Many times we see wedding couples ask for extended reception times, only to end up having 20 or so guests stay to the end. It’s easy to get caught up in what you want as a Bride, which of course is natural! It’s important to think of your wedding through the eyes of your guests. As a Bride, you might want to get married at 4:00 p.m., have photos taken after the ceremony, enjoy some of your cocktail hour (if you’re lucky), have your guests seated for bridal party introductions, wedding toasts and then dinner and dancing. As a guest, most have probably started getting ready around 2:00 p.m. that day, so by 10:00 p.m. some guests are toast and want to go home and get in bed. Here are a couple of alternatives for you to kick around. You might want to consider doing most of your photos ahead of time with a “first look”. Trust me, the Groom will still be in awe when he sees you walk down the aisle with all of your wedding guests admiring you. Doing a “first Look” allows you to enjoy every minute of your cocktail hour and your wedding reception. We’ve also seen a trend where the bulk of the toasts are done at the rehearsal dinner, where the words spoken are most meaningful to family. You can save the Best Man and Maid of Honor toasts for the wedding day if you’d like, but this will free up more time for your reception which goes by fast! An after party is a great way to keep the reception going at a controlled cost. At Gold Canyon Resort and Spa you’re able to take the after party to our bar (inside or outside) and order a late night snack like pizza or burgers to help with the munchies. This way you’re paying for only the guests who decide to tag along. The best part of course is being able to walk to your room!