Is a 4:30pm start too late?

My sister had those timings and nobody ate the later evening buffet because they were too full so if you do go for the first date then maybe just feed people once or put cake out for the evening guests. I don't think evening guests expect food x

This is really up to you,

I am getting married at 5pm but I am getting married abroad and it will be too hot in the day to get married.

I have been to an evening reception where the wedding was late they didnt have two meals just the one buffet so maybe worth looking to see if you can save on the food costs. Personally I am dreading the 5 o clock wedding, my nerves will be shot by 5pm I will need to get the valium out!! haha x

I also married late, at just after 5pm. However there were just the 2 of us abroad. Ceremony/register signing etc took until about 5.20/5.30ish, then we had photos for quite a while until sunset, then our wedding breakfast. Had we had guests it would have worked fine, but it would have been 8-9pm until the lazy dinner was finished and no-one would have wanted to eat again. Had we had entertainment, I can't see we'd have been ready to start dancing etc until gone 9 had it been a normal wedding. With few numbers, on the beach, people would have got up and had a little dance as and when though!

We did a wedding in June that was a 4:30 ceremony and it worked really well.

There was no rush or worry about timings during the day, in the lead up to the ceremony. The girls (think there were 8 adult bridesmaids!) all had plenty of time to get ready etc.

Afterwards, everything flowed really well time wise and we did wonder why more people don't opt for a later ceremony!

You just wont have that hour or so of hanging around before each "Main" part of the day.

I say go for it!

Good luck! Let us know what you decide x

Just to play devil's advocate...the only real negative I can see is that 4:30pm is well in to the afternoon, if it was me I would feel my big day was actually only half a day and my nerves would be totally shot having to wait until 4:30 for everything to start.

It really is up to you, it depends on what your plans are for the day

I think with a 4:30 wedding you can't realistically have a sit-down meal and evening buffet, I can't imagine there'd be enough time. Also, like Vintage said, I'd feel like I was only getting half a wedding day. But at the end of the day, it's what suits you ?

That entirely depends on the photos you want and how your photographer(s) work. We tend to work relatively quickly with formals and never need to spend more than 20 minutes on them. We also take bride & groom off for their portraits session for at least 20 minutes (although 30 mins- 45 is ideal)

So in theory, yes, plenty of time

Keep in mind that most people will want to mingle a bit after the ceremony and congratulate you, so allow however long you think you'll need before going into photos (10 minutes is usually ok)

As a rule, allow 2 minutes per formal photo you want and 30 minutes for your B&G session, 10 minutes of mingling and aim to finish atleast 10 minutes before being called in for food

If you find you will over run due to lots of formals, see if there are any you can do before the ceremony. We always get photos such as bride with bridesmaids, or individual photos with mum, dad etc done prior to the wedding, to relive pressure later on.

*Edit* Sorry have just seen the other question.

They didn't have both a meal and an evening buffet. I believe they had canapes and a buffet

The time between the end of the ceremony and sit down will be the biggest issue for you.

The first thing that happens after the ceremony will be everyone greeting you and taking photos of you with their cameras.

Then confetti if it's allowed. There's 20-30 minutes gone....because we're all too polite to say no.

Of the remaining 20-30 minutes you have to have your formals and those of just you two. How smoothly things go will depend very much on how switched on the guests are at the time...and how many formals you have.

It would be lovely to think you'll be able to have a canape or four with your guests. But in reality something may have to be compromised.

What I would suggest is this. Ask your venue to specifically not hand out any refreshments until after the photos, that includes you two as well.

Go straight out of the ceremony and into the shots. You could get these done in 20 minutes and then you'll have 40 minutes clear to socialise before dinner.

Any other way and people have time to lose focus and start to drift. Once guests are switched off they are quite tricky to switch on again!

Hi,

I'm having a 4pm slot next August so it's no different to you, and I'm looking forward to spending the day with my family/BMs and getting some pics in beforehand. Both my cousins had a 4pm wedding and it was lovely, so if it's the year and month that suits don't worry. I get the sense you've got your heart set on August next year so go for it and make the time work for you.

What date are you looking at? I'm 25/08/2013

We're having small canapes and then a 3 course sit down meal at 5.30 (our wedding is a 4pm civil ceremony in the venue so we'll be done by 4.30), and about 9.30\10pm we're serving bacon butties or mushroom and cheese paninis rather than a full buffet, I've been to too many weddings where the buffet is barely touched!

Planning wise not done too much, just the venue, registrar and photographer. I'm hoping to get my dress when I go to NYC next month and then I'll start on BM dresses. Oh and I have 150 white organza favour bags that my brother bought me! How about you?

I'm almost a date twin too (if you go for that date), we're getting married on the bank holiday Monday, 26/08/2013 at 3pm, we're only having the sit down meal though, maybe just a sweety buffet later on if people get peckish

Sasha your dress is lovely, Maggie Sottero dresses are so pretty! I'm going to NYC in a month so fingers crossed I find something I like there, they have a lot of off the rack ones I can buy and bring back with me and get it altered if need be.

I'd definitely chat to your venue, after all they might let you have different food or have a smaller buffet but put money to drinks?

GoogleyB- another August BH bride! How's planning going?

No idea why my typing has come up so small sorry

Hi Sasha Sparkle.

I got married at 4:30 (two weeks ago!) and it was perfect :-) No rush to be ready - I had a great lie in (helpful I was quite drunk the night before!)

Our ceremony finished at 5pm. Originally we'd asked for the drinks to be held off until after the photos so we could get going with these. However, the did serve the drinks. It wasn't a prob as our photographers quickly got their group shots done and there was still time to say hi and mingle before we went off for a few couples shots. We had our sit down meal at 6:30 and had aimed to start speeches by 8. This was the only bit that ran over which did mean a few evening guests arrived during speeches (eve reception was due to start 8:30) but it didn't matter.

We did not have an eve buffet as no point when eating a 3 course meal at 6:30! We put on eve invites that there would not be a buffet (so as not to disappoint) but that there would be plenty of cake. We also had a pick n mix. Everyone was so stuffed from the meal day guests def wouldn't have eaten buffet and there was no way I was paying for one anyway!!

Our timings meant there was none of the hanging about you can can at weddings which can be a little dull depending on whether you know other guests!

I'd say go for it!

I haven't found a date twin before and now I have two (well the same weekend, which I think will be the closest I get with a bank hol Monday wedding!)

Going dress shopping with my mum and two bridesmaids, looking forward to it but also slightly nervous!

I know what you mean about not wanting to wait until 2014, we only got engaged at the end of July but I don't think I could contain my excitement until 2014 (a year will be difficult enough!)

Everyone keeps saying 'it'll be here before you know it, just spend time enjoying the planning' but I'm far to impatient for that! ?

Good luck for booking, I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!

We got married at 4pm, photos, drinks etc, a posh buffet at 6.30pm, speeches at 7pm then party followed. I ant see how you would Fit in wedding breakfast and buffet. Seems such a waste of money imo

I agree with you that the evening guests will want feeding - no question in my eyes. However, the day guests will probably be too full. You could either just cater for the amount of evening guests, plus a few greedy day guests, or perhaps serve your evening food later, say, at 10pm. I often find that as a day guest, if I've eaten about 4 (finish at say 6), I'm not hungry for the evening food when it's served at 8, but I'm peckish about 10 or 11, by which time it's too late.

Just bear in mind your timings also, as things do have a tendency to overrun, even with the best organisation in the world. You don't want your evening guests to arrive and have to wait outside until the speeches are finished.

I agree with food in the evening but there was that much buffet food left out people could Pick all night. And obviously cake too. Depends on how much food etc you have. I just think if I'd eaten a wedding breakfast that late there's no way I could eat a buffet a couple of hours later.

I am getting married at 4pm. We wanted a late wedding as have been to a couple of weddings recently with a long gap between day and evening guests and to be honest between 5-7 we were rather bored waiting for the disco to start.

We are not having canapes but we will have a sit down meal (about 5.30).

We only have 22 close family and friends for the actually meal but we have 150 evening guests so we are having a bbq for those which comes with jacket potatos, coldslaw etc will probably have this served from about 8.30 onwards

Hope this helps

Obviously completely up to you but it wouldn't be for me for two reasons;

Firstly, most weddings cost and arm and a leg and it's worthwhile to get your moneys worth ie wear the dress for as many hours as possible, and make the day last as long as you possibly can. The day goes fast enough as it is... We got married at 1pm and it didn't feel long enough!

Secondly, with guests eating the wedding breakfast so late in the day, there is probably little need for an evening buffet too, unless of course you have guests attending the evening only.

We got married on a Sunday as the Saturday (on the weekend we wanted) could only offer late in the afternoon, and we wanted to make a day of it. Does it have to be in August or could you try a midweek wedding?