Best Time of Day to Begin Ceremony

I don't think it has to be that late... 3:00, I think would be good... unless you're having a dinner... then I think the 4:30 sounds really good.

There will be a full meal served. Forgot to mention that.

My wedding is also a Sunday, my ceremony will start at 5:00 with the reception immediately following. It will run until about 10ish. I don't expect too many people to stay that late. It can run until 11 if we decide for it to...

I'm not sure about Texas, but in the spring time here it doesn't get dark until almost 8pm!

Hey April, I had posted that I am having mine on a sunday (late morning) with a full cocktail hour and lunch served at the reception. Mine is also going to be outside. My ceremony is at 11:30. It depends on how many people are traveling a great deal to get to your wedding. Since its a Sunday, how many people will have to travel for work on Monday. If you want to do a dinner, I would make the ceremony around 4:30... then you have your coctail hour from 5-6 (unless you have a long ceremony) and then you can have 6-10 for the reception (or 6-9 depending on how long you want your reception to go on for). What type of wedding will it be, BBQ, Stations, plated? Goodluck!

Mine is also on a Sunday and the ceremony starts at 4:30 as well. I also think it's important to consider where your guests are coming from. Most of mine are OOT, so they're not working the next day. For me, being on a Sunday doesn't really change anything.

Then I think that sounds like a great time!

I've actually been wondering this as well because we are getting married on a Sunday as well. It'll be a full buffet dinner. I was thinking about the ceremony starting at 4:30 and the reception starting at 5:30 (immediately following ceremony) and we'll do a first look so that we won't have to do a cocktail hour.

I usually recommend starting with when you want the event to *end* and moving backward. Say, if you want the event to end at 10:00 and have a five hour reception, then 4:00 or 4:30 sounds perfect!

It is going to be a buffet station meal. My guests are about half and half. Some are only 30 min away while I have some coming about 4 hours away. The guests who are coming further out of town will be staying at the b&b where the ceremony/reception will take place. I figured it would be reasonable for it to last until say 10 p.m. since it is on a Sunday and some will have to work the next day. Still unsure about a cocktail hour...I am having a smaller wedding (50 people) and only 4 people in the entire wedding party. Shouldn't take long to do the standard photos. We are having an open bar. Beer, maybe wine, some liq. that should keep people pre-occupied :-)