How late should a Sunday evening reception run?

Wedding receptions held on Sunday evenings without a holiday the following day should end at around 11 p.m. Guests who traveled from far away to attend your wedding probably took Monday off from work anyway, so they won’t have to rush to get home. For the people who did drive to your wedding, however, they might be able to make it home a little after 1 a.m., which is reasonable for waking up for work the next morning.

For a Sunday-night reception favor idea, hand out bags of bagels for guests to eat the following morning. You can add jams, cream cheese, or any other popular toppings in personalized jars. Work with a baker (or even your cake baker) to have the bagels made in the evening so they’ll be fresh the next morning. Sep 01, 2009