What time is your ceremony?

Most couples plan afternoon wedding ceremonies

The most popular time to hold a wedding ceremony is mid afternoon according to an Easy Weddings poll. 53% of couples that responded to the poll said that their wedding ceremony would take place between 2pm and 4pm, while 78% said it would take place between 2pm and 6pm.

There are many advantages to an afternoon wedding ceremony over one that starts earlier in the day. A ceremony that starts after 2pm will give you plenty of time to get ready without spending hours waiting around for the day to get started. It will also give guests ample time to travel to your wedding. They will be able to have lunch before the ceremony so your vows won’t be obscured by rumbling stomachs.

If you’re having an outdoor wedding in summer, an afternoon wedding will avoid the midday sun, but at other times of the year you may want to plan it earlier to make the most of the light. If your ceremony is in the afternoon it can easily lead into the reception and then the evening celebrations. If you hold it too early you may find your guests spend a lot of the day waiting around for something to happen.

There are, however, some good reasons to hold your ceremony early in the day, and 19% of brides reported that their ceremonies would start before 2pm. If you’re holding your wedding on a weekday or Sunday it might be a good idea to start earlier so you can finish early and guests can be home and ready for work the next day. Equally if you’d like your main celebratory meal to be at lunchtime you could consider a morning wedding. Only 3% of respondents said their ceremonies would start after 6pm and many of these would have been planning a romantic sunset ceremony.