"More couples are doing this now because often they have lived together for a number of years and sighting the bride before the ceremony is not such a big deal."

Photographer Mark Bruinenberg says he normally asks for between one and a half to two hours including local travel time which he believes is not excessive.

He said people should not point the finger at photographers because there were a number of factors involved in the extended break.

"Sometimes it's because couples can't get the church time they want because the timeslot is taken.

"Other times it's because they want the wedding at one end of the Illawarra and the reception at the other."

He agreed the gap could be reduced significantly by taking the photos before the wedding, but it depended on the couple.

He said some couples did not want to be robbed of the moment when bride and groom see each other for the first time at opposite ends of the aisle.

Mr Bruinenberg believes at the end of the day it was the bride and groom's day.

"This is a great region and I'm sure many would love the chance to go for a walk or grab a coffee," he said.

Jennifer Todd, who married in September said she and husband Scott timed their break for three hours.

"We had four or five picture locations, and we also had to feed our baby and put him to bed," she said.

"Most of the guests went back to my mother-in-law's place for sandwiches and started drinking there before they went on to the reception.

Asked if she felt her guests were put out at all by the break, she said: "I don't think so, we only had 50 guests and they didn't seem to mind."

- MICHELE TYDD

Tell us what you think. Write to Wedding Directory, Illawarra Mercury, 21 Auburn St, Wollongong, 2500. Or email mtydd@illawarramercury.com.au

© 2005 Illawarra Mercury

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