What Time To Start Your Ceremony
What Time To Start Your Ceremony
Planning Your Wedding Day Timeline
One of the most frequent questions I get asked from Brides is when they should start their ceremony. The start of your ceremony marks the start of your wedding party for your guests. The start of your ceremony is also SO important because it’s what all the vendors will plan around. From when you get your hair and makeup done to what time the caterers arrive, it’s all based on your ceremony start time. I know this one time sounds so pivotal but don’t worry, I have some tips to help you!
Plan around the sunset.
One thing to keep in mind is the season. The sunsets differently in each season. In order to have all your portraits and still sneak out for sunset photos, there needs to be enough daylight to work with. As a good buffer, it’s nice to have 3-4 hours of solid daylight after your ceremony.
- In Spring and Fall, the sun sets earlier, closer to 6:00 PM. This means starting your ceremony around 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM pending your exact wedding date.
- In Summer, the sun sets later, closer to 8:00 PM. There is more flexibility with your start time. You can start as late as 5:00 PM.
- In Winter, the sun sets really early, closer to 4:00 PM. The ceremony start time will have to be in the afternoon around 1:00 PM to have enough time for everything.
Any easy tip for knowing exactly when the sun will set on your date is to Google it! Google will tell you a good estimate when the run will set on your exact date.
Another tip to move around the ceremony start time is the first look. If you are doing a first look at your husband-to-be portraits can be done much sooner!
Hangry guests are not happy guests.
Another thing to consider is dinner time. Most people come hungry to a wedding. You don’t want your guests to be starving. The only thing that will be on your guest’s mind is food instead of enjoying your special day. When planning your ceremony start time, keep in mind when dinner and cocktail hour will be.
Keep track of time.
Lastly, every ceremony is different. How long will your ceremony be? Will you be having a full service? Do you plan on having a receiving line after the ceremony? Will you plan on having alone time? All of these questions are good questions to think about. Keep track of time and how much time things will take.
When planning your wedding day timeline, start with the ceremony start time. I LOVE working with my couples on their timelines and making their wedding day absolutely perfect!
Planning Your Wedding Day Timeline
One of the most frequent questions I get asked from Brides is when they should start their ceremony. The start of your ceremony marks the start of your wedding party for your guests. The start of your ceremony is also SO important because it’s what all the vendors will plan around. From when you get your hair and makeup done to what time the caterers arrive, it’s all based on your ceremony start time. I know this one time sounds so pivotal but don’t worry, I have some tips to help you!
Plan around the sunset.
One thing to keep in mind is the season. The sunsets differently in each season. In order to have all your portraits and still sneak out for sunset photos, there needs to be enough daylight to work with. As a good buffer, it’s nice to have 3-4 hours of solid daylight after your ceremony.
- In Spring and Fall, the sun sets earlier, closer to 6:00 PM. This means starting your ceremony around 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM pending your exact wedding date.
- In Summer, the sun sets later, closer to 8:00 PM. There is more flexibility with your start time. You can start as late as 5:00 PM.
- In Winter, the sun sets really early, closer to 4:00 PM. The ceremony start time will have to be in the afternoon around 1:00 PM to have enough time for everything.
Any easy tip for knowing exactly when the sun will set on your date is to Google it! Google will tell you a good estimate when the run will set on your exact date.
Another tip to move around the ceremony start time is the first look. If you are doing a first look at your husband-to-be portraits can be done much sooner!
Hangry guests are not happy guests.
Another thing to consider is dinner time. Most people come hungry to a wedding. You don’t want your guests to be starving. The only thing that will be on your guest’s mind is food instead of enjoying your special day. When planning your ceremony start time, keep in mind when dinner and cocktail hour will be.
Keep track of time.
Lastly, every ceremony is different. How long will your ceremony be? Will you be having a full service? Do you plan on having a receiving line after the ceremony? Will you plan on having alone time? All of these questions are good questions to think about. Keep track of time and how much time things will take.
When planning your wedding day timeline, start with the ceremony start time. I LOVE working with my couples on their timelines and making their wedding day absolutely perfect!
