1pm or 3pm ceremony - help!?

[WestLondoner1]

Hi there!

I am getting married in April 2024. We have found the venue, and I enquired with the registrar about their availability for a 2pm ceremony, but they only have 1pm or 3pm available.

I'm stuck as to which one to go for. Our ceremony and reception are all in the same place, and we aren't having separate day/evening guest, just everyone for the whole thing!

Part of me thinks that 3pm may be too rushed, but then I also don't want people to do a lot of hanging around at the 1pm.

What do you think!? Is anyone getting married at either of these times and can give any advise! Thanks so much!

Congratulations! I would definitely go for 3pm. Bridesmaids need to arrive, you can have a nice relaxed morning getting ready, hair and make up take longer than you think. We got married at 3pm and it was perfect timing.

3pm. Rushed for the B&G is achingly slow and boring for the guests. Less time to get really pissed as well!

I verge lots of weddings and would say 3pm.

1pm weddings mean that no one has eaten and won't for another couple of hours.

I would say later. For example at the 1pm time slot, will your guests need to be there, ready and seated a bit earlier, say 12.30/45, and will they be checking into hotels? I'm at a wedding soon about an hour from home so am staying over. Ceremony is 2pm but can't check in to our room at the venue til 1pm so that's hardly any time to get myself and dc changed and organised. The later time slot would maybe make it easier for travelling guests and hotel check in times. I would choose the later slot for myself too as I'd want that extra time to allow for my own travel, dressing, hair/make up preparations etc too. Also if it's a later slot that means your guests can get lunch in advance if there's places to eat nearby, so then nobody is starving at the ceremony or waiting around.

Another vote for 3pm! Far more civilised.
Less feeding to do as people will have time for lunch (budget!)
If people are coming from afar they are less likely to need to stay the night before as well
More getting ready time for you

Another vote for 3pm! Far more civilised.
Less feeding to do as people will have time for lunch (budget!)
If people are coming from afar they are less likely to need to stay the night before as well
More getting ready time for you

Weddings are already long enough. 3pm means less time hanging about.

3pm is perfect.
Timings work so much better. You can have canapes at 5ish, meal at 6ish and then party the night away.

1pm, you either have everyone getting bored while they wait for the meal for far too long if you have it at a sensible dinner time, or you feed them early and they are starving hungry two hours before you were expecting the party to end, and you either have to feed then again or they go away early in search of food.

3pm, especially if no travel between ceremony and reception. 1pm weddings make lunch tricky
for guests and you don’t need to provide it if you do 3pm. You can have a nice leisurely morning, no need to start hair and makeup at the crack of dawn.

Another vote for 3pm

3pm.
Everyone will have had time for lunch beforehand.
Church service will be over by 3.45 (sooner if registry office)
Reception starts at 4ish so you've got an hour for photos (yawn but likely to take that long) and then an hour to mingle with guests before eating at 6pm.
If you're having evening guests, they can come from 7.30

Ah, I was going to say 1pm. As a bride the day went so quickly and I feel like I didn't have time to talk to everyone so I would say go for as early as possible.
Just make sure to have lots of snacks for guests when photos are being taken.

I agree. My wedding was at three and it was good timing.

1pm as long as there is budget for food and drink as you will defo need something in the evening even with no evening only guests.

Honestly, I've never been bored at a wedding as long as there are drinks and people to talk to! Most weddings I've been to are around 1pm. Weddings always run late so with 3pm you eat into valuable dancing time.

3pm. More relaxed for you. Also gives time for people to travel and grab a bit to eat for lunch.

3pm, gives everyone a chance to have lunch, you have lots of time to get ready. Less tiring too. It will be light until 7-8 ish so plenty of time for photos.

1pm

You pay so much you want the most of it and as long as you time food etc right people won't be bored and hanging around. We did pastries and OJ on arrival. I'm in my 30s now but every wedding I have been to the ceremony has been between 12 and 1 and I have never got hungry or bored

I got married at 3 and it meant that by the time we were ready to sit down for dinner it was a reasonably normal dinner time. I’ve been to so many weddings where we are fed at 4 or something, and am not a fan.

I agree 3pm, so much hanging around otherwise and everyone is hungry as they missed lunch!

3pm 100%.
For all the reasons already given. I don't think 2 extra hours of mingling is worth the rush.

3pm please, particularly if your guests are traveling. It gives people time to have lunch and travel there easily. If people want to get their hair or makeup done it gives them more time. Depending on your guests it gives a lot less time for guest to drink between the Service and Meal (I was at a wedding where there was a free bar and a 4 hour gap between service and meal)
most of the people who were not staying in the venue and did not have a room to chill in were very drunk by the time the meal was served.

3 pm, then serve tea and cake:biscuits at 4 to keep people going through the photos.

I got married @ 4pm so a vote for 3pm for me

We had snacks and bubbly followed by photos and sit down meal @ 7pm

Definitely 3pm. The last wedding I attended started at 1pm and it was far too long a day. Everyone was tired and fed up and the bridal party even more so.

Just my opinion but 1pm would be better! I had no choice and had to go for 12:30pm and worried it would be too early until the day which then went sooooo fast for me and everyone involved so I was greatful for that time!