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Original poster

Time of wedding ceremony - what did you go for and did it work well?

21 replies

Skiaddicted · 02/08/2019 22:27

We're starting to look at venues and some have restrictions on the time of the ceremony. What time did you go for and did it feel like it worked well?

OP posts:

BackforGood · 03/08/2019 00:12

Are you having the ceremony at the same place as the Reception ?
or
Church first then travel - in which case, how far is the journey? Also, how many people, as with a bigger guest list, you are more likely to lose someone.

Are you having and evening 'do' as well, and if so, are folk invited to the evening only ?

Is your plan to have a traditional 'dinner' type meal after the ceremony and photos ?
Are you planning to feed people again in the evening ?

Will people be traveling on the day, to get there ?

Original poster

Skiaddicted · 03/08/2019 07:47

Oh blimey, so....

2 places ideally but we will supply transport
ideally aiming under 80 for the day
we will have some just evening guests but they will be mainly local to the wedding
yes traditional meal after and planning to feed people in the evening too
people will be travelling but going on past weddings in our group if its on a saturday people will travel on the Friday evening

OP posts:

Brideof2020 · 03/08/2019 20:53

Might be an idea to work backwards if you're not sure what time to have your ceremony.
So for example evening do starts at 7.30pm ?. So you know you need to have eaten/ speeches finishes by 6.30-7pm? Will the venue need to switch the room round from wedding breakfast to evening do. In that case might need to be finished a bit earlier?
80 guests 3 /4 courses, speeches, I'd say at least 1.5hrs. So you need to be seated by 5pm. Have you asked your reception venue how long it usually takes them to serve wedding breakfast?
I went to a wedding once and it took nearly 3hrs, it was ridiculous.
However, you might think sitting down to eat at 5pm is a bit late, but it depends if you're planning anything in between. So if you ate at 3 or 4, your guests would have free time before the evening do.
What time do you want your ceremony? And what are the venue restrictions?
If you have travel involved I think it's a case of working out what kind of day you want, but make sure there's lots of canapes etc if your guests have lots of free time !!!

SheWoreBlueVelvet · 04/08/2019 11:30

We had the ceremony at a villa 4.30 and were down to the reception 15 minutes walk away for 6.30. Reception over at 9.00pm and mingled in town until people got tired. We had the younger guests retreat back to the villa for swimming and jacuzzi until the morning.

Great timing as no rushing, guests had all had a chance to have lunch and no pressure to stay.Or carry on as required. But our demographic was older families so all 50+ or in their 20’s.

YahBasic · 04/08/2019 11:32

2pm at the earliest, if you can go for 4pm, even better but depends what time of year it is.

YahBasic · 04/08/2019 11:34

Ours was all in one place, and the ceremony was a blessing so was over in 20 mins.

We started at 4.15 and we’re having canapés and champagne by 4.45.

Original poster

Skiaddicted · 04/08/2019 20:21

See most weddings I've been to have startes around 1 and the day has flown by so i was hoping around 11am, is that silly? Get to eat lunch and dinner around a normal time as there will be plenty of children to not let get too hungry?

OP posts:

LiveEachDay · 04/08/2019 20:51

Mine was at 1pm and this was perfect I felt. There was a nice flow and only half hour change over between day and evening guests arriving so no one was hanging about waiting to long..
Our day meal was served at 3.30 and the evening food was served at 8.30 and this seemed to work really well for us.
Also it wasn't a rush in the morning we had plenty of time for all the hair and make up and a cheeky Prosecco or two to calm the nerves

bathorshower · 04/08/2019 20:58

We had the ceremony at 2 (in church) so guests could have lunch beforehand, with refreshments afterwards, and the main meal at 6pm (15 mins walk away). DH needs to eat at normal meal times to avoid migraines. We didn't have separate evening guests. We also told guests our timings beforehand so those with children could work out when to give snacks/go for a nap.

BackforGood · 04/08/2019 21:29

I would sigh very deeply if I received an invitation for a wedding starting at 11am and then expecting to go on into the evening.
A wedding at 11, suggests to me a meal about 1.30 or 2pm, and then that the B&G are traveling off on their honeymoon at the end of the afternoon / early evening as happened in my parents day.

I think 2.30 is the earliest I'd want to start, if the party was going on to 11pm or midnight.

YobaOljazUwaque · 04/08/2019 21:48

We went for 3:30 so that people could have lunch beforehand, ceremony over by 4:30 and reception meal served at 6pm so we had plenty of time to party afterwards and a decent amount for chatting/milling/photos. Only needed to pay for one meal which helped with the budget. No separate "day"/"evening" guests everyone was invited to everything. I thought it was perfect.

You can't avoid getting the feeling of "omg is it the end of the day already" by scheduling it to last longer. You will get that feeling no matter how long the scheduled hours. What you can do by making it start at 11 is to double the cost and double your feelings of exhaustion that overcome you by the end

trilbydoll · 04/08/2019 21:51

As a guest, 12 is too early, frantic getting ready and conundrums about lunch. 3pm ceremony and it's time to go home before you've even started! We went for 1pm, and there was still a bit of a rush getting ready in the morning but pp is right, the day flies by whatever time you start!

Longdistance · 04/08/2019 21:56

12pm church wedding, straight to venue for canapés and champagne. Sit down dinner for 3.30pm, starter, main, pudding, cheeses, tea and coffee. Booze on tables. Crappy speeches going on, everyone pissed and super happy. Have been rated as ‘the best wedding I’ve ever been to’.

Teachermaths · 04/08/2019 21:57

12 and it was brill. Guests had manapes by 1.30 and meal at 3. Party had to end at 11 due to licensing which was long enough.

longtompot · 04/08/2019 23:54

We got married in our local church at 4pm (well, 4.10 as I was a bit late to the church, poor dh!) We then had photos outside which took approx 1 hour, and then went to a local hall (very poor so a very basic do) for food and drinks and dancing. All finished at about 11.30pm I think, but it was almost 25 years ago now. We had the last slot for the wedding, as it meant people didn't need to wait ages for food, plus it was cheaper as we didn't need to do the wedding breakfast and food for the evening do.

longtompot · 04/08/2019 23:56

Sorry, pressed post before I meant to....
If we were to do it again, and it was all in a hotel for eg, then I would have an earlier ceremony, so we could have more of a day. It was all over too quickly.

Original poster

Skiaddicted · 06/08/2019 12:23

A massive range then thank you all i have to say as a guest, even with weddings with a long drive, i don't mind what time it starts as long as there is plenty to do in the times between meals. But i know not everyone thinks like me!

OP posts:

Flowerpower321 · 06/08/2019 12:30

3-4pm then dinner at normal time then evening do. Hate 13 hour weddings with food at odd times (no one wants to eat a three course meal at 3pm). Mid afternoon means people can travel in the morning if necessary and have lunch without rushing to be seated.

user1474894224 · 06/08/2019 12:31

It's your day so really you can do what you like. Like @bathorshower we had ours at 2pm - and told everyone the schedule of the day so they could plan food. (There were lots of kids at ours so the day wasn't too long, parents could give everyone lunch...then after the ceremony it was basically continuous eating until home time! Lol) Just he flexible enough that people can make the day for around them too....young kids will need a nap. Kids under 10ish won't have the stamina required for an 11-11 event. There will be melt downs and tantrums. (Obviously not all kids). Older people and parents with young kids may not want to go too late in the evening. You know your guests best. It's your special day. But it is more special for you than others so don't be unrealistic.

lavenderbluedilly · 09/08/2019 02:22

Ceremony at 2pm, meal at 5pm. Same venue, with free-flowing Prosecco, tea, coffee and shortbread. We luckily had nice weather and had hired a castle with beautiful gardens, so people could wander about.

LauraPalmersBodybag · 09/08/2019 02:48

Don’t do 11am. If people aren’t local you’re either expecting them to stay somewhere for another night or get up at the crack of dawn. It might be your wedding but it will affect 80+ people. Also, I don’t think mealtimes are normal with weddings - people are standing around, drinking, talking and are likely to feel more hunger than an average day. I’d start later op, for the sake of your guests.

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