Ceremony Length
February 11, 2010
What is the perfect ceremony length?
There are as many answers to this as there are couples. When I hear the scheduled start time, I understand that if the ceremony is at a hall, the cocktail hour is usually scheduled for a half hour after.
Many couples want to fill that whole half hour, but honestly 20 minutes is most people's attention span.
There is also a strange bending of time at highly emotional moments. Your wedding day is absolutely one of those times. It feels like forever while you are standing there and then it feels like it was over in the blink of an eye once it has passed. I myself usually shoot for about 20 minutes unless there are other factors to consider.
If you are on a beach at noon in August, you will want to be kind to your guests remembering that they have been seated for a while before you even walk down the aisle. Having water for them as they enter is a great idea if there is any possibility that they will be baking in the sun.
The same is true if it will be cold out. Many push for the outdoor ceremony for the beautiful pictures and I say 'Go for it.' But again let's be kind to the guests especially the older folks, who sometimes choose to stay inside at a window on chilly days.
Longer ceremonies are usually ones that include multi-cultural aspects. Keeping people intellectually and emotionally present involves them understanding what they are watching. It's a little more time, but well worth two families to understand a little more about one another's culture.
Religious ceremonies can also run longer. I was raised Roman Catholic and my mother still remembers her wedding day as the day a mass was said for her and my father.
Ceremonies that are held in catering halls, parks, mansions, museums, private homes and more gave more leeway as to time and content. My advice before settling on a ceremony length is to first think of your comfort levels, and then ask your officiant what factors you should also be thinking about before deciding on how long you want your ceremony to be.
Happy planning!
L&L, Pastor April
There are as many answers to this as there are couples. When I hear the scheduled start time, I understand that if the ceremony is at a hall, the cocktail hour is usually scheduled for a half hour after.
Many couples want to fill that whole half hour, but honestly 20 minutes is most people's attention span.
There is also a strange bending of time at highly emotional moments. Your wedding day is absolutely one of those times. It feels like forever while you are standing there and then it feels like it was over in the blink of an eye once it has passed. I myself usually shoot for about 20 minutes unless there are other factors to consider.
If you are on a beach at noon in August, you will want to be kind to your guests remembering that they have been seated for a while before you even walk down the aisle. Having water for them as they enter is a great idea if there is any possibility that they will be baking in the sun.
The same is true if it will be cold out. Many push for the outdoor ceremony for the beautiful pictures and I say 'Go for it.' But again let's be kind to the guests especially the older folks, who sometimes choose to stay inside at a window on chilly days.
Longer ceremonies are usually ones that include multi-cultural aspects. Keeping people intellectually and emotionally present involves them understanding what they are watching. It's a little more time, but well worth two families to understand a little more about one another's culture.
Religious ceremonies can also run longer. I was raised Roman Catholic and my mother still remembers her wedding day as the day a mass was said for her and my father.
Ceremonies that are held in catering halls, parks, mansions, museums, private homes and more gave more leeway as to time and content. My advice before settling on a ceremony length is to first think of your comfort levels, and then ask your officiant what factors you should also be thinking about before deciding on how long you want your ceremony to be.
Happy planning!
L&L, Pastor April
