How To Choose What Time of Day You Should Get Married in

While 11am or 1pm remain the most popular ceremony times historically, sunset and twilight weddings are also becoming quite attractive to marrying couples. But what is the best time of the day for you to get married in?

What Time Of Day Should You Get Married?

When you first meet your venue co-ordinator, you’ll be presented with various timing options for your wedding day. And typically, they will share the most traditional options. For instance, a 1pm ceremony offers plenty of time to get ready, take photographs and allow everyone to make their way to the ceremony. But there’s nothing to say that your perfect day has to fit the same mould.

Over the last few years in the UK, marriage laws have relaxed considerably. Allowing for more relaxed wedding day schedules. So, if you’ve been imagining a sunrise elopement with the dawn chorus, or exchanging vows beneath the stars, they needn’t be pipe dreams any more!

How To Choose the Best Time to Get Married…

Do you have any times of day that are particularly sentimental to you as a couple? How about the time of your first date, proposal, or some other relationship milestone? You could use these to guide the time you get married.

The time of year you choose to tie the knot could influence the time you hold your ceremony. If you want a candlelit ceremony or to have your couples portraits at sunset, for example, then you’ll need to tie the knot much earlier in the day during the winter months than in the summer.

Moonlit ceremonies do sound quite romantic, but you should consider the practicalities of getting married at that time. Your wedding will need to be held at a comfortable time for all of your guests to attend and for suppliers to set up in. Thorough planning will make many things possible, but it won’t make things easy. If you do decide to go for this option, perhaps set up the day before the wedding and provide accommodation for your guests on the day of your nuptials.

Exclusive use is another area that must be considered. If you’ve chosen a venue that’s open to the public, you may need to work around their opening hours in order to have the place to yourselves.

There are financial benefits to marrying a little later in the day. A 5pm ceremony means you only need to cater for one meal, saving you a significant sum of money that could be invested in your honeymoon instead!

On the other hand, if you’ve booked multiple entertainment acts, then it makes sense to hold your ceremony earlier to allow time for guests to enjoy it. Some entertainment will also be better suited to the daytime, whereas others can only function once the sun goes down. Anything prepared specifically for children should also, obviously be planned for early in the day.

What Next…

Once you’ve decided what time you’d like your ceremony to start and have had it approved with your venue, you need to consider the information sent out on your invitations. When stating your ceremony time, factor in room for guests and events to be a little late. These things never run precisely on time, so be sure to give yourself a buffer. Your groom will need to be at the venue ready to greet guests before the advertised time. Make sure it’s not so early that his wedding morning becomes a frantic rush.

It’s best to leave plenty of time between your full day and evening guests’ invitation start times. To allow for the ceremony itself, the drinks’ reception, and wedding breakfast. About four hours should be about the minimum. You’ll need longer for religious ceremonies as it's likely there will be travel between venues. Adapt these rules of thumb to your own plans, and you’ll be on track for a perfectly paced wedding in no time.