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Original poster

1pm or 3pm ceremony - help!?

79 replies

WestLondoner1 · 20/07/2022 19:58

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!

OP posts:
EdithWeston · 20/07/2022 20:55

3pm

Because then people will know to eat lunch beforehand, and there's a decent chance that the evening meal will be at a normal mealtime

1Pm really mucks up lunch, and then its a fearfully long time until dinner, so either you leave guests ravenous, you feed them at an odd time or you have to go to the faff of providing afternoon tea

Rainbowshit · 20/07/2022 20:55

3pm definitely.

MrsTerryPratchett · 20/07/2022 20:59

either you leave guests ravenous, you feed them at an odd time or you have to go to the faff of providing afternoon tea

Or/and they drink too much on an empty stomach.

Floralnomad · 20/07/2022 20:59

3 is better . We got married at 3 but our wedding day was planned around my dad / sister having time between the photos and the meal to go and put our horses to bed so I’m likely not the best person to give advice .

seramu · 20/07/2022 21:01

3pm

I had a 3pm wedding and it was perfect. Wedding at 3, meal at 5, finished by 7, evening guests arrived by 7:30. Perfect!

1pm weddings are too tedious for the guests. Have had to suffer too many lunch time weddings where I've missed lunch and then just end up tired and grouchy.

Also with a 3pm wedding, no stupidly early mornings with the hairdresser. I actually had a relaxed morning the day of my wedding, with hairdresser and make up artist arriving around 10am. Perfectly civilised!

RampantIvy · 20/07/2022 21:03

3pm from me as well
We had a 3 pm wedding because it was cheaper as we didn't have to provide two meals, and people who had travelled on the day of the wedding wouldn't be sitting there with rumbling empty stomachs.

1pm is such an awkward time for events unless it is lunch.

Blankbias · 20/07/2022 21:04

Definitely 3pm. I went to one at 5pm and it was beautiful, I would definitely do that if I got married again. You can have dinner at a normal time, people don’t spend the day drinking without food. There was lots of dancing and it was winter so the venue looked amazing in candlelight. Everyone had such a great evening.

Blankbias · 20/07/2022 21:05

Oh and later means that guests don’t have to have overnight accommodation or rush if they’re coming from far away!

SeaGlassShining · 20/07/2022 21:05

We got married at 12:15, we were able to have canapes, wedding breakfast and a great evening buffet too. No guests were hungry.

The day went by soooooo fast, I can’t imagine trying to squeeze it all into even less time. My friend got married at 4pm, her wedding went by so quickly, first dance wasn’t until 10pm nearly as everything overran.

Kite22 · 20/07/2022 21:09

3pm without a doubt

People will have eaten beforehand
People who need to travel have more time to do so
Less hanging around endlessly

Cotswoldmama · 20/07/2022 21:35

3pm, then everyone will have eaten lunch before hand and won't be starving and grumpy!

gogohmm · 20/07/2022 21:47

3pm, if only all day guests you can dispense with evening food apart from snack as you can eat a little later

Vecna · 21/07/2022 02:20

1pm if budget allows adequate food and drink, and if your guests have enough people to mingle with or entertainment. I love a good wedding and I've never been bored. As a bride, I want time to see all guests, have photos and enjoy myself. Canapés, bubbly, wedding breakfast, buffet. I've never been hungry. Almost all weddings I've been to (and I have an enormous family) start at 1pm.

Redglitter · 21/07/2022 02:30

I think all the weddings I've ever gone to have been 3pm. Its always worked really well

Ponderingwindow · 21/07/2022 02:32

3pm. You won’t feel rushed either before or after.

Roselilly36 · 21/07/2022 03:27

3pm

supersonicginandtonic · 21/07/2022 04:59

All the brides saying they got married at 1pm and nobody was bored or hungry, trust me they were, they just didn't tell you.
There is nothing more tedious than the hanging about for photos, waiting for the food.

Tiani4 · 21/07/2022 05:26

1pm
You'll get too short a day with a wedding meal at about 5pm little time to do photos and then evening meal too close to wedding meal

Tiani4 · 21/07/2022 05:27

If you go for 3pm I mean

MayLeaveADentInYourSofa · 21/07/2022 05:44

I had a 3pm wedding. It went well - everyone had more time to get ready, to find the venue. No separate evening guests, everyone came for the whole thing. We had the wedding breakfast about 5pm and then a very light buffet later.

However, I found out that lots of people didn't have lunch before they came and were absolutely starving by the time we served the meal. So maybe, with hindsight, some nibbles right after the ceremony while the photos are being taken.

soupmaker · 21/07/2022 06:00

We got married at 4pm. It was perfect. Go for 3pm for all the reasons PP have set out.

yikesanotherbooboo · 21/07/2022 06:29

3 pm

DeePlume · 21/07/2022 06:37

3pm!

ForcingSmiles · 21/07/2022 07:54

We've gone for 1pm, we're having a winter wedding so if we went for 3pm we'll have literally none of our wedding in daylight!

We're planning to have a popcorn machine as people arrive so they can grab a snack before the ceremony, canapes after the ceremony (We also have entertainment booked so they're not bored whilst waiting for the photos), meal will be around 5ish then theres an evening buffet at 8/9

BerylBird · 21/07/2022 07:57

3pm, due to fitting in better with mealtimes, giving people who live far away more time to get there, and giving yourself more time to get ready.