Should we change ceremony time?

Hi

What time does your wedding end? I originally booked my ceremony for 3pm and then changed it to 2pm (1am finish) as I went to a friend’s ending that started at 11am (midnight finish) and it seemed to fly by!

Also, I wanted to stretch the day out as long as possible!

If it helps, our schedule is

2pm: Ceremony

2.30pm: Reception drinks and canapés)

4.30pm: Speeches

5pm: Dinner (followed by teas and coffee, cake cutting etc)

8pm: First dance

9.30pm: Evening food

12.30am: Bar closes and music stops

1am: Night ends

I too was worried that our start was too late and have felt a lot better since pushing the ceremony to 2pm, I must say!

The bar is licensed until 11:30pm- We haven't yet discussed the 'end' time with the venue as such- maybe this is something I should clarify.

Where do your photographs come into your timeline- is this between ceremony and reception drinks?

We are not having a sit down dinner and I am not sure on speeches (we aren't doing things 'traditionally' as such) So I wonder if this would still fit loosely within your timeline.

Thanks for your advice!

There should not be any issues with light for the photographs, with a 3.30 ceremony you will be out with a drink in your hand by 4, chat mingle, laugh and any official photos to be done by 5.30 tell eve guests to arrive for 7 with a first dance at 8 which gives you time to say hello to them before some serious dance floor action.

If you were having your ceremony at a Church then I would defiantly say 1 hour earlier, or if you had 100 day guests or if you still were having the ceremony there with 50 guests but it was a full blown sitdown meal then again 1 hour earlier but for afternoon tea for 50 then I then I think you are about right but an extra 1 hour would not be felt as then being too long and that extra hour will mean that everything can be just a little more relaxed

Hi,

Yes, we’re having photos after the ceremony but aren’t having many formal ones (our photographer is more a “candid snaps” style so don’t anticipate it will take very long.

I think if you’re having afternoon tea and not having speeches, a 3.30pm start could work fine, it’s just whether you want to stretch the day out a little more?

So eg if you had 2.30pm start, you might do

2.30 ceremony

3pm reception with posed photos

4.30pm afternoon tea

6.30pm dancing starts

8.30pm buffet

11.30pm bar closes

Two hours might be a little long for the afternoon tea, depending on quantities of food but then you want people to have time to chat and relax? Also I don’t know if you’re doing a cake cut, but that might then be included in that two hour period too?

I think it could work both ways but I felt that if I was umming and ahhing, I’d rather add an hour on and later think: actually we would have been fine without it, than later think: that felt a little shorter than I would have liked!

Hi,

We are having our ceremony at 3pm, I was a bit concerned that this might be too late but it is the earliest our venue can do.

Having spoken to the organisers the timings seem fine, we have fit everything in, there's no rushing and there is no long lulls. I think you will be fine but if it is bothering you then there's no harm in bringing the ceremony forward an hour or so.

xx

Hey,

We are having our ceremony, reception and evening party at one beautiful venue. They have tried and tested the times and thus fits best. No board guests hanging around and no rush for us brides in the morning!

A lot of venues are offering later ceremonies now, and if everything is happening at the same venue then you'll definitely have enough time

We always say to allow an hour after the ceremony for photos, depending on how many groups you have and how important intimate photos of just the two of you are, but you can definitely fit that in with a 3pm ceremony. The light will be great, a little lower in the sky if it's sunny will make for some very gorgeous images.

If you're worried though, bringing it forward an extra hour won't hurt anything, and if it'll put your mind at ease, more the better.

Ours is a lot longer starting at 11am and finishing at 2am however we have two venues, three live bands and three separate lots of guests arriving at different times! There are 95 people to sit at tables and feed too, the extra time is so we don't have to buzz around like flies! Oh we also have two German shepherds that are being brought to the wedding and then taken home! Lots of complications. Lol.

3.30pm ceremony at the beginning of September is absolutely fine for photographs. Your ceremony will be finished around 4pm so you can do photographs around 4.30pm/5pm. There'll be plenty of daylight at that time in September.