What time of day is best for your wedding? For many couples, the early afternoon is the most popular choice. But you have many good reasons to opt for evening nuptials instead. What are some of these excellent benefits of a late wedding hour? Here are just a few of the most important.
1. It's Convenient for Guests
Do you want to help ensure that many of the people you want at your wedding can actually come to the festivities? Then consider an evening ceremony and party, particularly if the wedding will be on a nontraditional day of the week.
2. You Have Less Catering
When you schedule the wedding for the dinner hour or later, you'll generally have less food and beverages to provide. You can move straight into the dinner, skipping appetizers, and will likely have a shorter reception — which means fewer drinks and less dessert. And you won't have to provide all-day food for the wedding party and helpers.
3. It's Romantic
Want to capitalize on a full moon, the beautiful nighttime sky, or the allure of city lights? What about a romantic sunset ceremony? Start the day later than you might otherwise, scheduling the key points of the wedding for peak evening and nighttime natural activity. While you might get a sampling of nighttime beauty during an earlier wedding, it will be more of an afterthought than a key point.
4. You Have More Time
Brides and grooms are often insanely busy from the moment they get up until the moment the reception ends. This is often a particular problem if you're DIY-ing many items, overseeing everything yourself, or have a large party to manage. If you worry about getting everything done, give yourself more time by scheduling an evening wedding.
5. Your Venue Might Be Emptier
Some nontraditional venues are quite busy during the day, causing challenges for weddings occurring at peak times. This could include many museums, public gardens, parks, restaurants, and national parks. If you move your ceremony to a later time, you benefit from the natural dispersal of crowds. You might even find that you have more venue options if you choose an affair after business hours are over.
While the decision about the wedding day schedule is unique to each couple, some of the benefits of a particular hour are universal. No matter whether you want more choices, more convenience for all, or an extension of your wedding day timeline, evening nuptials could be the answer you've been looking for.