And that way the guests don't really have to sit thru 45 minutes of the nikah either.
That's an unfortunate attitude. The nikkah is technically the main event...the whole point of those 1-2 weeks of prewedding festivities. If the guests can sit through 2 hours of poorly choreographed bollywood dances by all your cousins and friends at the mehndi, I think they can sit through your 20 minute long ceremony.
Also...45 mins for a nikkah? In my experience its a 10-15 khutbah and a 5 minute ceremony...