Start time for a Sunday Wedding??

[Lori]

My wedding is on a Sunday obviously by the title :hehe:
I have 5 hours. In my contract my ceremony can't start any earlier than 30 mins after the start of my event. So right now I have 4-9 and my ceremony would have to start at 4:30.

My mom was talking with some of our guests and one of them commented that usually sunday weddings are earlier due to people that have to wake up early for work.

Our reception is indoors and I want it to be a candle light romantic atmosphere, but wouldn't it be kinda odd if its light outside still?

What do you guys think? I was thinking I could move the event up a half hour to 3:30-8:30. But I don't want to go much earlier than that since we are serving a full dinner.

You as a guest to a Sunday wedding what would you prefer?

[Lela]

I think 4 would be fine! 9 isn't too late, and 4 is a good time because it's late enough that people that go to church have time to get home, change, eat something, get ready, get to the wedding... without rushing too much.

[-->Kat<--]

We're having a Sunday wedding too... the ceremony starts at 3 reception is from 4-9.

You can't start a Sunday wedding too early cause some people actually go to church on that day. And I totally understand about the candle light and romance... we're having candles all over the place for that reason.

[nikkiana]

I would say that any time between 2 PM and 4 PM would be an appropriate time to start a wedding on a Sunday without it being too late by the time the wedding and reception are over.

[MsJessica07]

We're starting in the morning for ours, but we're also having a Jewish wedding, so there are different things going on. Plus, we're having a lunch reception because of the $$.

I think 9 is fine, unless everyone is travelling, which I doubt they are.

[Lori]

My mom seems to want me to start it earlier, I hate arguing with her because she thinks she knows everything.

She was like most people have to go home and wake up early, 9pm is too late. I told her I don't think thats late. She said well most people have to wake up early and blah blah blah.... I said stop saying most people have to wake up early, because statistics show most people work 9-5!! lol

So I was thinking of moving it up a 1/2 hour to 3:30-8:30... but 8:30 seems so early to leave, and i think it will probably still be light out lol
Thanks for your input everyone, I may just leave it as it is. Or pay for an extra hour at the end to make it 3:30-9

[MsJessica07]

That might be an idea to pay for a little more time...

Another thing you can do is plan an afterparty if there will be friends you'd like to party with afterwards or something...like a get together at someone's house or a hotel or something. I've heard of other brides doing this, something intimate and goofy, as a way for the couple to unwind with close friends...

[jillian]

I went to a Sunday wedding in June. You may even remember the outcome it had on my the next day. (look at my avatar) Well that wedding reception started at 5:00 but they didn't get introduced until almost 6:00. I think 4:00 - 9 is good or doing 3:30 - 9.

[angie]

I'm having a Sunday wedding. The ceremony will be at 1 pm with cocktails at 1:30 and the reception running til 6:30. At first I wanted it later so people would eat dinner closer to dinner time. Yet we have some people driving close to 2 hours and others who have work early the next day. We didn't want a bunch of people leaving too early or not coming because of that.

[lk718]

I don't think 9 or 8:30 are too late for a Sunday wedding. 10 and past, yes... but 9 is still plenty of time for people to go home and get enough rest for the next day. In your position, I'd keep the time because of the atmosphere you're trying to go for with candles and romance, definitely.

[carolinalady67]

I don't think that 9 is to late either. I'd keep it 4-9, tell your mom she can leave at 8:30 if she needs to :)

[-->Kat<--]

yah... I wouldn't change the time... people will trickle out when every they want to.

[Lori]

Jessica- Thats a great Idea, I'll run that by FH and see what he thinks. He'll probably just want to go back to our hotel room early lol :hehe:

Jillian- Yes I do remember you writing that in your journal Thats a late sunday wedding. We are taking pictures before the ceremony so we will be introduced very shortly after the start of the reception since we don't need to worry about a bunch of pictures.

Angie- I have a couple of family members that are going to have to drive a ways, but I figure they will either leave early or just take that monday off work and stay in town. If more than 2 of my guest had to drive over an hour I'd def. do it earlier like your doing.

Ik718 & Lisa- I didn't think its too late either, I'll tell my mom if everyone leaves early than let them but I know not everyone will be leaving early, like she claims lol

Kat- Thanks :) I'm glad to see other people agree with me

Our invites say 4 o'clock and I told FH that if we do a 4-9 wedding I have to change the invites to half past 4 o'clock. He thinks that sounds dumb. So I'm going to see if they will extend my time by 1/2 hour for free. To extend it by an hour its $250! but it is a sunday and I don't think they will have a problem. If they do we'll see how much it cost for 1/2 an hour. From talking to her it seems like you can pretty much have anything you want from them for a price.

[Christa]

I'd prefer an earlier time for a Sunday wedding, but I also don't really think 30 min is going to make all that much of a difference, so if you want it to start at 4 then it should

[jrbecca]

I think you're plans are fine as is. After all, if you have church goers on your guest list, you'll want to assume that their morning/early afternoon is something they'll want to preserve. I think planning for the reception to end at 9 pm is great--this will enough time for local guests to get home, unwind, and get ready for their work week. And don't forget that people are selfish in a sense that they'll take care of themselves first and foremost regardless of how long the reception is scheduled to last. They'll leave when it's best for them whether that be at 8:30 pm or 9 pm.

Besides, who likes to cook on a Sunday evening any way? I don't. :rofl:

[Andrea]

I don't think its odd that you want to have candle light at all...who really cares what others think.

You know what...i think 4 is a PERFECT time to start...like some others have said, gives ppl time to get home from church and dilly dally around. 4-9 being to late for ppl? haha heck no

[Alice]

I don't think 4 is at all an unreasonable time to start a Sunday wedding.

One thing that you might consider is doing all of the "major" stuff that you're planning on, like toasts, cake cutting, bouquet/garter tossing, etc, relatively early (like, w/in the first hour or 2 after the reception begins). That way the people who want to leave early won't feel like they're missing anything. :}

[Jaime]

Well if your guests are local and attend church, you might want it to be after 2 pm to allow for that.