The Timing of Your “I Do”

You’re ready to say “I Do”, but first you must think about your wedding ceremony timing.  What is the optimal ceremony start time?  How long should your ceremony be?  What all needs to be included in your ceremony?  Let’s break down some of the best tips we have for your wedding ceremony timing.

Time to get your wedding started, but when?  There are several factors to consider when choosing your ceremony start time, such as time needed to get ready, photos, and locations.  If you are not doing a first look, we suggest an early afternoon start time to allow time for photos after the ceremony, usually 1:00pm is an ideal start time.  If you are having a first look then you can have a later ceremony around 4:30pm or 5:00pm.  Location is another consideration because if your ceremony is at a separate location from where the reception will be held you need to factor in travel time for both your bridal party and guests.  If this is the case you may need to start the ceremony slightly earlier.

Communication is key to good flow. Have your officiant make pre-ceremony announcements, this might include things such as cocktail hour location, whether certain people need to stay behind for family photos, and now is also the time to remind guests if you want an unplugged ceremony or other things of that nature.  Another key component couples tend to overlook is making sure you have all your songs selected for the ceremony.  If you need help with this check out our music guide.

You’ve got your start time and you know how you want things to flow within your ceremony, but you now must consider how long your ceremony length should be.  Ceremony length is important to keep in mind especially if you want it to be short and sweet.  At the same time though guests came all this way to see you exchange vows so make sure it’s at least 20 minutes in length.  You also need this time to give your photographer and videographer enough time to capture all of the key moments.

Now that you’ve read through our wedding ceremony timing tips you’re all set to create the perfect ceremony for you and your spouse and a great guest experience!  Just remember to keep it fun and lighthearted because it is all about you and you want it to be enjoyable, not stressful!  If you still need some help with this reach out to us here!