Guests arrival time/ Timing etiquette??

I would be majorly hacked off if an invite lied about the time just to get people there early. I always leave enough time for travelling etc, so if you told me 1pm, I'd probably get there about 12.15/12.30 and be very pissed off that the wedding wasn't till 1.30..........

Our wedding is 1pm, we hope everyone will be there on time anyway but have added 'please arrive in time to be seated by 12.45pm' anyway.

From memory I put the start time as 15mins before the actual start time.

As a guest, I'd get to a wedding with plenty of time to spare. I would be a little annoyed though if I arrived at say 12:30-12:45, & the wedding didnt actually start till 1:30pm.

There will always be guests running late (at mine you can see them on the video walking in behind me down the aisle!!!) but I think 15mins is sufficient.

I have the exact same thought.

Would it be best to write, please arrive at 1pm for a 1.30pm start?

We are getting married at 2pm - so I was thinking of writing, please arrive at 1.30 for 2pm start.

Ha just found out Hampton Court flower show is happening on our wedding day (we are getting married in venue next to hampton court) therefore people need to leave a lot longer to get there on time- should probably write that on the invitation right?

Thanks for the responses!

HelzBelz I think you should definitely include a note about that. We went to a wedding that was on during the Chelsea Flower Show and not only was traffic difficult but hotels were booked up that wouldn't normally be.

I would always be early which is why I am unwilling to put 1oclock and risk having people standing around in the cold/ or in a cold stone hall for 45 minutes more than they have to! I have always only gone to weddings as a big family group and I've never been the one responsible for deciding what time to arrive, which is partly why I am lost. Think any shred of common sense I had has deserted me and I'm confused!

Judging from what you are all saying so far, I guess if I put 1.30 people will arrive before that.... I could always include a side note on the map or something saying The ceremony will start at 1.30 please arrive in plenty of time to be seated....??

Don't really want to write all that on the front of my invitations but could include it. We do have some NOTORIOUSLY late people in the family.

Mx

at the end of the day, as long as you or H2B aren't late, I wouldn't worry too much!

Ask the OMs on here, but I bet the majority of them didn't notice if someone got to their ceremony late.

But I think Nuts has it bang on, with the 'please be seated by 12.45' dealio.

To be seated by....would be fine.

I went to a wedding at the weekend, it was a 1pm start. We we're running a little late due to taxi's but got there at 12.45 only to see the bride's car and her out of it! I just wanted the ground to gobble me up!!! I will be writing arrive at 10.30 for a 11.00 start

I put 'the ceremony is at x, please arrive by y', then it's clear when they're supposed to be there in relation to the ceremony.

Our wedding ceremony is 1.30pm, I will put 1.15 on my invitations. I thought of putting to be seated at .... To start at ...... But it's too wordy for the invitation I think. 15mins earlier is not to bad is it?

Ours was 1pm start and I just put 1pm on the invitations. Everyone was there early except for one couple who arrived as I was waiting at the door of the church (so at exactly 1pm) it didn't bother me at all, just glad they made it and was nice to see them. I think they quite possibly would have been late whatever time we had put! There were a few relatives I was worried about being late so I spoke to them in advance to ask them to arrive early for photos and got my mum to round up all the people who had stayed in the hotel the night before and made them leave by 12.15.

Fab point! We want the celebrant to get 15 minutes with the guests beforehand so 'to be seated by' is perfect!

Perhaps I'm not like most people, I guess it depends on the personality of your guests, but I would be fuming if you put 1pm on invites, because I would aim to be there between **** and have to wait about an hour for the wedding to start. I don't consider myself to be an idiot, if it says 1.30, I will arrive before then or expect to be shut out of the church.

I need my guests there 15 mins before the start, but I would also like them to know what time the ceremony IS so they don't think there's a problem or hold up. I think asking to be seatd by a time, and a ceremony time takes any ambiguity out of it for everyone, whether they tend to be tardy or not.

I think 'ceremony at 1pm, to be seated by 12.45pm' etc is absolutely fine.

I would never just put the earlier time as I too would be livid if I ended up turning up an hour early because of it.

Definitely the 'to be seated by' wording...

we went to a wedding recently that said 1.30 on invites, naturally we got there at about 12.50 in time for one drink before 1.30 and time to catch up with a few people....the wedding was actually at 2. Not a huge issue (just meant 2 glasses of wine instead of 1 pre-ceremony!) and the bride was then late which meant we had been at the venue for over an hour an a half before we sat down, just miffed me off a bit that I was told 1.30 for something that was actually 2.

I put on mine, "Please join us at 2.30pm for a 3pm ceremony"

As far as I'm aware everyone came between 2.30-2.45, which was perfect really.

I havent bothered, if people cant be sensible enough to turn up within a reasonable time frame and miss the ceremony then that is their fault. As long as me, my OH, our parents and our best man/bridesmaids are there (which they will be as they will all be with us) then that is all I care about. Anybody else is an added bonus.

We put the ceremony start time of 2 pm. There were a few hurrying in when I pulled up in the car and two who came in halfway through (the venue manager held them outside until an appropriate time). I couldn't have cared less about either groups being late, even though a few saw me before I made my grand entrance!

Although I assumed the very latecomers had arrived that morning (one travelled from Mexico), I have since found out that they were both there the night before....grrr a bit, but nah, still don't really care.

I would be annoyed to turn up on time for a ceremony and find that the couple had given me the wrong time.

WSS

IF people cant be bothered or dont have the common sense to be able to arrive to my wedding on time, then f*ck them, They can wait outside in the cold until the ceremony has finished!

We said "at 12.30 for a 1pm ceremony"

I did have OH's aunt running past me as I was outside the venue having photos taken with my sister and dad. I was NOT impressed!