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Christina
Dedicated September 2020

Wedding start time?!

Christina, on October 27, 2019 at 6:49 PM Posted in Planning 1 23
What time will you be starting your wedding?

I’m talking to a DJ and he needs to know how long I’ll need him for. I’m not sure what’s time to start my October wedding. I know I want a late afternoon event so we can have dinner. The party will end at 11

TIA! 😊

23 Comments

Latest activity by Stephanie, on October 28, 2019 at 4:27 PM
  • Chelsea
    Expert September 2021
    Chelsea ·
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    Ours will end at 12:30am, we’re having people arrive between 4:45-5:15 and starting the ceremony at 5:30 until roughly 6:15, then cocktail hour until 7:30, dinner 7:45-8:45, and then the reception until 12:30. We’ll have our DJ the whole time because he’s playing the music for the reception plus cocktail hour, and doing all of our announcements.
    • Reply
  • Caytlyn
    Legend November 2019
    Caytlyn ·
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    Work backwards from your end time. If the reception is ending at 11 and you want a typical four hour reception, it needs to begin at 7. That puts cocktail hour at 6pm to 7pm. If you’re having a 30 minute ceremony, it would begin at 5:30.
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  • Trend
    Just Said Yes July 2020
    Trend ·
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    I was wondering same thing I say maybe 3-11 start at 3 an Reception at 6 until 11 Wht do u think
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  • Sexypoodle
    Master October 2021
    Sexypoodle ·
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    Our ceremony is at 5:30
    Cocktails at 6
    Reception from 6-11 (debating extending to 12). We aren’t having a bridal party and no garter bouquet toss. 65 guests and only doing dinner, first dance and open dancing. So we don’t need much time.
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  • Sexypoodle
    Master October 2021
    Sexypoodle ·
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    Ooops! Reception 7-11....
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  • Lauren
    VIP February 2020
    Lauren ·
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    We’re starting the ceremony at 3pm and ending the reception at 9pm! We wanted people to be able to drive back home (2 1/2 hours away) if they didn’t want to get a hotel room.
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  • Maria
    Dedicated June 2020
    Maria ·
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    We starting our ceremony at 3 or 330pm and ending the reception at 11pm. We're thinking about getting drinks at the hotel we'll be staying at or one of the local bars nearby.

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  • Helena
    Dedicated October 2021
    Helena ·
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    Be mindful of lighting for pictures! We're also getting married in late October next year and have been planning our timing because it starts to get dark earlier due to time change in November.
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  • Amber
    Master February 2020
    Amber ·
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    We're starting our ceremony at 3:00 and ending at 8:00. Thirty minute ceremony, cocktail hour from 3:30-4:30, 30 minutes for introduction/first dance/blessing, dinner at 5:00 and the rest of the reception until 8:00

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  • M
    Legend June 2019
    Melle ·
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    Reception start at 6p
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  • Brooke
    Expert November 2019
    Brooke ·
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    My ceremony is 5:30pm-6:00pm. Then cocktail hour follows until reception at 7:00pm

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  • Briana
    Dedicated December 2019
    Briana ·
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    My ceremony is starting at 6pm and cocktail hour from 630-730 and reception from 730-1130. My DJ is doing music from ceremony to end of reception
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  • MrsD
    Legend July 2019
    MrsD ·
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    Our wedding was 5 PM - 11 PM.

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  • Taylor
    VIP October 2020
    Taylor ·
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    First look/photos at 4:00, Ceremony at 6:00, Cocktail hour from 6:30-7:30, ending at 11:00!

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  • Kate
    Devoted November 2019
    Kate ·
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    View Quoted Comment

    Agreed! I would Google "sunset on" your date. I didn't give this any consideration at all while planning, and ended up getting very lucky that the time falls back overnight after our wedding, so sunset isn't absurdly early.

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  • Meghan
    Master October 2019
    Meghan ·
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    I got married October 5th. Our wedding started at 5:30. We had a 30 minute ceremony, a cocktail hour, then dinner and the reception. It worked out perfectly.

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  • Charlotte
    Devoted September 2021
    Charlotte ·
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    I'm having an early September wedding and it falls on a Saturday. My fiance and I are still debating about start time for our ceremony. Luckily our ceremony and reception are at the same place so that does save us on time. Since our wedding is over an hour away for everyone, we'll probably pick a time around 4 to 5pm.

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  • Cristy
    Master May 2021
    Cristy ·
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    It also depends on how long you have your venue for. Our venue has a time limit of 6 hours from start to finish, with an extra hour for setup and clean up. So, our ceremony is at 4pm (set up from 3:30pm), cocktail hour 4:30 to 5:30pm, then reception 5:30 to 10:30pm.

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  • Jasmine
    Master August 2021
    Jasmine ·
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    Our wedding is from 4p-10p, as of right now. Our DJ will be with us the entire time. If need be, we can extend. I'm still not sure what our timeline will be so we'll see what happens.

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  • Kayla
    Devoted November 2020
    Kayla ·
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    I googled "sunset our date and our location" to figure out exactly when the sun would be going down. Based on that I talked to our photographer to get his opinion. Since sunset will be at 5:03 and we are hoping to have a shorter ceremony, he said we should probably start at 4:00. So most likely we will be doing ceremony 4:00-4:30, cocktail hour/ just married photos 4:30-5:15, then we'll take a few minutes to relax before the reception starts at 5:30. We planned on going until about 10:30.

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