12pm wedding - experiences?

Tell your Mum that if your wedding was at the same venue at 1pm then due to your travel time you will be later than if it was all at the same venue

Like this ---- wedding at 1 pm all at same venue - drinks in the July sun at 1.30 - sit for 3-3.30

Your Church wedding now

Church 12 out at 12.40 - no messing around at church and away for 1.15 arive at venue for drinds in the july sun at 2.30 sit for 4-4.30

The only drawback is that you will have to get up extra early, but lets face it, you are going to wake up early anyway

I got married at 11.30am and it worked out really well. The only thing to be aware of is guests getting hungry. People would usually start having lunch around the time the ceremony is happening on a normal day, couple that with the hour traveling then people are going to want something to eat by the time they get to the venue because this is going to be around 2pm.

You can easily fit your timings around this though. July is perfect because you could have an earlier wedding breakfast and do things like group photos, couple shots after because the light will still be good.

Some people might say this isn't advisable because all people want to do after they eat is relax but I'd prefer this option over seeing my guests go hungry. Of course there is also the option of canapes in between too.

I hope that helps and if you want any advice from someone else who had an early wedding then let me know.

Sorry to hear what's happened with the church One of my bridesmaid's got married at 12 and the day didn't drag at all. It went by so quickly and she said that having it early in the day meant that she had time to really enjoy the wedding, they had more time for photos and they got to spend time talking to people, they also had the ceremony and reception at the same venue.

We have also booked our ceremony slot for 12pm as we are getting married before the clocks go forward and we wanted more light for photos in the day. I think if it will take an hour to get to the reception getting married at 12 will be a good time as it means you will have more time to mingle with guests before the reception starts.

I definately think 4pm is quite late, I know that for our venue the last sit down time for the wedding breakfast is at 4:15pm so that might be something you need to check before ruling anything out xx

We are having a midday wedding! The way I look at it, I'm only doing this day once (hopefully), it's costing us £££'s so I want to make the absolute most of it!

Try working backwards with your timings eg my day works out kinda like this:

7pm onwards evening guests arrive (if you're having them)

3:30/4pm - 6:30pm wedding breakfast & speeches (again, if this is what you're doing)

1:30 - 3:30 - reception drinks/canapés & photos

12:45 - 1:30 - photos outside church & travelling to venue

12 -12:45 - wedding ceremony

I've been to 12.30 pm weddings so why not 12 pm? It doesn't give you any opportunity for lunch much nor does a 1 pm start really either. If you're still not sitting down till 4/4.30 ish see if you can have a few canape or nibbles on offer at the drinks reception but I say go for it.

Hi, my wedding is booked for 12pm and I was moh at my best friends wedding last Friday and that was at 12pm too.

We found getting ready in the morning fine - we were all up early as were so excited, hairdresser came at 8.30 and make up artist at 9.30am. We got picked up at 11.30am (bms went off then the car went back to pick up bride).

We were back at the venue by 1.15-1.30ish. We had canapés whilst bride and groom had photos then we went in to the dining room at 3pm. Tbh I had oringally had these same timings in my head for my wedding, ceremony at 12, eat at 3 but were not having too many formal photos, more relaxed ones and just the few family and wedding party ones so we reckon we could make it to sit down at 2.30pm. Kind of depends how many photos you want, whether you will have any activities for people to do or if people will just be sat around drinking (not always a bad thing lol)

I think if the date is that important to you...just go for 12pm...its quite common for people to get married at this time and it just means that you have a longer wedding day then someone getting married later lol.

Thank you everyone, this has all really helped.

Our caterers' cost per head luckily already includes canapés so that should hopefully help with people feeling hungry.

You have made me feel much more relaxed about this, I think I was just panicking a bit as I wasn't expecting to have any trouble this far in advance! It doesn't help that my mum is very quick to see the negative side of anything, which rubbed off on me. So thank you all for putting my mind at ease

Laurafish, I have replied on the 2016 brides thread but thought I would on here too- 12 o clock will be absolutely fine if not better than 1pm. You will have more time to enjoy the day, I've heard it goes really fast! As a guest at a few weddings where they had quite early ceremonies I have never been bored. As another hitcher has said just make sure your guests don't get hungry, are you having canapes with the reception drinks? If not they can bloody well get hungry, they are being fed for free! I have learned from experience as I am at the age where I'm going to loads of weddings and so now I will have a massive breakfast so I don't get hungry. This is literally the only (small) drawback of an earlier ceremony. I'm actually a little envious that we can't have an early wedding!

Just realised you said youre having canapes- silly me for reading too quickly. In that case go for it! You have nothing to worry about.

Ah I missed this before replying on the 2016 thread.

I second what Daffodil waves said though

My wedding was 12.30pm, I had the choice and went for the earliest time as I wanted to make the most of the day!

It all ran really well time wise and we popped a note in the invitations to advise that guests have a hearty breakfast as we wouldn't be sitting down to eat until 4.30pm. We didn't have canapes either and it was all fine!

Ours was at 12 - wouldn't change a thing.

Hi, ours was 12 too.

It gave us plenty of time and we didn't feel rushed once. Perfect!

x

Our wedding was at 11.50 am I thought it was too early at first but it worked out perfect, we had longer to enjoy our day. I didn't think we would have had time to get hair and make up done in the morning but we did.

11.50 am ceremony

12.30 photos at reg office

1.15 arrival at venue more photos /family. tog took hubby and me off to take photos while rest of party went inside for drinks and nibbles

2.30 sat down ready for meal (supposed to eat at 2.30 but we had to round guest up that wandered off for cigs and toilet ect )

2.50 meal served

5.15 finished meal and had speeches coffee and more drinks and chill down/chat time

7.00 pm evening guest stared to arrive

Im glad now it was an early wedding the day didn't seem rushed but relaxed.

Thank you all for your replies. After having time to get over the surprise that someone else is as keen as me (ha!) I'm now feeling much more comfortable with the idea, especially with the travel to the reception venue.

For those of you who had noon weddings (or earlier) - would you mind giving me a rough idea of timings for the morning, up to the ceremony? That's the part my mum is still panicking about!

Thank you again

We had everything in one place and had about 140 guests to the day so ours was:

Ceremony: Noon

Reception drinks and group photos: 12.45pm ish

Called through to dinner: 2.30pm

Father of the Bride and Groom speeches: 2.45pm

Wedding breakfast: 3.00pm ish

Best Men speech: 5.30pm

Evening reception guests arriving from: 6.00pm

Him and me photos: 6.00pm

First dance: 7.30pm ish

Evening buffet: 9.00pm

Carriages: midnight

Thanks kharv, that is useful I imagine we will be able to follow a similar time frame.

I was just wondering about timings before the ceremony though (getting ready etc), if you can remember roughly?

Oh yes

I got ready at the venue so bridesmaids and I got a taxi there from the hotel for 9am.

Hair and Makeup lady arrived at the same time (just doing me).

Photographer arrived at about 10am (and videographer).

Mam also arrived about that time (she'd got ready at the hotel).

I got into my dress at about 11am I think!

Then just went down the stairs at 11.50am ish just after dad came up to get me.

H got ready at the hotel then he and all the blokes went to the pub opposite the venue for a pint (I got them to open up early). This is where they had some pre wedding shots as H didn't want any of him actually getting ready.

He was then at the venue for 11.30am at the latest to greet guests.

We had one main photographer and paid a little extra for a second photographer so we could have photos of the lads at the pub and of the guests arriving etc.

Perfect, thank you! So roughly 2 hours of getting ready, easily done

Hi,

We had got married at 12pm at our church and venue was 20 minutes car journey, this was a perfect time, I included in the invites to make sure to have a hearty breakfast and I ensured canopes were served when we arrived at 13.40. Here were my timings:

10.00 (Photographer) & Videographer with the Bride

11.00 Dad to arrive

11.15 Wedding Car/BM Car to arrive at MIH (leave by 11.30am)

11.45 (Photographer) & Videographer at the church as Guests Arrive (from 11.30am)

12.00 Bride Arrives and Wedding Ceremony Commences (approx. 45 mins service)

12.50 Bride and Groom & Guests Photography & Videography outside the Church (Approx 30-40 mins)

13.30 Bride & Groom wedding car & BM Car and Guests to transfer to Venue (approx. 20 minute journey)

**** Jazz player playing whilst guests arrive & Master Of Ceremonies available to guide guests upon arrival

13.50 Guests arriving Canopes, sparkling wine/beers/wine served throughout the bar area

14.20 Bride and Groom + Guests Photography at Wedding Venue (approx. 30-45 mins) (Bride and Groom to join guests once photography has finished) (approx. 1 hr and then call to dine at 15.00 guests transfer into Wedding Breakfast area)

15.15 Wedding Breakfast Area- Master of Ceremonies announces Bride and Groom entrance

(3 course = 2hrs)

15.30 Starters is served

16.00 Wedding Breakfast is served

17.00 Dessert is served

17.30 Master of ceremony announces the Wedding Speeches (father of the bride, Mother of the Groom, Best Man, , Groom) Flowers to Mums

18.10 Master of `ceremony to announce for guests to make there way into the bar to Drink and socialize

18.10 Changeover of wedding décor from main dinner room to evening reception in the River Room

Evening Guests Arrive- Drinks and Socialize in Bar Area

19.00 Master of Ceremony announces in Bar - Evening Reception in River Room is open to guests

19.00 DJ Commences set to dance the night away

19.20 Master of ceremony announces cutting of the cake (photos taking at same time)

19.30 Bride and Groom First Dance & Bride and Dad first Dance

20.30 Bouquet throw (to girls only)

21.00 Hog Roast Buffet Served

12.30 Reception Ends make way to 24 hr bar

This is quite detailed but I can honestly say this worked out to plan Good Luck!!! x

Thank you I'm sure it'll be fine, I'm prone to worrying about anything and everything!

We're having our wedding at 11:00 and the evening guests arent due to come until 18:30. We're having a gap between the speeches ending and the evening starting. Probably around an hour and a half so the day guests can have a bit of a relax or a power nap and maybe get changed if they want to before the partying starts!! As we get married on a sunday the night do will finish at midnight so it'll be a 13 hour day for our guests so we though the hours break was a great idea.

We had the option of 11 or 5.30 when I spoke to the registrar and thought 5.30 was too late for us xx