Blog - What time should your wedding reception finish?

Posted: Monday 29th August 2022 By: Andrew Broughton | Read Time = 2 mins Views: 1237

Most wedding receptions will finish at the time on the venue's music licence. Here's my suggestion on finishing your wedding reception with added style.

The time that most wedding receptions finish varies for different venues and I've found it's often around midnight. Some venues require the music to be off earlier, particularly those near residential areas. I've worked at some where the music has to end at 10.30pm.

Some venues can even offer a limited number of extensions to their usual finish time so that you can have extra time, usually at an additional cost.

When deciding what time your wedding reception will finish, as well as considering what time the venue has a licence until, I would recommend you consider how long your guests will be staying. I've been to many weddings when some of the guests start drifting off at 10pm and 11pm. Weddings can be long days and some people don't want to stay out late.

An alternative way to end your wedding reception is to finish the main party earlier and to enjoy a chilled out cocktail session for the remained of the evening. For example, finishing the main party at 11pm and then having an hour to chill out and chat with your friends and family.

Imagine having a great party through the evening leading to your final dance with everyone around you. Then you can have an hour chilling outside with your family and friends with some relaxing beats.

You could even arrange with the venue to have snacks provided, such as bacon rolls to compliment the cocktails. This would allow those who want an early night to drift off without missing the final dance and allow those wanting to stay the perfect atmosphere to chill out and reflect on what a great day it's been. And give your feet a rest.

The first step to planning your wedding will be to speak with your venue and find out what time their licence permits music until, then you can plan around that.

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