The general guide for wedding guests suggests arriving at the ceremony at least 30 minutes before the invitation start time, with extra time for larger guest lists. The couple should also pad the timing for the ceremony by at least ten to fifteen minutes, especially if the invitation states 4 p.m. but the ceremony starts at 4:15.
Guests should arrive at the venue and take their seat on time, with a general rule of thumb being 15-30 minutes before the scheduled start time. If guests arrive after the ceremony, they should slip into the back row or wait for the coordinator or usher to guide them to the reception. If guests arrive late, they should find a seat quietly in the back to avoid disturbing the ceremony.
The wedding party and immediate family members should aim to arrive at least 30-45 minutes before the ceremony to allow time for last-minute preparations and ensure they are present for pre-ceremony photos or rituals. If guests arrive early, they should take the gift from the couple’s registry or give them cash or a check on the day of. Parking is not an issue, but guests should plan to arrive no more than 10 minutes early.
Guests should always assume a ceremony will start at the time listed on the invitation and plan their travel accordingly, arriving 15 to 30 minutes early. If the reception starts at 3pm, it depends on the customs of the place but should not be later than maybe 30 minutes.
From a wedding guests perspective, many factors could lead to an early arrival time, such as staying at the venue, whether it is a hotel or very close to the venue, or other factors.
📹 How to UNINVITE GUESTS?! + many more | A Necessary Q+A
How to UNINVITE GUESTS?! + many more | A Necessary Q+A Links Mentioned: Floral Quiz …
Do you show up to a wedding on time?
Wedding ceremonies should start on time. Guests should arrive early to be seated when the music starts. What if you’re late and miss the wedding party’s start? Plan your route ahead of time to avoid delays. Running late is the worst, especially when you have to be somewhere important. If you’re late to a wedding, it’s stressful. Running a bit behind schedule is no big deal. We asked etiquette expert Julie Blais Comeau for advice on arriving late to a friend’s wedding.
How early is too early to leave a wedding?
Leave early. The bride and groom often leave the reception before guests leave. They often do this to get a jump on the wedding night, to catch some sleep before an early-morning honeymoon flight, or to follow tradition. Many couples leave early to change clothes and say goodbye to guests. (Don’t forget to say goodbye to Mom and Dad too!) Guests usually think the wedding is over and leave. If someone has to leave before the bride and groom, they should wait until the wedding cake is cut. Stay until the end. Two words changed the bride and groom’s tradition of leaving early: after-party! The reception is just the start of the night. The after-party usually goes on into the early hours. The bride and groom often stay to the end. Even if you don’t have a post-wedding party, it’s still OK for the newlyweds to stay to the end of their reception if they want to. It gives them more time to chat with guests and family.
What is the 30-5 minute rule for weddings?
What’s the 30/5 rule? It’s the rule that accounts for things that take 5 minutes in real life that will take 30 minutes on a wedding day. On a wedding day, 30 minutes feels like 5 minutes. People say your wedding day will fly by. This rule proves it! I’ve been to more weddings than most people! If you don’t give yourself enough time, even simple tasks can mess up your wedding day. Even small tasks can take longer than you think. The 30/5 rule! You can easily combat this by preparing in advance. To make the 30/5 rule work for you, have a wedding day timeline and a plan to follow it. I can help! I can create a custom wedding day timeline with extra time for unexpected tasks.
How long is polite to stay at a wedding reception?
Stay until the end. Two words changed the tradition of leaving early: after-party! The reception is the start of the night for many couples. The after-party usually goes on into the early hours. The bride and groom often stay to the end. Even if you don’t have a post-wedding party, it’s still OK for the newlyweds to stay to the end of their reception if they want to. It gives them more time to chat with guests and family.
Do weddings start at the time on the invitation?
When should we put the wedding invitations in the mail? Call the wedding for at least 30 minutes before the ceremony and say when on the invitation. Plan what you want guests to do before the ceremony. “Make this purposeful.” “Don’t have your guests waiting in their seats,” says etiquette expert Elaine Swann. “Have something for your guests to do.” It doesn’t take much, but you want to create a moment for your guests to arrive and be involved. Swann says simple things like serving spa water, setting up a photo area, or signing the guest book are good ways to fill this time and keep guests from waiting too long. Listing this on a sign or program is another way to show the start time was planned. What about invitations for international guests? If you’re inviting a few overseas guests, send their invitations with the others, but let them know in advance. Call or email them with the details and hotel info so they can plan their travel.
How early should guests arrive before a wedding ceremony?
Don’t start the ceremony too early. Wedding guests know to show up early for the ceremony. If you start your ceremony at 5 p.m., guests will arrive between 4:30 and 4:45 and head down the aisle by 5:15. If you tell guests the ceremony will start at 4:45, they’ll arrive closer to 4 and wait an hour to see you. Keep your guests in the loop. In your wedding invitation, tell guests the date, time, and location of the ceremony. If your reception will be at the same place, say “reception to follow” to let guests know they don’t need to go anywhere else. If you’re having a reception at another location, you can include it on the invitation or print a reception card. Include pre- and post-wedding events, hotel info, and a link to your wedding website on your info card. And don’t forget the dress code!
Is 1pm too early for a wedding?
Weddings of 25 people or more. In summer, the best time is between 1:30 and 2:30 pm. For winter weddings, I’d suggest a 12-1 pm ceremony to make the most of the daylight.
I’d love to photograph you in the Scottish countryside or capture your love in a natural, artistic way.
Should you arrive early to a wedding reception?
For weddings, don’t arrive too early. There may be last-minute preparations and early guests can cause stress. On Wednesdays, we discuss wedding etiquette. Sometimes it’s a reader question, and sometimes it’s a popular issue. (Note: Questions may be edited for clarity and brevity.) Question: A friend of my family is getting married soon. This will be my first wedding as an adult. I’m usually early for meetings because I get anxious about showing up late. How early should guests arrive at a wedding? You’re thoughtful to always try to arrive on time. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you’re late sometimes. We all do it.) Your instincts about an early arrival time are correct. Good planning! For weddings, it’s best to avoid arriving too early because there are often last-minute preparations and early guests can cause stress. Get there 10 minutes early. If you get there early, just wait in your car. Have fun with this first time!
How late can you arrive to a wedding?
When should you arrive at a wedding? Even if wedding planners add a buffer, guests should still try to arrive on time. Thomas Waters, owner and event planner of The Renaissance, says guests should arrive at least 15-20 minutes before the wedding. If you don’t know the area, leave extra time to find your way. Allow time to find parking, get to the ceremony location, and settle in. Check the wedding website for directions and timing. How late is too late to arrive at a wedding? Even five minutes can mess up the wedding timeline. Guests should arrive at the right time to get to the right place, says Chianese. Most welcome stations will be open for half an hour, so guests can find their places. But don’t arrive at the 29th minute or you’ll be late. The doors will open and close at the same time. It’s more socially unacceptable to be late to a wedding than to a Broadway show. What to do if you’re late to a wedding. If you’re late to a wedding, be sure to handle it right. Experts share what guests should do if they’re late to a wedding.
What is the timing etiquette for wedding invitations?
1. Send wedding invitations early. Send wedding invitations early. Give guests time to plan for the wedding. Some guests will need to make travel arrangements, while others may need to find childcare or a date. Send your wedding invitations at least 6-8 weeks before the wedding. If you’re having a destination wedding, send your invitations 12 weeks before.
2. Include all the info. Include all the necessary information in the invitation. Your invitation design is important, but if it’s wrong, it’s wrong. Simplicity is key. Include the following: If you have extra info, like directions, parking, or accommodations, share it now to avoid confusion on your big day. There are several ways. You can add details, a registry, or travel and hotel accommodations to a digital invitation with Paperless Post using the blocks feature. If you’re using print invitations, you can include this info on an extra card or on your wedding website. The invitation is clear and concise, so your wedding details won’t be overlooked. Your wedding invitation will look less cramped and cluttered with excessive information.
📹 7 Things Your Wedding Guests Actually Care About
Weddingplanning #weddingguests When it comes to planning your wedding, there are definitely things your wedding guests …
For the bachelorette parties that don’t involve clubbing: I don’t drink, so my bridesmaids planned a trip for us in Cape May, NJ in September (right after peak season). We stayed in an Airbnb and went on a ghost tour and to the Cape May zoo! We got icecream and went to dinner at an outdoor restaurant. And that night we watched movies and ate s’mores. It was absolutely perfect!
I am getting married in 25 days, and I can honestly say Jamie has helped me plan my day from afar for nearly 2 years now. “Heard, loved, seen, and taken care of…” Oof, are those not the most important things. I’m a very indecisive bride and have been shown an unbelievable amount of grace from my guy, his family, and our all-inclusive venue while I’ve found my voice during this process. It’s so hard to believe we’re this close already. It’s entirely surreal. Thanks a million, Jamie!
This may be random, or you may already know; but they make giant magnets on wheels, we use it once we’re leaving a construction site to get all the screws and nails that may have fallen through the framing or roofing process. Ours is a 4″ depth and roughly 24″ long and sits a couple inches from the ground. And it’s just a little push tool which could potentially go over your land faster and the small humans could help if they wanted! 👍❤️
I’m the mom and not the bride and I can’t stop thinking (obsessing) about the DJ we hired for my daughters wedding. Her day was perfect except for the DJ. He didn’t show up and sent his teenage daughter in his place. She knew nothing! Just made out with her boyfriend and played every song I had to go tell her to play. We even had to do the introductions ourselves because she apparently couldn’t pronounce names well since she kept asking me what their names was. I was furious. He didn’t bother even telling us he wouldn’t be there. The reception was not what we expected and was a dud. I feel so bad that people had to experience that. I’m still furious and it’s been 2 1/2 years.
The uninviting guests thing was so helpful! I feel bad uninviting people but last year got bullied into having a big wedding and after a year of time to process we decided we wanted something small and it didn’t to us if we had to step on some toes to get there. We really only have to tell my partners parents that their guest list has been vetoed (people who don’t even know my partner let alone know me) because invitations had not been sent yet. But this will be so helpful!
I got engaged on New Year’s Eve and I already started to buy things 🙊 I found someone who had the perfect pedestal centerpiece vases I wanted for 75% off the reg price. I would stay it’s never too early to start we plan for a fall wedding 2022 and I feel buying in smaller increments will not make it as stressful. I have also shopped at joanns during there presidents sale and got most of my greenery for 70% off. If you have a vision and you know you won’t change your mind start shopping early on.
I did my alllllll my flowers with flowers from hobby lobby. Every other week they’re 50% off I did 8 boutonnières, 8 bridesmaid bouquets and my bouquet for $250 and my arch, a wreath, and centerpieces for another $250. I used tips and tricks from the sola articles and everything turned out AMAZING. Also someone I know sent out invitations for a zoom attendance instead of “uninvites” due to covid and I thought that was a nice way to soften the blow
I wanted to share my floral experience for anyone who may be interested! I used dried flowers for everything. I got a few different types for the centerpieces and such and then I got the bouquets, flower crowns, etc. already made. It was a great choice and ended up being quite cheap and very much my aesthetic ❤️
We were playing outside in the snow one day with the kids. The next day I wake up and realize my engagement ring is gone. I looked everywhere!! Dumped trash cans tore apart rooms ect. Finally I’m outside dumping buckets of water in my front yard to melt the snow so I can search for it. My fiancé comes home at this time which is dark outside now. I explain I lost it to him and he had me stop searching. We get metal detectors like 3 times over the next year looking for it during better weather months. Flash forward to the next winter. My fiancée went to get gloves out of the closet for the first time that year. And the ring was in the finger of that glove I had worn. A year later we found it! I hope you guys have a simple joyous eureka moment and find your ring where you least expect!!
So I’m currently in the process of looking at hotels to book room blocks. I scrolled through Jamie’s website to seek her expert advice and I actually didn’t see a article about booking hotel room blocks! I would love some advice friends! How do I know how many rooms to book for a 150 person wedding? How many hotels? Any words of wisdom or things to look out for?
Love this so much! After our wedding was rescheduled twice I was able to put our wedding guest list into perspective and cutting our list significantly and didn’t know how to approach the possible awkward conversations with previously invited guests. Love your articles and happy to hear you and your family are doing okay!
Glad you’re all safe! I love the Q&A articles as I always appreciate your tips, tricks, and advice. We’re 50 days away from our day and I would LOVE a article on the most helpful things we can do for our month of/day of coordinator. How to organize our decor for setup? What’s helpful to print – is it helpful to have a binder with proof of payment for vendors and a copy of contracts? Is it best to have lists or pictures for setup? An extra bin with supplies in case things break or need extra decorations? Should be provide a bin with “set up” tools like lighters, zip-ties, command strips, etc? Any suggestions and preferences are appreciated! Thank you!
Can you give some tips for bridesmaids with all the Covid stuff going on. I told my bride that I was happy to be her bridesmaid as long as Covid was over. I don’t foresee it being over by the time her wedding gets gets here and I just found out today that she doesn’t want us to wear masks. How far out from the wedding do I need to officially step down? I want to be there for her but if Covid isn’t over I don’t feel comfortable. I just want to make sure I give her enough time to find a replacement (which I don’t think will be hard for her but I just don’t want to do it last minute). Also any tips on how to have that convo? Greatly appreciated 😅
My sister originally planned for a 300 guest wedding Oct 2020. Because of Covid she had to downsize to a backyard wedding with 50 guests with masks, which she explained at her bridal shower that it was immediately family and grandparents only. 2 days before the wedding, her now-husband tested positive for Covid, as did their coworker/officiant. So on their wedding day, they got married 6 feet apart, wearing masks, with me, my mom, and three friends perusal at a distance. They’ve rescheduled for this September for the big wedding, but we’ll see 😂
I’m using sola wood flowers for my wedding. $450 and I’m getting 400 blooms, plus greenery and baby’s breath filler and all craft supplies. It’ll cover my cascade bouquet, 2 bridesmaid bouquets, 4 groomsmen boutonnieres, the grooms boutonniere, all the boutonnieres and corsages for immediate family, 2 flower crowns, altar decor, aisle decor, and centerpieces ❤❤❤
Hey Jamie! I just got engaged in January and I have been obsessed with your website! Thank you so much for doing this for all of us on a budget 💕 I have a tiny budget and am currently in school, so I have a few questions. How can I ask my guests to bring a dish for a pot luck? Is this rude to do? 😅 Also, do you have any suggestions for planning and DIY-ing while in a full time school?
Kind of stinks for those of us who are still in COVID-limbo with our weddings, mourning what we hoped we would have last year and still not having any idea when we might be able to have a wedding that even remotely resembles what we wanted. There really isn’t a bright side to focus on of that (besides, of course, still being together even if we aren’t married yet). I feel like there is no joy left in it for us.
Ladies, idk who else to ask as all my friends are single. My boy friend and I have been talking about marriage a lot more seriously the past few weeks. We are def getting engaged but I am curious, how much involvement did you have in the engagement? I hear some people saying I’m getting married in a week two weeks? Did you know exactly when it was happening, was it a surprise? We personally just looked at rings to see my style and that’s pretty much my involvement the rest is up to him. I hear plenty of proposal stories but not about how involved the girl was in the process. Share you stories below please. Thank you!
we are having hiring a picnic company set up a pretty picnic in the park and every1 is dressing as fairies or mushrooms then having a slumber party at a nice hotel for my bachelorette party. My fiancé is taking his boys to a nice steak restaurant sense im vegetarian its a place he wants to try but cant take me on a date to then they are playing board games all night.
Can I uninvite guests to my vow renewal/reception this August? I don’t know what my excuse would be since were planning it outside. We had a micro wedding last summer with 35 people, mostly my immediate family and bridal party. My husband’s family didn’t get a chance to come but I don’t want the full 180 this summer.
How can I invite my girlfriends without their new boyfriends to our wedding ceremony? I want our wedding to not feel like strangers are there. I have one girlfriend that sadly goes through marriages and boyfriends often like changing clothes. Every time I hear from her she’s planning on being with someone new. I’m not trying to judge but I don’t always know who the guy person is, most the time it always ends up the same. He’s a guy that’s also desperate, drunk, and abusive. I don’t want someone like this attending our wedding as well because we don’t even know them. It’s exhausting just keeping up with all the different men in her life. I’ve actually had to take some space. What can I do?