What time should i put on invites

We're putting the actual start time of the ceremony, which would be 3:30pm/4pm (not sure yet). Guests will naturally show up early! You could also do the start time as 3:15pm. That way you have 15min to play with for guests to arrive, but they don't arrive too early and sit around waiting for too long!

View Quoted Comment That's very true. I don't want guests sitting around for to long. Maybe I'll just do the 15 minutes earlier like you said just to be sure.

We put the start time on our invitations. I always get to a wedding 15-20 minutes before an invite says so if you put 3:00, expect that at least some of your guests will have been sitting around for 45+ minutes by the time you start.

Definitely put the time the ceremony will actually start. From experience, I can tell you it was awful when the bride and groom told us to be there 30 minutes before the ceremony started. It was mid-June and incredibly hot, We sat around in a barn with only two fans. Everyone was bored, dying of heat, and clearly angry with the bride and groom for making them sit there for so long. Only one person was late and that even after they lied to all of their guests about the start time.

I'm putting 5pm on my invitations, but I'm not planning for the bridal party to start walking out until 5:15pm. Knowing our family and friends, I can almost guarantee we'll have more than a handful of guests arrive late. We'll have water stations and live musicians for those who arrive early.

I'd put 3:30pm but build some buffer into your schedule in case you start late. Guests will become restless if they're left waiting too long!

View Quoted Comment Yea I'm starting to think maybe 10 to 15 minutes because I know my side at least always are late.

Older generations will let everyone know to arrive early. Do not worry. You list the start time as when you walk down the aisle.

View Quoted Comment The older generation in our family runs late as well so they won't be any help. When I went to my cousins wedding 2 years ago a couple of older family members had said "it's ok to arrive a little late it's not like it's going to start when it's says these things never do"

View Quoted Comment Every group is different. I wouldn't invite people who made dismissive comments like that. Personally as a guest, I have never seen a wedding rin late, and a day of coordinator will ensure you are on time. Most families and social circles rely on older generations for etiquette and social cues.

I put the start time as 5p but i knew i was going to wait 5-10 minutes to actually start just because people will get situated and whatever else

30 minutes is a good time to put. Because people will always be running late.

View Quoted Comment That was exactly my thoughts especially with my family and friends.

We put the time we intended to start, 7:30 pm. But at the bottom it said that doors to the ceremony room seating area will be opened at 7. No one was seated in the last several minutes. They got the point .

View Quoted Comment But that is unfair to the majority of people who arrive 20-30 minutes early, as they should, and now have to wait 50-60 minutes. Why punish them to make up for inability of some other to plan? Put it on your website , seating begins at_____. When the ceremony begins at 3pm, doors will be closed. Tell people you think are problems.

View Quoted Comment Except during a blizzard where more than half never made it, the only ones I have seen be late were groomsmen, and young groom's friends who obviously had stopped a bar. Since mothers are seated in the last part of seating ( usually) at the end of the prelude music and before the processional starts, most everyone tries to arrive before that last 5-10 minutes. And expect a last few stragglers will be seated, and doors closed. Just like theatre, ballet, come early or be shut out of the first act. If 100 to 200 can manage to be on time, don't cater to the 5 people who may not.

View Quoted Comment We are having it outside so the doors will be closed at __ time doesn't work.

View Quoted Comment I think this is a situation of know your crowd. We are thinking of putting an earlier start time because we know that our crowd tends to be late.

We’re putting our start time which is 4pm. We’re not putting an end time.

Can you put on the invitation something like "Guest arrival/Doors open/Seating starts at 3:00pm. Ceremony will promptly begin at 3:30pm."

Or if that doesn't work, do you have a wedding website you can add that additional information on. May something like "Please arrive a little earlier to get seated before the ceremony begins."