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We are a team of dedicated, quirky, fun-loving, inventive ladies that are passionate about creating luxurious and peaceful events through our logistical and visual strengths.

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4 Steps to Choosing a Ceremony Start Time

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When Is The Best Time To Say “I DO”

Hi there! Who is in full-on planning mode? Need help picking a ceremony start time? Don’t fret we’ve got you covered. Your ceremony start time can be affected by a few different things so we are going to cover that with you today. When planning a wedding or talking to a planner this will be one of the first things that will need to be determined. It helps if you have a venue, and know what your date. How many people do you want to have in the wedding party or invite to the wedding? This can also help to know. I’d say the average start time in Texas is around 4 pm to 7 pm. This is your day after all so of course, you can plan to have your wedding whenever you would like, let us help take some of the guesswork out of it for you.

Time Of Year

The time of year will have the biggest impact on your ceremony start time. Why? It really has to do with what time the sun goes down. In Texas, we have super long summer days. Sunset may not happen until 8:30 pm some evenings. Thus allowing plenty of time after a short 7 pm ceremony to take pictures. Winter, however, is a different story, with sunset sometimes starting between 5 pm and 5:30 pm. You could have a much early ceremony start time, or plan for pictures before. We will go over more photography options later.

Note- The best light of the day is the hour before sunset which is known as the Golden Hour.

Where Are You Getting Married

Venue times can vary. By a lot. Some venues allow you to have access all-day, while others let you in an hour before your ceremony time. This will be a big deal when you are wanting lots of pictures, or a long reception. Something to remember to ask about when touring venues. Take it from us, it is no fun to feel rushed through any part of your big day. Maybe posed pictures aren’t your priority though and you would rather more candid shot throughout the night, again completely up to you.

Wedding Party and Family

For smaller weddings/ wedding parties (the wedding party is your bridesmaids and groomsmen), there are few people to move around there for more time. This gives you a little more wiggle room in your schedule and allows you to be a little more flexible on your ceremony start time. Therefore if you are having a larger wedding or even just have a large wedding party then you have a little less time to work with, especially for pictures.

And Finally, Photos

If you haven’t noticed by now, photos are a pretty big deal. Maybe you are the type to want a lot of posed dreamy, romantic pictures or a bunch of candid of the whole gang. Either way, you need time to do this. Just yo give you an idea. If you are having a winter wedding with a 10 plus wedding party it may be a good idea to have a 4-4:30 pm ceremony start with bridal party photos before the ceremony. This allows time for family and newly married couple pictures afterward. We always recommend talking to your planner and photographer to get the best overall idea of what your timeline should look like. In the end, it’s all about what makes you happy.

Looking for Photographers? Here are a few of our favorite Gals!

Dawn Elizabeth Studios

Pine and Blossom

Jessica Chole Photography 

Anna Kay Photography 

 

Need help on when to book a Wedding Coordinator? Click here!

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