How Long Do Weddings Last: A Wedding Scheduling Guide

For a married couple, weddings could be quite exhausting even though it is the most awaited day of their lives as they begin a new chapter together. It could not be stressed enough how difficult, complex, and energy-consuming planning a wedding is, and to think that you must fit everything into a single day is just ridiculous. With all these said, there is an important question that most would not even care to ask in this type of celebration. The question of how long do weddings last is not commonly asked because most couple preparing for their wedding gets too hung up on the different things going around at once that the timeline itself is not properly discussed. Therefore, let us investigate the creation of timelines, and how do weddings last normally.

How Long Does a Wedding Usually Last?

In this section, we would be discussing how long do weddings last but specifically, we would be looking at how long should a wedding ceremony and reception last. It should be noted that different cultures do a wedding differently. Some might have a wedding celebration for the whole day while some might be doing the wedding celebration for 3-4 days. However, the typical wedding lasts for about 6 hours. This included the wedding ceremony itself and the wedding reception. This 6-hour standard has been made because out of all the possible duration of the wedding, this specific time sits on the Goldilocks' zone of wedding ceremonies, meaning it has the sweet spot where people feel okay with having a formal event without feeling too antsy or bored. Another reason for this is because most wedding services provide packages that cover only 6 hours in their contract. If you go beyond the set time, then you will be paying extra for the overtime of the people you employed which could get you to spend more than you should. Therefore, expenses may also be a reason for having this standardized time for a wedding ceremony and reception.

How to Create a Timeline for a Wedding

Now that you know the answer to the question, “How long are weddings?” you might want to start creating the timeline that would fit into this length of time. There are two main sections for your wedding timeline. The first one is for the preparations needed before the wedding while the other one is for the whole ceremony and reception.

For the preparation, you should allow 5-7 hours before the start of your wedding ceremony for makeup. This could vary depending on your makeup team, but it is a good length to get everything done. After this, you should proceed to wear your dress for an hour or an hour and a half before your wedding ceremony. You could also factor the travel time if you are far from the venue. The bridal party should be prepared 30 minutes before the ceremony which is because the first guest usually arrives at this time frame. The ceremony should also start within the time stated on the invitation so that the schedule will not be pushed backward, and it could be considered a form of courtesy for people who arrived on time.

For the start of the wedding ceremony itself, the suggested time frame should be from 15 minutes to an hour and a half depending on the ceremony. After this, you usually send your guest for a cocktail hour of about 60-90 minutes while your family stays with you for a family photo session which lasts for 20-30 minutes. Then for the reception, 15 minutes before the set time is when you usher your guest inside the venue and after this, you would proceed with the bridal entrance. After the bridal entrance, you could go straight for dinner which could last for 45 minutes to an hour and a half depending on your catering service. Anything longer than this would cause your guest to be bored. Then, proceed with a toast that would take about 10 minutes long or more depending on the number of people and the length of their speech. The next event is the dances which include perfunctory dance, and open dancing for about 50 minutes long. Then, after dancing you could proceed with cake cutting, bouquet and garter tossing which lasts for 15 minutes. After all these activities, there should be a 15-30-minute last call. Lastly, 10 minutes before you leave, your guest will line up for your grand exit which signals the end of your wedding and reception.

This is a timeline you could follow for your wedding where you could make minor adjustments and add something for variation. With that said, make sure you create a timeline that will be coordinated with the knowledge you have on “How long do weddings last?”

Things to Consider When Planning the Whole Day of the Wedding

Since you now know about how long do weddings last and the creation of a timeline for it to be as seamless as possible, it is only proper to discuss the important things to consider for the planning of the wedding. The first thing that should be considered is for possible allowances for time. Many unexpected things could happen to your wedding such as guests not arriving early, and the reception not being set on time. These spaces on your schedule allow for the worst-case scenario to have some sort of insurance to not affect the whole event. The next thing to consider is the coordination with the services you employed.

The main service provider at your weddings such as the photographers, the catering, and the DJ should be allotted with a time frame for their service. This is to ensure that there is a smooth transition of tasks to be done for a seamless wedding day. The last thing to consider is the time where you will be doing the whole ceremony. For some, it would be great to start late in the afternoon because it gives a beautiful transition of the day and the night for the whole celebration as it ends. This also gives a satisfying temporal ending to your wedding festivities. With all that said, planning your timeline should be as easy as pie once you get a hold of these important details.

Conclusion

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