Minchah and Maariv at the Wedding Meal

Minchah and Maariv at the Wedding Meal

We may not begin a seudah gedolah (a big meal), for example, a wedding or sheva brachos, within the designated time for tefillah (prayer), including up to a half-hour before the zman (predetermined time for Jewish ritual). It is therefore customary to arrange a minyan (prayer quorum) in loco before beginning the meal—Mincha, when the celebration takes place in the afternoon, and Ma’ariv, for an evening occasion.

What if the meal begins well before the cutoff time for tefillah, but extends past the zman? In that situation, it is proper to interrupt when the time comes to daven and to form an impromptu minyan. Since people tend to forget about this practice, it would be good for those participants who are aware of it to take the lead in organizing the appropriate minyanim.

One way to circumvent the need for setting up a minyan on location, according to come opinions, is to appoint a shomer (guardian), one who is not partaking of the meal, to remind the participants not to forget their obligation to daven (pray) at the proper time.

https://halacha2go.com?number=648

Practical Halacha: One minute a day. By Horav Yosef Yeshaya Braun, shlita, Mara D'asra and member of the Badatz of Crown Heights.