Anyone planned an evening wedding without a typically late finish?

[ShowGirI]

Has anyone done an evening wedding. We don't want it to go on all night + Disco etc maybe an evening meal then everyone goes home
But I don't know where to start, or how to start panning IE what time do you start???

I'd work backwards from the time you want to finish, adding in a couple of hours for a meal, half an hour for people to sit and go through the ceremony, an hour for drinks and photos. Depends if you want people to leave straight after the meal?

Yes after the meal essentially

I would say 4 hours total including Ceremony. So work back from when you want everyone to be gone.

Ours ran from about 6-9. We did a cocktails and apps, had the ceremony, then the meal. People lingered a bit over drinks and dispersed. It was short and sweet and perfect for us.

Make your own escape in the traditional way with everyone waving you off (announced by the venue manager “the happy couple are about to depart, please everyone make your way outside to wave them off”) and then have the venue manager tell the crowd of well wishers that they have the room and bar for another hour, or until x o’clock. Once the bride and groom have gone, people seem to call it a day anyway.