Is it rude to leave a wedding before the end?

Yes, when the marrying couple left ASAP because they were excited to be alone on honeymoon.

Now they stay until late at night, and have to accept that others need to depart.

Wasn't that back in the day when the couple left the wedding breakfast to start their honeymoon, and before evening dos became a thing?

V&a?!! B&G

Not rude but if there are more than 60 people there, don’t interrupt the v&a to say goodbye - imagine spending the whole of your wedding having to say hello/ goodbye! Just do a neat French exit, and send a note afterwards.

One of our older friends organised a huge ‘landmark’ birthday party ( posh venue, caterers, band) for the same day as our wedding. We didn’t realise till our mutual invitations went out. So half our guests left early to get to his shindig. Fine by us, I’m only sorry I missed it.

Some people did this at our DD's wedding, even before the bride and groom left. Nobody minded.

Definitely not weird! I didn’t mind at all when some guests told me they were leaving, j was glad they celebrated wit on me and was part of our special day. All that was left was dancing and partying so they stayed for the important part which meant the most.

A family member left just after my ceremony as they were previously unwell. I thanked them for coming and genuinely meant it. Was not annoyed when they left quickly.

This used to be the case when the bride and groom had a send off and left for their honey moon before the end of the wedding. Since most brides and grooms now stay until the very end of the wedding the etiquette is no longer applicable.

For the most part in recent years we let the couple know we'll attend the ceremony but nothing afterward.

We get to dress up, mingle, wish them well, etc. without the 12 hour marathon. Often, seeing as we're nicely dressed, we head off for our own romantic dinner. Or join forces with others for a few quick drinks before heading home without sacrificing half the weekend.

None of that standing around/killing time for us.

I swear you could not even go and then just say after it was a great day and if it was busy people would never know 🙈 The one thing I’d always say not to do, is to go up and say bye to the bride and groom. I don’t even think people should do this at the end of the night really. We had to run out of a wedding recently but I said if we were to wait it would end up a situation of having to form a queue to each say bye to them. If people just nip out when they’re leaving early it stops them having to wonder if there’s a reason they’re leaving early and stops their night just being full of goodbyes one after another when they’re trying to enjoy themselves

Yeah this. ^ When and why did that start?! Never used to be this way. Used to turn up at the local Church or registry office for the wedding 1pm, then leave at 2pm for the reception a 10 minute walk away, (that finished at 4pm.)

Then people would pop home for a few hours, and there would be a 'night do' from 7pm til 11pm-ish, at the local Parish Hall - within 20 minutes walk - or a 5 minute drive from where everyone invited lived.

OR the wedding would start at 4pm, the reception would be at 5pm to 7pm, then the night do would start and go on til 11pm or midnight. Again, at a Church or registry office, and venue that was striking distance from everyone invited.

Most people lived close to each other, and families weren't fractured and dispersed all across the country. And everyone's friends would be close by too. My friend's niece invited 15 friends to her 12 hour wedding in 2022, and they came from 7 different parts of the UK - Only 3 were within 20 miles. Other 12 were 50-200 miles away, and had to stay overnight.

Yep!

Oh god yes just leave, it's totally different to the 'olden' days. Weddings are bonkers affairs quite honestly

Not at all op. So long as you thanks the bride and groom and say goodbye. These days the couple often stay to the end which can feel awkward. It used to be that they left them everyone could either leave or party.

Definitely rude anytime before the speeches/ meal/ cake cutting has concluded. I have known people leave soon after then because they had a long journey home/ had to work the next day etc and it was fine. If you can make it to after the first dance its best, then everything after that is bonus and you can leave whenever. Most of my older relatives left soon after the first dance. 10pm is a late stay!

It's fine to leave after the meal. Guests aren't obliged to stay for ritual dances and all that faff. It's not a West End show.

If people are going to have these stupid long '12 hours from start to finish' weddings, then they're going to have to suck it up if people want to leave early. I have known several weddings from the past 2 years that went on from midday to midnight, and around 10-15 people left by 5.30pm - all aged 50+.

They just found it too exhausting staying so long. There is so much hanging around too. You have to be there for midday - as the photographer wants to take pics before the wedding, and you all need to be seated etc... Then the wedding is 1pm til 1.30pm. Then the bride and groom go off to get their photos done, and don't come back til 2.45pm to 3pm. Then it's the reception/wedding breakfast (that goes on from 3pm til 5pm) with all the fucking boring speeches, and 6 courses, and big gaps between courses.

THEN it's another 2 hours before the 'night do.' Most tiresome and tedious bit. Fuck-all to do except wander around, chat to randoms, and buy overpriced drinks at the bar.

So NO it's not rude to leave a wedding early. Not when they are so bloody long. It's OK to say 'you should wait for the cake cutting' as a pp said, but one couple didn't do it til 8.30pm at one wedding last year.

Of course it's not rude, and is to be expected if you have a wedding at 1.30 pm.

That is a long time for any 'do' to go on, even before you add on travel time for those that have come a long way.

At many weddings, a few people leave after the meal and speeches.

10pm is fine. I left a wedding at 9.30pm a couple of weeks ago because I was tired and needed to get back to my kids (my mum was babysitting).

At my wedding one of my guests left after the ceremony 😂

I think that was in the days before weddings in the UK became marathons.

Is that you, Eugenie? 😃

That was when the couple couldn't wait to get away alone together, and left midafternoon following a quick cake and wine reception.

Now that being alone is no novelty, and they want to milk the most out of every cent they have spent on the evening do, the rule no longer applies. Fine to leave any time it suits.

Traditionally the bride and groom would leave fairly early to go on honeymoon. Now weddings go on until 2-3 in the morning! One groom was still going with army buddies at 6am!! I just don’t have the stamina these days 😂