Intimate ceremony/reception ideas? How to fill gaps in time?

Guests do not go home, nap, sightsee or anything else during gaps in special occasion clothing, nor do they change into anything else. If the gap lasts longer than 1 hr maximum travel time to the reception, guests will bail on the ceremony and go straight to the reception to skip the entire day. If you feel bad about your guests being potentially upset then they likely will and you need to figure out how to alleviate it so there is nothing for guests to be upset/offended by.

As an example, I have Catholic relatives who are known for having to abide by strict ceremony times and they would be appalled at a gap of any kind longer than travel time.

A professional photographer will work with you to keep photo time to a minimum. That includes doing as many photos before the ceremony as possible.

Could your family head to dinner and you meet them there 30 minutes later? Then it’s almost like a cocktail hour.

You definitely can't have guests lingering around waiting on dinner to start. Is a small cocktail hour an option? Even if it's just sitting at the restaurant and having a few hors d'oeuvres and drinks for 30-45 minutes. If not, I don't think you have an option but to do pictures before the ceremony.

Would the family like to stay around for photos? We got photos with godparents and other family portraits after the ceremony. It’s really nice to have and I’ve sent copies for the family to have. My family doesn’t take many photos so we liked taking advantage of the opportunity! ❤️

I would have family stick around for photos and provide a very simple cocktail hour and seating while they wait. If it's a very small group, there might be somewhere in the church that you can do this

I think the only safe/polite option would be to take all photos prior to the ceremony.

Can you take your photos before the ceremony?