Afternoon verses Evening?

I'm confused... are you trying to decide between an afternoon and an evening, or a Friday and a Saturday?

I am having a Friday evening wedding. The ceremony starts at 4, cocktail hour, and dinner/dancing until 10pm. If you book a Friday, I would assume that anything earlier than 4 might be a concern for your guests. A Saturday afternoon would probably be flexible for guests and less expensive for you. See what your venue has for options. Fridays and Sundays are generally less expensive than Saturday nights.

Agree with Julie! I'm having a Friday evening wedding myself. Ceremony is at 6:30, Cocktail hour at 7, reception from 8-12am. It's 4th of July, and our family parties ;-)

Sundays and Fridays are cheaper, but you can't really do an afternoon Friday without possibly making it difficult for your guests because of their work schedule/travel time. Sundays are great if you do them in the afternoon. If you do a Sunday evening, it's great if there's a holiday following it so people have off. Saturday afternoons are cheaper than Saturday evenings, but I must say, I was at a Saturday afternoon/brunch wedding that ended around 4:30, and afterwards it felt kinda awkward..like we just partied and it ended in the middle of the day, and we had no idea what to do with ourselves haha.

But, to each his own. I'd do whatever makes you happy, and try to save yourself $$!

We have a few venues in mind. I'm just now learning how expensive a Saturday evening wedding is verses a Saturday afternoon. Like a $1600 dollar difference. That's why we're thinking of a Friday evening wedding so the out of state guests can enjoy the it. We're talking 8 hour drives to a wedding. I feel bad to have an afternoon one when they've driven that far. It's been confusing. lol

And the Friday evening is the same cost as a Saturday afternoon.

Yeah, that's what I've seen, too. Saturday afternoons and Friday evenings are the same, if not only a minor change in price. It's all your preference, but I'd ask your family, also, what they prefer, as there's no price difference on your end.

Then go for the Saturday afternoon option. An 8 hour drive means people have to take a Friday off at least for a Friday evening wedding. It also means they will get there exhausted, that's not a short drive. So they may have to take Thursday off as well. It may all work out much better with Saturday afternoon schedule.

Agree with Mrs. S!!

True, I never thought of it that way Mrs. S. People would take off work Friday to drive, stay the night and wake up to a Saturday afternoon wedding.

However there is the awkwardness that was mentioned when attending an afternoon wedding. Like the party ended early lol

Well, something's gotta give. You can search for another venue that is more affordable for a Saturday evening. You can cut the guest list and then put the extra into the venue. You can invite your guests to join you in a bar and continue celebrating. But the point is, if you have many guests who have jobs and have to make a long drive, then Saturday is more convenient than other days. If I felt the party ended too early, I would just go out and continue celebrating.

But most importantly, congrats and welcome to WW! Could you please change your avatar so that we can recognize you more easily? Here's how to do it and more"

https://www.weddingwire.com/wedding-forums/new-to-the-weddingwire-forums-please-read-before-you-post/b433c40c1a62b96a.html

True. I have to think, this is mine and my honey's special day and I know we'll have help and make it work. Yay for DIY! lol I'll make sure and do a picture Thank you!

I completely agree with everything that Mrs. S said, like usual

Honestly, the only reason I'm doing a Friday is because the day I'm doing it is a holiday that everyone has off on, so it's easier for everyone, and it was cheaper for me. If you did an afternoon Saturday, you can continue your celebration somewhere else, like at a hotel bar or a restaurant for late dinner. There's many, many options. My friend who had a brunch wedding flew right down to Miami straight from her wedding, and the rest of us planned to go to Atlantic City, but it didn't wind up happening. That woulda been fun, though!

Valerie there are pros and cons to either choice. Typically weddings that are held on a weekday or at earlier points in the day are cheaper overall...and so for a length of various reasons. I've found that with my brides wanting to have a weekday wedding usually are those that seeking to have a more quaint and intimate wedding. It is usually more difficult for guest to get off to attend a weekday early afternoon wedding versus one that is held in the evening or on a weekend. There is also the point of catering costs. Typically the later in the day a wedding is, the more expensive the types of food that are served.

If you are having a number of guests driving long distances from out of town, I agree with Mrs. S, you want to make sure you're taking in consideration the length of time they have been on the road and the concessions that would have to be made concerning time off from work, exhaustion, etc.

Some venues, like a hall, won't rent a Sat. afternoon if they have a Sat. evening already booked because the evening group will want to get in early to decorate.

I'm new to WW, and I've been waiting for the perfect spot to jump in! We're getting married at 10 am, and our reception is from 12-5 pm. When we started planning our wedding, it became clear that FI and I wanted a laidback backyard wedding, while my parents wanted us to have a formal reception. The compromise we came up with was a formal reception in the afternoon, followed by an after-party in my parents' backyard for close friends and family. That way the people who would want to continue to celebrate get the chance to.

I'm doing a Saturday afternoon wedding. Well the ceremony starts at 11am and the cocktail hour is from 11:30-12:30pm. The reception is from 12:30-4:30pm. I really saved 50% literally on the cost of the reception just for having it during the day. Both the ceremony and reception are at the same location. I feel like guests will really enjoy it cause they can have their evenings free if they want.

I'm having mine at a resort in Virginia. My hope is that some guests come in on Friday night for the Saturday wedding. Also, I'm having an "after party" at the resort's sports bar starting at 7:30 for those who are staying there or still hanging around. I think it's going to be a lot of fun. We are also going to have brunch the next morning for those who want to join. My point is there are ways to keep the party going and make it fun for everyone!

Oh my goodness Anita, that sounds so wonderful. I've been hearing that lately on how after the wedding reception you could have a private party else where for people who want to stay and enjoy the evening with us.

Valerie- yes! And it's a major cost savings!! Plus is different. Everyone does the evening weddings. Good change of pace

My wedding is on a Friday evening - ceremony at 5, followed by cocktail hour and reception. It ends at 11. For me to have it on a Saturday either day or evening, the price would be $20 more per person which would have made it about $100 per person so it was a no-brainer to have it on a Friday for me.

It's amazing the difference from a Friday and Saturday wedding and even the time of day. The drawback is we also have family from out of state attending and we're hooked on a couple of venue but stuck on what time of day. The idea of an afternoon with a private evening party sounds great for family and close friends after the wedding. We have a venue in mind where the cost of a Saturday afternoon wedding from 10 -3 is $1400 verses a Saturday evening from 6 - Midnight for $3400. It's astounding!