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Weddings

Evening wedding?

14 replies

xjasminex · 28/12/2016 13:22

Was thinking of having an evening wedding, perhaps around 6ish? Any thoughts.. to late?

OP posts:
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smEGGnogg · 28/12/2016 13:25

In England and Wales you have to be married before 6pm. Marriages can be registered up to 5:59pm.

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Pancakeflipper · 28/12/2016 13:27

I personally love an evening wedding.
If it suits you do it.

Been to several. Some of your guests will love it, some will hate it but that's weddings for you.

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Blacksox · 28/12/2016 13:33

I love the idea.

Much more sophisticated as you can wear evening wear!

Plus, all day jobbies are a bit of a bore, imo.

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cornflowerblu · 28/12/2016 13:36

All the weddings we go to are evening weddings. Ceremony at 4.30, reception at 5.30, dinner and dancing from 6.30 - 11.30. It's so much nicer, no need for an evening do, everyone comes to everything and no time to get bored plus it doesn't eat into the whole day.

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WhiskyAndTwiglets · 28/12/2016 13:41

We had an evening wedding. You have to start the ceremony at 5 though really as otherwise the celebrant will be edgy as it gets closer to 5:59pm and you cant be late!!!! I doubt you'll find someone willing to start after 5.
We did a black tie evening dinner afterwards. Just the one reception was sooooo much better.

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expatinscotland · 28/12/2016 13:43

MUCH better idea than the whole morning wedding with two-tiered guest list.

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HomeIsWhereTheGinisNow · 28/12/2016 13:49

Charming idea - so much better than having to stand around all day. Your dance floor will probably be quite full too. I'd love to go to more evening weddings!

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mirokarikovo · 28/12/2016 13:50

As smEGGnogg said you can't have it late but only the legal bit needs to be over by 6pm. You can schedule the ceremony to start at 5:40, then have 10 minutes of preamble and the vows making sure they are over by 5:59 (may also need to fit in the signing of the register before 6 too) then the rest of the ceremony, readings music etc cam be after 6 no worries. If you time it for winter it can be candle-lit too which would be amazing.

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Fleurchamp · 28/12/2016 13:58

The latest our registrar would start our wedding was 4.30pm.
I hate the all day hanging about, having to leave home before lunch but only getting a canapé to tide you over...
I loved our late afternoon/ evening wedding - it was over pretty quickly though!

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smEGGnogg · 28/12/2016 14:32

Sorry, don't know what happened with my earlier post! I meant to write more than just the legal bit but must not have....

Anyway, we got married in a church at 2pm. I asked the vicar about evening weddings and he said he didn't like doing them and wouldn't start any later than 4pm. He said it made him twitchy in case anyone was late. Church services are a bit longer than civil ceremonies though.

Love the idea all the same. Black tie by candlelight would be lovely. I think that's what I'd have if I had my wedding again.

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SaltedCaramelEverything · 28/12/2016 15:07

What's your reason for an evening wedding? I loved our wedding (fortunately!) and the only thing I'd want to change would for it to have lasted longer! Our ceremony was at 1 so no chance. It's a lovely idea just think what you'd do before hand too (I'd have been pacing the floors!)

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HedwigHardHat · 28/12/2016 15:08

We got married at 5pm, PPs are right that it has to be completed by six. Our reg told us it's something to do with an archaic law that says you have to be married before nightfall and since this is different at different times of year they set it at 6pm for the ceremony to be over. An evening wedding is brilliant, we had the formal photos before the ceremony so no hanging around for the guests, a quick 'I do' then on to the party.

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triangularchocolate · 01/01/2017 21:58

I'm getting married in a few weeks (civil ceremony) at 6pm - I assume the law has been changed. I've found early weddings to drag.

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Sinkingfeeling · 01/01/2017 22:26

I'm a registrar (in England) and civil weddings have been able to take place at any time of day or night, after a change in the law in 2012. The first same-sex marriage ceremony in my area took place just after midnight on the day the law took effect. In practice, though, very few weddings take place later than 6 pm because venues aren't generally set up to cater into the night, and (I think) many guests aren't keen to attend late ceremonies either.

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