Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To wonder if 5pm is too late for a wedding?

90 replies

sharkirasharkira · 13/06/2018 22:06

I've been in contact with a lovely venue in our local area and they have an opening at an affordable price on the date we want.

However, because they are a touristy place and they have to close for the day, a late afternoon/evening wedding is a lot cheaper than a midday wedding for obvious reasons! Having the ceremony and 5pm and then the reception/meal straight after (same venue) will be about £1000 less than having it at midday.

But 5pm seems quite late, doesn't it? We would only have up until 11/12 o clock at the venue so that gives a maximum of 7hrs for everything, is that long enough? I'm worried everything will feel rushed. I haven't been to a lot of weddings but most of them seem to be all day affairs and 5pm to start seems like most of the day is gone!

Aibu to think this might be too late?

OP posts:
Flicketyflack · 14/06/2018 08:26

I git married at 4pm it was great - wedding, photos and then evening meal.

It meant no hanging around for everyone and a shorter day for us Wink

Flicketyflack · 14/06/2018 08:27

Oops got not git Blush

TestingTestingWonTooFree · 14/06/2018 08:28

We chose a late time, think it was 5, to avoid all the boring hanging about. We suggested a hotel for people to stay at so it was lovely to see them for breakfast the next day. Perhaps you could suggest brunch the next day with the people who’ve travelled a long way?

LolaL · 14/06/2018 11:38

Congratulations on your engagement. My mum remarried almost 9 years ago... at a historical tourist attraction... very similar situation and she chose to get married at 4.30pm. It was early winter, all candelit and absolutely stunning.

QueenOfMyWorld · 14/06/2018 11:43

I got married at 3.30pm but would have happily had it at 5,I think the day flows through more rather than big lulls in between

watchingwithinterest · 14/06/2018 11:55

We got married at 5pm (in the middle of the winter) and it was magical, the ceremony led into the reception dinner and party - no one was tired, bored, too hot/cold with the endless waiting around.

I spent all day getting ready in a relaxed way, everyone was relaxed as no mad rush to the chapel.

It worked out beautifully and everyone had the most amazing day and not just us. Congrats and have the most lovely time Flowers

fantasmasgoria1 · 14/06/2018 12:04

We will be having a late wedding possibly 4-4.30pm. This is so that everyone can go straight on to the reception. We don’t want a wedding meal in between and it would not be fair to expect people to go home for a few hours in between.

Thebluedog · 14/06/2018 12:05

I think it’s a lovely idea, food at tea time and then it can morph into the evening do without that strange bit in the middle where no one really knows what to do

BrownTurkey · 14/06/2018 12:06

No, its great from a guests point of view - all the best bits of a wedding day without the hanging around or having to get up early.

Bellaposy · 14/06/2018 12:09

We had our wedding at 5pm and it was perfect. No waiting around for hours between ceremony - dinner - evening do. I've found when I go to early weddings as a guest there's a real lull in the afternoon and often people are knackered by the evening. I know it's not always the case of course but that's been my experience.

specialsubject · 14/06/2018 12:23

7 hours for a party is plenty, in fact way too long.

if it stops you farting about for hours getting cliched photos taken, even better. Also stops the whole day being chewed up for people who might have other things to do with their weekend.

15 min ceremony, 90 mins odd for reception, drinks, photo, dinner and party. Perfect.

daisypond · 14/06/2018 12:25

Sounds ideal to me.

JessieMcJessie · 14/06/2018 15:26

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

expatinscotland · 14/06/2018 15:30

Disagreeing with someone is fine, Jessie, but telling them to fuck off and die is against Talk Guidelines. Smile

StaySafe · 14/06/2018 16:13

My wedding was at 4pm at our local register office (long time ago) and then we arrived at the hotel venue around 5pm. We had drinks and canapés while the photographs were taken, sit down meal and dancing afterwards,(100 guests) plenty of time. I can remember ringing my mother just before midnight from the bridal suite as I'd forgotten to pack my camera to go off on honeymoon the next day so certainly all done and dusted by soon after 11pm. Everyone enjoyed themselves and there was plenty of time for everything. You do have to make it clear on the invites that it is the full shebang the guests are invited to, a couple of mine thought they had only been invited to an evening do and were very pleasantly surprised.

Chocolate1984 · 14/06/2018 17:03

My niece did something similar & it was great. She did all her family photography in the morning, married at 4, cake cutting & mingle after the ceremony, venue for speeches & food at 5.30. The worse things about weddings is the hanging around waiting for pictures or for room turn arounds.

Borisdaspide · 14/06/2018 17:23

I don't think I've ever heard anyone complaining that a wedding was too short- usually the opposite with lots of hanging about and drinking too much to fill in the day!

Also, and I realise this may well be specific to us- it would make my DC easier to wrangle, because they could have a normal afternoon nap and then be ready to be sociable again.

keyboardkate · 14/06/2018 17:24

Sounds perfect to me!

The one thing about weddings that irritates me is the hiatus between an early ceremony and evening meal. So what do you do, get legless I suppose!

Surely it makes so much more sense to have late afternoon weddings, followed by a small drinks/canape reception and then on into dinner?

I must tell all my friends to do this, otherwise I ain't going lol.

JessieMcJessie · 14/06/2018 17:26

D= Dear in that context expat.

expatinscotland · 14/06/2018 17:38

Telling someone to fuck off is against Talk Guidelines no matter how you do it, Jessie Hmm.

keyboardkate · 14/06/2018 18:06

And there I was thinking ODFOD meant "Oh do fuck off Dear".

Am I missing something profound or what?

Swear words are allowed here last time I looked. But few really use them except in context or anger. But saying Fuck Off is not verboten.

Rainagain1 · 14/06/2018 18:10

It sounds a lovely time to get married. Could do some the photos before even if just bride and bridesmaids.

SenecaFalls · 14/06/2018 18:10

I thought it was against guidelines to say it directly to someone.

keyboardkate · 14/06/2018 18:20

Seneca,

that may be true, but at this stage you might need to point us to the rules that say that, I am too tired to go all nitty gritty now!

kateandme · 14/06/2018 18:24

no you can make this work.
an idea for shortening the photos is to buy a big bag of disposable ones and put them on the tables.you can then get people taking some lovely shots through the evening.
I know you said people are traveling after but It can also be seen as a bonus that you don't have to be up early to get off to a wedding so they can leasurely make it instead of rushing for a earlier wedding.

Swipe left for the next trending thread