Is it in Cincinnati? That’s my hometown and all weddings are scheduled like this (and if so the botanical garden is a great spot) - I’ve always worn the same dress but change shoes and accessories and makeup in between. Usually there’s an “activity” with others to kill the time and you don’t really just go sit alone at your hotel.

This is what I am used to... Noon weddings are followed by a luncheon. Afternoon weddings are followed by cocktail hour and dinner.

Anonymous wrote:Yes, that's what you are expected to do. I don't know who these people are who don't understand that. Sometimes posts like this make it clear that the ladies pretending to be super wealthy are totally faking it. A true society woman would be aware of this.

Don't make poor planning a class issue

Yes, that's what you are expected to do. I don't know who these people are who don't understand that. Sometimes posts like this make it clear that the ladies pretending to be super wealthy are totally faking it. A true society woman would be aware of this.

Anonymous wrote:It's called the Catholic gap.

I didn't realize people got to adulthood unaware of this. The church needs to be open for Saturday evening services, so weddings have to be wrapped up early.

Having gone to catholic college, the gap is when we'd all go to get a few drinks. If you were in the wedding, you'd go take pictures in different places and have a snack.

I am Catholic and went to a Catholic college and had a Catholic wedding mass. I have never had this experience. It has always been from the church right to the reception. I went to college in the DC area and had my wedding in my hometown in New York.

We went to a wedding where many people at the church that wore what I would refer to as nice workout clothes. We were traveling for the wedding and there was a few hours between the church and the reception so we went to the local bar. (We were much younger)When we went to the reception, we didn’t even recognize most of the people because they looked totally different in their dress up clothes.
My husband and I still get a laugh when we talk about this wedding.

It's called the Catholic gap.

I didn't realize people got to adulthood unaware of this. The church needs to be open for Saturday evening services, so weddings have to be wrapped up early.

Having gone to catholic college, the gap is when we'd all go to get a few drinks. If you were in the wedding, you'd go take pictures in different places and have a snack.

I would, but you don’t have to.

Anonymous wrote:I'm sure the DCUM elites will drag me for this, but this was the norm in my Midwestern Catholic community. You wore daytime attire to the church and cocktail attire to the reception (if you were local and had time to change).

+1 I wore my cocktail attire to a similarly scheduled wedding in my husband’s home town, and I looked ridiculous. There were people in jeans! Lol. Everyone else changed during the lag time between.

Yes it is fine to change if you want, and unless you’re close to the family, no one is going to notice.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't go. That time lag is egregious.

The norm if Catholic

That's not the norm. I'm Catholic and it's true our weddings are in the afternoon but they aren't at noon. 2:30, usually. And they last an hour so they just go right into the reception (it just starts earlier).

OP: I'm Catholic too and this is a Catholic wedding. The only time they could get for the wedding was noon. Possibly there was another later wedding already scheduled. The wedding will probably last an hour but that still leaves 4 1/2 hours until the reception.

Yes! Change into something more comfortable and fun for the reception. No etiquette or fashion rules will be broken.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't go. That time lag is egregious.

The norm if Catholic

That's not the norm. I'm Catholic and it's true our weddings are in the afternoon but they aren't at noon. 2:30, usually. And they last an hour so they just go right into the reception (it just starts earlier).

OP: I'm Catholic too and this is a Catholic wedding. The only time they could get for the wedding was noon. Possibly there was another later wedding already scheduled. The wedding will probably last an hour but that still leaves 4 1/2 hours until the reception.

You will want to change in between and your inclination regarding what to wear is correct.

Most people don't change but it's common to wear a shawl or something similar over your dress for the church ceremony. You don't want to show too much skin in church.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't go. That time lag is egregious.

The norm if Catholic

That's not the norm. I'm Catholic and it's true our weddings are in the afternoon but they aren't at noon. 2:30, usually. And they last an hour so they just go right into the reception (it just starts earlier).