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C
Master July 2014

5 minute wedding?

csquid, on October 25, 2013 at 12:57 PM Posted in Planning 0 26

So we met with another officiant the other day and he told me that typically weddings are closer to 5 minutes than the 30 minutes I am allotted at my venue. How can this be?? I guess it all depends on if you have readings and people speaking and whatnot but a 5 minute wedding? That seemed really strange to me...then again, I've never been to a wedding NOT in a church before (like ours will be). Maybe w/o all the formality of a church wedding, it's super short?

26 Comments

Latest activity by FinallyMrsB, on October 25, 2013 at 3:07 PM
  • We'llAlwaysHaveParis
    Master November 2013
    We'llAlwaysHaveParis ·
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    I went to one wedding that was that fast and I was like whaaaaaaaa?!?!? just happened. Like it didn't seem real. Committing yourself to someone for life and it's over in 5 minutes?!?!?

    Find a new officiant. Someone who can drag it out to at least 15.

    We're having a Catholic wedding - it will be an hour.

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  • Morgan
    Savvy October 2013
    Morgan ·
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    Hmm, I guess if you just cut straight to the vows, exchanging of the rings, etc then it makes sense. Our actual ceremony was very short, we made it about 30ish minutes because we had 2 soloists, a unity candle, a reader, and several prayers.

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  • Laura
    Master November 2013
    Laura ·
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    Your ceremony can be whatever you want it to. I went to a wedding ceremony a few months ago..it was 6 minutes. It was weird being so short. What the heck did I drive all the way out there for?!

    Ours is going to be non-denominational, but will still be about 20-25 minutes in length.

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  • Out the Window
    Master May 2014
    Out the Window ·
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    Geeze. I want a quick ceremony too, but I was thinking along the lines of 20 minutes. I would find a new officiant how will make the ceremony a memory and worth the money you spend on them.

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  • winnipegwriter
    Master September 2015
    winnipegwriter ·
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    Ours will be about 10 minutes. I'm with Amy. I find ceremonies boring. My FH and I aren't mushy people, so 10 minutes is all we need to say what we want to say.

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  • Pezzy
    Master May 2014
    Pezzy ·
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    Most modern Jewish weddings are really quick My question would be, where does he start the clock on the 5 minutes, because the processional can take that long... But yeah our ceremony will be quick...

    Precessional

    Opening Remark...

    Vows

    Rings

    Kiss

    break the glass

    everyone screams Maze tov

    recessional

    • Reply
  • Nicole Lynn
    Expert September 2013
    Nicole Lynn ·
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    I told our officiant we wanted like 10-15 mins.. but she added in some extra stuff (unapproved) and it was like 20.. that was long enough! 5 is a little short though..

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  • Mr.&MrsWKP
    Super May 2014
    Mr.&MrsWKP ·
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    I thought it was supposed to be about 10-15mins ish

    Ours will be

    walk down the aisle

    officiant says stuff

    we say our vows

    sand unity ceremony

    sea shell ceremony

    carried off into the sunset

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  • MarianiBride
    VIP June 2014
    MarianiBride ·
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    I have officiated a couple weddings most were about 10 minutes if you add in a sand ceremony or unity candle it will add some time.

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  • C
    Master July 2014
    csquid ·
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    Ok, I just contacted him to clarify and he said that it could be whatever we want it to be and that he was counting from when we're actually standing in front of him.

    I'm relieved b/c we both really liked him, he got wonderful reviews from other brides I've gotten references from (plus he happens to be the least expensive one I've found). From what most of you are saying, 15-20 minutes is reasonable/expected. Thanks for the input!

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  • Thankfully Anonymous
    Super February 2014
    Thankfully Anonymous ·
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    I'd say 10 min, 20 max. Ours will be 15 max. I tend to get bored around that point at other weddings I've been to so this way everyone is still engaged. I'm sure he'd be ok with adding on an extra ten minutes or soSmiley smile

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  • Cricket Catering
    Cricket Catering ·
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    Ours was between 10-15 minutes (counting walking down the aisle etc). We didn't do unity ceremonies or have readings.

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  • Eleanor
    VIP October 2014
    Eleanor ·
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    I don't want my ceremony more than 20 minutes tops.

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  • PinkTractor
    Devoted September 2013
    PinkTractor ·
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    My officiant asked what I wanted.

    I said "quick, simple, to the point, kiss done"

    I am huge anti-PDA. I wanted a court house wedding. Ours was probably close to ten minutes - no longer than that, if that.

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  • C
    Master July 2014
    csquid ·
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    Rev. Ann, I think that's what he was trying to say. He said 5 minutes seems like a long time when it's just him talking lol. Ok, I think with walking in, the readings, unity candle, etc, and walking back down the aisle, I'll shoot for 20 minutes. Thanks everyone!

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  • FutureMrsDelpra
    Master October 2015
    FutureMrsDelpra ·
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    When I was with my EX, we went to his cousin's wedding, in a church and we were 5 minutes late, FIVE and it was over!

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  • Holly O'Neill
    Holly O'Neill ·
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    I 100% agree with Rev. Ann...most ceremonies are 15-20 minutes. If it were only 5 minutes there is nothing extra or special....basically Do you?, and do you? I do and I do.

    Unity ceremony, reading, reading or repeating of vows, prayer of blessing...My mother is an officiant, and I have never seen a ceremony that was shorter than 10 minutes. That is taking out all of those extra things...I have seen a ceremony once that a baptist minister had done...it was 40 minutes. They had a marriage license signing unity ceremony...it was lovely, but that part alone took 10 to 15 minutes.

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  • Mrs.L
    Master October 2011
    Mrs.L ·
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    All the weddings I have been to as an adult have been catholic weddings. I find them boring- probably cus I can't hear anything 99% of the time. So, out of all of our group of friends we are the first to have an officiant marry us at a ceremony outside of a church. It will be quick. Im think 20min quick. Short, simple, and sweet Smiley smile

    5min is super fast. I would feel like I would have gotten whiplash if I attended a 5 min ceremony.

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  • Nancy Taussig
    Nancy Taussig ·
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    I had one couple who insisted it not be more than 5 minutes. I explained that a guest could sneeze and miss half the ceremony. That guests had traveled great distances and would feel cheated at a 5 minute ceremony. They held firm at 5 so that is what I did.

    Most of my ceremonies run 10-15, but with readings by friends can run as long as 20.

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  • Celia Milton
    Celia Milton ·
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    Five minutes?

    Do you?

    yes

    Do you?

    yes

    Then I pronounce you whatever.

    Most of mine are 20ish minutes. More is wasted, less makes it feel unimportant.

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